The West Hollywood City Council approved changes Monday to the selection process for the annual Rainbow Key Awards given to people who make significant contributions to the LGBT community.
In May, the council criticized the selection process and ordered the city’s Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board (LGAB) to suggest ways to improve the process.
LGAB’s recommendations include limiting the number of recipients to five each year and trying to strike a male-female balance. Additionally, recipients will no longer be required to be present at the awards ceremony.
Between 2007 and 2013, 77 Rainbow Key Awards were issued for an average of 11 per year, with a high of 15 awarded in 2007 and 2009 and a low of seven in 2013, according to a staff report.
LGAB also recommended recipients should have a direct impact on West Hollywood’s LGBT community and a greater effort should be made to solicit nominations from the public through social media.
LGAB will present its recommendations for recipients to the council in March before the ceremony held in June.
