The City of West Hollywood is co-sponsoring the Spirit Royale Drag Cheerleading Competition, which is being organized by West Hollywood Cheerleaders and Life Group LA. This event provides an opportunity to support and raise awareness for the drag community as well as raise funds to support HIV/AIDS wellness programs. Funds raised from the event will benefit the mission of Life Group LA, a West Hollywood organization that was founded in 2005 that supports HIV/AIDS wellness free of charge for the community.
The event will take place on Thursday, October 19, 2023, beginning at 6 p.m. (the competition will start at 7 p.m.) at The Abbey, located at 692 N. Robertson Boulevard. Attendees will witness a dazzling display of drag queens and cheerleaders battling it out for the coveted Spirit Royale Trophy. For more information and to RSVP and on the event, please visit the Eventbrite event page.
Founded in 1986, West Hollywood Cheerleaders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit orgaÅnization of Drag Queens. Over the past three decades, the West Hollywood Cheerleaders organization has evolved from the single-issue mission of ending AIDS and HIV stigma, to a broader mission of recognizing and celebrating young leaders.
This event is being produced to bring everyone together, including marginalized community members, in the face of the current national political climate that includes attacks on the drag and trans communities. Moreover, the event is focused on highlighting diversity and inclusion, which embodies West Hollywood’s values, so the community of West Hollywood can continue to be a beacon of hope for the rest of country.
Co-sponsorship of this event aligns with the City of West Hollywood’s efforts for nearly four decades for programming that support LGBTQ+ individuals. In April 2023, the City adopted a resolution declaring the City of West Hollywood as a sanctuary city for transgender people. For decades, the City has been one of the centers of drag culture. Moreover, in June 2023, the City named the first Drag Laureate through the newly created Drag Laureate program.
For more information, please contact Jennifer Del Toro, City of West Hollywood Community and Legislative Affairs Supervisor, at (323) 848-6549 or at jdeltoro@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
