LA Gay and Lesbian Center Gala will feature Wanda Sykes, Coco Peru and Chelsea Handler

It is some trio headlining the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center’s 38th Annual Gala and Auction on Oct. 24: Wanda Sykes, Coco Peru and Chelsea Handler.

Wanda will be receiving the Rand Schrader Distinguished Achievement Award at the event to be held at the Century Plaza Hotel. She really is the LGBT community’s shining star these days in so many ways with a wonderful role on CBS’s New Adventures of Old Christine, a new HBO comedy special and a new Saturday late-night show on Fox premiering next month.

She is political, smart, outspoken and very funny at these kinds of affairs which we learned earlier this year at the HRC dinner in LA and at the White House Correspondent’s dinner in Washington DC.

During a session at this summer’s TV Critics Press Tour on her new late-night show I asked Wanda how she felt about all the criticism that followed her controversial appearance at the correspondents dinner. Some people – not me! – thought she went too far with some of her remarks.

“I don’t welcome it but I’m not going to let it stifle me,” Wanda said of the criticism. “I’m still going to say what I think. I’m not going to shy away from anything but I’m not welcoming controversy.”

I wondered if it stressed her out and she said: ” Of course! That’s why we have alcohol.”

Then there is Miss Coco Peru ((aka Clinton Leupp) who will be receiving the
Board of Directors Award at the gala.

I had been aware of Coco for years but did not become a really big fan until saw her perform for the first time at the benefit for LifeWorks at the Laugh Factory earlier this year. I remember laughing so hard I cried.

It all started with this line: “The way the world is moving along I think we could all use a good laugh…before we know it, we walk out that door and it’s right back to reality. Don’t you just hate reality? I do. You know what I hate most about reality? People! People annoy me. Pretty much anyone outside this club annoys the shit out of me!”

I felt like, oh yeah, I love this bitch!

My feelings for Coco only strengthened after she oh-so-charmingly hosted the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles spring concert. I love all their concerts but having Coco sprinkle it with comedy (and also some strong musical numbers) just put the evening over the top.

Anywhere Coco Peru is, I wanna be there too!
And finally, there is Chelsea Handler, host of the nightly E! show Chelsea Lately.

She was a popular grand marshall at this year’s West Hollywood Pride Parade and will, no doubt, be a popular hostess for the evening.

“This is going to be a gala unlike any other,” said Center Chief Executive Officer Lorri L. Jean, “with glitz, glamour and lots of guffaws.”

I always look forward to Lorri’s remarks at this dinner. She is so full of passion and really knows how to get her message across. It’s always an education.

For more information about the event, go to the Center’s website HERE.