15 Images of Queer Joy at The Advocate's People of the Year Party

The Advocate's People of the Year Luncheon

Every year, The Advocate chooses a group of individuals who represent the best of us; people who epitomize determination, fortitude, and giving back. Featured in our November/December issue, our People of the Year for 2022 included our cover stars -- White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and actor Harvey Guillen -- along with individuals like children's book author Maia Kobabe, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, and Beyonce.

Included in that list and in attendance at The Advocate's People of the Year luncheon -- held at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles -- are lesbian actresses Amanda Bearse and Dot-Marie Jones. Both women have inspired many with their bravery and both appeared in the history-making Bros film this year. RuPaul's Drag Race star Mrs. Kasha Davis was also in attendance, representing another of our categories for our people of the year -- drag queens bravely facing the angry right-wing to read stories of acceptance to children. Finally, influential ball scene figure and dance music artist Kevin Aviance received a Champions of Change Hall of Fame award at the event and was honored for his 20+ years of contributions to queer culture. Aviance capped off the afternoon with a fierce performance.

The Advocate's People of the Year luncheon was sponsored by Instagram and featured products from Cadence, a lifestyle brand dedicated to using reusable packaging for all. They donated 100 percent of their partnership with the event to the Trans Women of Color Collective, dedicated to uplifting, supporting, and highlighting the experiences and work of trans and nonbinary women of color.

Pictured above, clockwise from top left: Stan Lim of Instagram, Aviance, Davis, Andrae Vigil-Romero of Instagram, equalpride CEO Mark Berryhill, equalpride editorial director Neal Broverman, poet Arielle Marie, and Lily Zhao of Instagram.

Photos by Lulu Dropo