Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Michael Urie and Raven-Symoné are among those being honoured at this year’s wayOUT Gayla.
On Saturday (14.11.26), the wayOUT Gayla – which has Liza Minnelli as its co-chair – is coming to Avalon Hollywood for a special evening, with four stars receiving the 2026 Impact in Entertainment Award.
Shrinking star Michael and the That’s So Raven actress will be joined by The Comeback’s Dan Bucatinsky and musician Michael Feinstein.
According to the non-profit, the awards honour four LGBTQ+ stars as “trailblazers who create lasting change for the LGBTQ+ community”.
It added that their “groundbreaking work in entertainment champions the queer community – uplifting voices, expanding visibility, and fighting for equality and support on screen, through music, and beyond”.
Michael previously opened up about how despite playing a gay character on Apple TV’s Shrinking, he’s often stopped by straight men in the street.
He told Awards Radar: “When I’m stopped by people who like Shrinking, it’s a lot of straight men…these are masculine guys and they love Brian and they are okay talking about their feelings.
“We’re showing men how to take care of themselves and each other and it’s awesome. It’s so sweet when I see like a hetero dude come up to me and I can see in his eyes how much it means.”
The wayOUT Gayla will be hosted by comedian and actor Drew Droege, with performances from Greyson Chance, Emeline, Kyra Jete and Meatball.
The wayOUT LGBTQ Foundation is “committed to supporting life-saving work for LGBTQ+ youth in some of the most vulnerable and under-served communities” in the US.
The organisation added: “Each year, wayOUT LA chooses one grassroots partner and rallies the Los Angeles community to financially support their mission, often transforming their capacity for change overnight.”
For 2026, wayOUT are awarding the grant to The Knights and Orchids Society, “a Black trans-led, youth-forward non-profit building a full spectrum of care, education, and safety for LGBTQ communities across Alabama”.
The wayOUT team continued: “In an area with limited protections for LGBTQ people, TKO continues to expand its life-saving services and cultivate future leaders.
“Guided by the motto ‘We Keep Us Safe,’ TKO is fiercely committed to ensuring that the people they serve don’t just survive, but thrive.”
