MICHAELA JAÉ RODRIGUEZ TO BE HONORED BY APLA HEALTH AT THE 42ND ANNUAL AIDS WALK LOS ANGELES ON OCTOBER 18, 2026

Joel Kim Booster to present Rodriguez with the Voice of Visibility Award, followed by an Opening Ceremony Performance from Singer/Songwriter David Archuleta
 

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- APLA Health announced today it will present its inaugural Voice of Visibility Award to honor actress and activist Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (Pose, Loot) on Sunday, October 18, 10:30 a.m. at the 42nd annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles, a fundraising event celebrating life, honoring those who have been lost, and taking action against HIV. On-screen co-star and advocate Joel Kim Booster will present Rodriguez with the honor during the AIDS Walk kick-off ceremony in West Hollywood Park, which will also feature a live performance from David Archuleta. Registration is now open at aidswalkla.org.

"There is still a cruel distance between what medicine can do and who actually gets to benefit from it. We know access to testing, treatment, and consistent care saves lives, yet our most marginalized communities, especially Black and Brown trans women, continue to bear a disproportionate burden," said Rodriguez. "Our lives cannot become negotiable when the political climate changes or when supporting us becomes inconvenient. If you stand with this community, that commitment has to remain when it is hardest. We are not disposable, and we deserve the same chance to live fully, love freely, dream boldly, and grow old."

As the first and oldest AIDS walk in the country, APLA Health presents its Voice of Visibility Award to Rodriguez for her commitment to HIV/AIDS awareness and destigmatization, and her advocacy for the transgender community. Rodriguez lives this year's APLA Health AIDS Walk theme, "Defend Care, Demand Action," a message aimed squarely at closing the gap between what medicine can now do and who can actually get it.

"Michaela Jaé is a powerful voice for the community," said Craig E. Thompson, CEO of APLA Health. "Voices like hers keep HIV and equity in the public conversation at a time when it would be easy to look away. HIV is no longer the death sentence it once was, but that progress depends on people being able to afford testing, treatment, and ongoing care."

Rodriguez won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for Pose, becoming the first openly transgender actress to win the award, and was the first trans woman nominated for a Primetime Emmy in a leading acting category, also for Pose. She was also honored with GLAAD's Stephen F. Kolzak Award and named The Advocate's Person of the Year for her work promoting LGBTQ+ acceptance and HIV/AIDS awareness.

This year's sponsors of APLA Health's AIDS Walk Los Angeles 2026 include Premier Sponsor Paul Hastings; Grand Sponsors ABC 7, Gilead, and Paramount; Principal Sponsors Anthem, City of West Hollywood, ViiV Healthcare, Latham & Watkins, and NuvemRx; Major Sponsors Albertsons and Starbucks; Supporting Sponsors City National Bank, Baldwin Hills Investors, Ltd., and The Abbey; and Event Sponsors Amgen, Decron, Lionsgate, Eddie's Pharmacy, KPMG, Queer Industry Night, Enterprise Mobility, Jeni's Ice Creams, Keck Medicine of USC, and Room & Board Home Furnishings.

For more information on APLA Health's AIDS Walk Los Angeles and how to register, please visit https://aidswalkla.org/.

For photos from previous APLA Health's AIDS Walk Los Angeles events, please click here.

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About APLA Health
APLA Health (formerly AIDS Project Los Angeles) provides comprehensive healthcare and vital support services to more than 23,000 people each year. Since 1983, we have remained committed to ending the HIV epidemic in our lifetime. Through eight Federally Qualified Health Centers across Los Angeles County, we deliver primary care, dental, behavioral, sexual health, and HIV care, along with food and housing support. Our Vance North Necessities of Life Program distributes more than one million meals annually, making it the nation's largest food pantry for people with HIV. APLA Health also advances sound health policy and raises critical support through AIDS Walk Los Angeles and the Best in Drag Show. Learn more at aplahealth.org.

SOURCE APLA Health