Since 1993, the City of West Hollywood and its LGBTQ+ Commission (previously the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board) have presented Rainbow Key Awards to those who have made outstanding contributions to West Hollywood’s LGBTQ+ community. These contributions, by an individual or a group, may be in many forms, including the arts, community action, humanitarian action, sports, medicine, armed services, leadership potential, benefit to the global LGBTQ+ community, or other ways. For a complete list of past honorees, please click HERE.

The City also has two other LGBTQ+ related awards, the Melissa Etheridge Award, and the Audre Lorde Award. 

Since 2007, the City of West Hollywood has presented the Melissa Etheridge Award to honor an individual who has made signification impact within and for the lesbian and queer women community. First presented to singer-songwriter and activist Melissa Etheridge, the award carries her name to honor her commitment to furthering women’s health and fostering visibility and support for the lesbian and queer woman community. Through this award, the City seeks to honor an individual who has impacted, and fostered visibility of the lesbian and queer women community through creative methods including art, entertainment, music, and film. It is intended for the award to be presented to a lesbian and queer-womxn identified community leader. 

Now, in 2025, the City of West Hollywood is pleased to offer the Audre Lorde Activist Award. This award is specifically designed to honor a community activist who has made a significant impact within and for the lesbian and queer woman community. Through this award, the City seeks to honor a community activist engaged in local community action and advocacy to benefit the lesbian and queer women community. It is intended for the award to be presented to a lesbian and queer-womxn identified community leader. 

All three awards are governed by our Award Guidelines, which dictate eligibility, the nomination process, and award selection. If you are thinking of nomination someone for an award, we encourage you to closely read the guidelines.

2026 Ceremony 

For more information on this year's ceremony,
or to make your free RSVP,
please visit: https://bit.ly/RainbowKeyAwards2026

Join us on April 11, 2026 at 4PM at the Silver Screen Theatre at the Pacific Design Center for this year's ceremony for the following honorees: 

	Cake and Art - founded in 1976, Cake and Art is a bakery older than the City of West Hollywood itself! The bakery has made cakes for celebrities, visiting dignitaries, and, in the years before the legalization of same-sex marriage, Cake and Art baked hundreds of same-sex ‘commitment ceremony’ cakes for the growing LGBTQ+ population of West Hollywood. When same-sex marriage was legalized in 2015, Cake and Art sold cupcakes to-go for couples rushing to West Hollywood Park to be married by the City’s satellite marriage license office.
	Fan Girl Cafe (Betsy Martinez and Cynthia Temblador) – Betsy and Cynthia’s Fan Girl Cafe is one of West Hollywood’s latest and greatest cafes, offering the LGBTQ+ community (especially the lesbian and sapphic community) a place to gather with each other and participate in community events. Fan Girl Cafe routinely hosts poetry readings, stand-up comedy, and even sing-alongs for popular albums. Fan Girl Cafe has quickly become a haven for the queer community, a place to sit and gather in community.
	Abdullah “Abby” Hall – Abby Hall serves as the Artistic Director of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles. TCLA performs at many LGBTQ+ events in West Hollywood and Los Angeles County showcasing the immense talent in the trans community. Through Abby’s leadership, TCLA gives trans and gender-expansive people visibility to be seen, felt, and heard.
	Tristan Schukraft - Tristan has built a life and career dedicated to advancing, celebrating, and protecting the LGBTQ+ community, beginning in West Hollywood and expanding globally. As owner of The Abbey Food & Bar and The Chapel, he has safeguarded two of the most iconic queer spaces in the world. Through Tryst Hotels and his growing portfolio of LGBTQ+ hospitality destinations, he is redefining luxury travel and nightlife for the community. As founder and CEO of MISTR, the nation’s largest telemedicine platform for HIV prevention and long-term care, Tristan has transformed access to sexual healthcare by providing free PrEP, DoxyPEP, and HIV treatment to more than 700,000 patients across all 50 states.
	Trudging Buddies - Trudging Buddies is a grassroots, predominantly LGBTQ+-led nonprofit organization that builds community, resilience, and purpose for queer people in recovery from addiction through participation in athletic and service-based experiences. Since the conclusion of AIDS/LifeCycle, the org has evolved to offer year-round athletic and service programming, including hiking, yoga, running, swimming, bowling and tennis. Trudging Buddies reaches over 300, mostly West Hollywood and LA-area LGBTQ+ individuals annually through a combination of training, events, and peer-led recovery initiatives.

Additionally, this year, the Rainbow Key Awards Ceremony will include two other awards: The Melissa Etheridge Award, to honor an individual who has impacted, supported, and fostered visibility of the lesbian and queer women community through creative methods including arts, culture, entertainment, music, and film; and the Audre Lorde Activist Award, to honor a community activist who has made a significant impact within and for the lesbian and queer woman community. This year’s awardees are:

	Angela Brinskele – Angela is a long-time activist for women’s rights and lesbian visibility, and a professional photographer who has documented the LGBTQ+ community for decades. She is currently in charge of Marketing and Donor Engagement at the Mazer Archives. Angela will receive this year’s Melissa Etheridge Award.
	Jaymes Black – Jaymes is the first black, nonbinary CEO of The Trevor Project. Under their leadership, The Trevor Project, which was founded in West Hollywood in 1998, has expanded its free 24/7 crises services for LGBTQ+ youth and has led new research initiatives, public education efforts, and strategic advocacy work. Jaymes will receive this year’s Audre Lorde Activist Award.