lphoto by Edwin Folven)

The city of West Hollywood and the West Hollywood LGBTQ+ Commission will host the annual Rainbow Key Awards ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd.

The Rainbow Key Awards recognize people and groups who have made outstanding contributions to the LGBTQ+ community. The city’s LGBTQ+ Commission selects nominees through a public process. The 2024 awardees are drag superstar Jackie Beat, lesbian activist Dapper Dyke Vivian Escalante, LGBTQ+ services specialist Dr. Rebecca Gitlin, transwoman singer LZ Love and LGBTQ+ poet Brian Sonia-Wallace.

Jackie Beat has entertained audiences across the U.S. and Europe for more than 35 years. Known for her razor-sharp comedy and hysterical song parodies, she has also worked in the film and television and raises money for HIV and AIDS charities.

Dapper Dyke Vivian Escalante established Dykes on Bikes in West Hollywood and Long Beach. Her contributions to the visibility and empowerment of the lesbian community during a time of limited representation are considered remarkable.

Gitlin served as the first LGBTQ+ Services Specialist within the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s Anti-Racism, Inclusion, Solidarity and Empowerment Division. She currently serves as a clinical supervisor at the LACDMH Hollywood Mental Health Cooperative.

LZ Love, a legendary African American transwoman singer, is known for soul-stirring blues, gospel and dance music. She began singing at a very young age and at 16 was a background vocalist for the late disco diva Sylvester.

Sonia-Wallace founded Pride Poets, a band of LGBTQ+ typewriter poets who have collectively written thousands of free custom poems at West Hollywood Pride events since 2019, giving the community a chance to have their stories honored through poetry. He served as West Hollywood Poet Laureate from 2020-23, creating space for hundreds of LGBTQ+ writers to express themselves and build community through the APLA Writers’ Workshop, The Mic @ Micky’s and the West Hollywood Slam Team.

The city of West Hollywood has presented Rainbow Key Awards since 1993. For information and to RSVP, visit weho.org/rainbowkey.