Michaela Jaé Rodriguez to Receive Visibility Honour at AIDS Walk
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez will receive APLA Health's Voice of Visibility Award at AIDS Walk Los Angeles. The honour will be presented during the kickoff ceremony for the 42nd annual walk, as reported by Variety. She will accept it in front of walkers and supporters.
Her 'Loot' co-star Joel Kim Booster will hand her the award. Singer David Archuleta will perform as part of the same ceremony. This year's walk carries the theme 'Defend Care, Demand Action.'
The walk is scheduled for Sunday, 18 October at West Hollywood Park, according to the Los Angeles Blade. The kickoff ceremony opens the day. APLA Health is the health organisation behind the event. It is led by chief executive Craig E. Thompson.
Rodriguez is an actress, singer and activist. She is best known to television viewers for the drama series 'Pose'. She won the Golden Globe for best actress in a drama series for that role. She was the first openly transgender actress to win the award.
She was also the first trans woman nominated for a Primetime Emmy in a leading acting category for 'Pose'. A Primetime Emmy is American television's top prize. The nomination and the Globe win placed her in the record books.
Rodriguez previously received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 2022 GLAAD Media Awards, as documented by GLAAD. That prize recognises an individual who has promoted LGBTQ acceptance, according to the Hollywood Reporter. It is given during GLAAD's annual awards season. She accepted it four years before this latest honour.
APLA Health organises other fundraising efforts alongside the walk. Its website says all money raised by its Best in Drag Show helps provide housing for people with HIV, via APLA Health. The site lists the Best in Drag Show on Sunday, 4 October. It also describes a monthly giving programme called the Heartbeat Giving Circle.
What makes this stand out is the pairing. A march with a long history gets a night for music and recognition first. For people attending, the message is simple. Come for the ceremony. Stay for the walk. Booster and Archuleta bring familiar faces to the stage.
