Celebrate San Diego’s LGBTQ+ Trailblazers at The Center’s 2026 Community Wall of Honor Ceremony
San Diego’s LGBTQ+ history runs deep, and The Center in Hillcrest has been keeping track of it for a long time. The 2026 Community Wall of Honor Induction Ceremony is their annual reminder of exactly how much this city owes to the people who showed up before it was easy – and this year, twelve more names are getting added to the list. It’s free and open to everyone.
From San Diego’s First Black Drag Performer to a Transgender Co-Founder
The 2026 class covers a lot of ground. Carolina Alcoser Ramos, champion for LGBTQ+ Latinx communities and HIV prevention. Norman “Norma” Braxton, San Diego’s first Black drag performer and philanthropist. Terry Cunningham, pioneering HIV/AIDS advocate. Lillian Faderman, the historian who helped make lesbian history a legitimate academic field. Dr. Delores Jacobs,
The Center’s longest-serving CEO. John Keasler, LGBTQ+ veteran and HIV activist. Big Mike Phillips, community organizer and fundraiser. Lizbeth Pineda and Sandra Ramírez, co-founders of Transgénero 2000. Dr. Kenneth Riley, physician and public health leader. Pamela Morgan and Joyce Rowland, longtime partners and philanthropists. And Veronica Zerrer, veteran and transgender advocate.
Each honoree will be presented by someone whose life their work has touched – including Mayor Todd Gloria, City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, and former California Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins.
Twenty-Two Years of LGBTQ+ History on This Wall
Nicole Murray-Ramirez started the San Diego LGBTQ+ Community Wall of Honor back in 2004 because she knew that names and stories disappear if nobody writes them down. Two decades later, the wall is still growing – and still doing exactly what she intended.
The Newly Renovated Auditorium Gets its First Big Night
The ceremony also doubles as the public debut of The Center’s newly renovated auditorium floor. You’ll be among the first through the door of the updated space – which is a nice bonus for a night that already has plenty going for it.
See you there!
Great stories, great honorees, and a room full of people who actually care about this city. Come out to Hillcrest – it’s free, it’s open to everyone, and it’s worth your night.
📆 Wednesday, September 23 | 6 PM – 8 PM
ℹ️ More to be discovered here
See you there, San Diego!
