LA LGBTQ+ ARTS & CULTURE COALITION
Queer and trans artists are central to Los Angeles’ cultural identity, yet continue to face systemic inequities in access to resources, funding, and recognition. By working together, the LA LGBTQ+ Arts & Culture Coalition builds the infrastructure needed to sustain our communities and ensure that LGBTQ+ arts and culture remain a vital force in shaping the city’s cultural future.
Los Angeles Performance Practice is proud to be a founding member of the LA LGBTQ+ Arts & Culture Coalition, alongside One Institute, Arts for LA, and more than 30 other organizations. The Coalition is a cross-sector network of artists, cultural workers, and institutions advancing queer and trans creativity across Los Angeles. Formed to strengthen our collective voice and build sustainable support systems, the Coalition convenes regularly to share resources, strategize, and advocate for equity in the cultural sector.
Panel discussion at the first LGBTQ+ Alliance convening on July 15, 2025, featuring Paul Outlaw and Badly Licked Bear
ACTIVITIES
Funders’ Convenings
Intentional gatherings where artists and organizations connect directly with funders, fostering organic exchange, increasing transparency, and shifting philanthropic practices to better serve queer and trans communities.
Advocacy
Collective advocacy around cultural equity—through shared letters, meetings, and coordinated strategy, the Coalition amplifies LGBTQ+ voices across local and state arts ecosystems.
Community Convenings
From steering committee meetings to larger public forums, Coalition gatherings provide space for artists and cultural leaders to exchange strategies, workshop ideas, and strengthen networks across disciplines and generations.
Participants in the first convening on July 15, 2025 at Los Angeles LGBT Center
FOUNDING ORGANIZATIONS
The Coalition was founded by a diverse group of artists, cultural organizations, and community leaders spanning performance, visual art, advocacy, and archival work. Founding members include institutions such as 18th Street Arts Center, Craft Contemporary, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), One Institute, Outfest, and the Tom of Finland Foundation; performance and theater leaders like Celebration Theatre, Los Angeles Performance Practice, Drag Arts Lab, and Drag King History; community-based initiatives including The Goddess Mercado, The Queer Mercado, Junior High Los Angeles, JQ International, Pride Poets, and the HIV Writers Workshop; and advocacy and research partners such as Arts for LA, California LGBT Arts Alliance, Rainbow Advocacy, The Social Impact Center, The Lavender Effect®, The Outwords Archive, Agua Dulce Productions, Stripper Worker Center, Stripper Co-Op, Pelvic Sanctuary, Feminist Center for Creative Work, Society for Education & the Arts, Out in the Streets Project, and the Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
Together, this constellation reflects the breadth of queer and trans creative life in Los Angeles, united in building power and visibility through the arts.
IN THE PRESS
New York Times: “Artists Respond to Censorship and Book Bans,” July 2025
Bay Area Reporter: “NEA snatches grants from local arts organizations,” May 2025
Los Angeles Public Press: “LA’s LGBTQ+ arts nonprofits, artists face ‘chilling effect’ under anti-DEI executive orders,” Apr. 2025
Graphic design by Ruben Esparza