Alexei Romanoff, who will be the grand marshal for LA Pride, will be among four LGBTQ activists who will be honored Wednesday at LA City Hall. Photo: Q Voice News screen shot from staff video.
LOS ANGELES – Four LGBTQ activists will be honored Wednesday at Los Angeles City Hall in a ceremony that will kick off the City’s seventh annual LGBT Heritage Month.
Also, for the month of June, City Hall tower will be illuminated in the rainbow colors of the LGBTQ pride flag.
Wednesday’s free event is open to the public, but an RSVP is requested.
A breakfast reception hosted by the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the third floor rotunda, followed by the ceremony at 10 a.m. in the John Ferraro Council Chamber.
Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Controller Ron Galperin will join Councilmen Mike Bonin and Mitch O’Farrell for the ceremony. Galperin made history in 2013 when he was elected the first openly gay person elected to citywide office.
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Here are the four activists who will be honored:
Alexandra Billings — In 2005, Billings became the first openly transgender woman to play a transgender character on television in the film “Romy and Michele: In the Beginning.” She also had a two-year stint (2014-2016) on “Transparent.”
Michael Kearns — Kearns is Hollywood’s first HIV-positive actor to acknowledge his status and has worked with numerous theater companies, including Kearns is currently associated with QueerWise, Skylight Theatre and Highways Performance Space.
Sara Ramirez — A former actress on “Grey’s Anatomy,” Ramirez came out as bisexual in October during a speech at the 40 to None Summit in Los Angeles.
Alexei Romanoff — The Pasadena resident was on the frontline of LGBTQ civil rights movement when he participated in a historic, pre-Stonewall protest at the Black Cat tavern in 1967.
