Check out some photos from the event below and come visit us on 424 Fairfax, LA—we'll be here for a while.
After guests settled into their seats, the night’s honorees Patricia Arquette and Megan Thee Stallion lauded the organization’s work and the manifold ways it has affected their lives for the better. Overcome with emotion, Megan accepted the Catalyst for Change Award, in recognition of her choice to advocate for bodily freedom and sexual liberation through her platform, and inimitable tracks like Plan B.
“Planned Parenthood has been a leader while abortion rights are under attack. Y’all are the true heroes,” Megan shared in her acceptance speech. “I’ve always known that I have a bigger purpose than just being a musician, and to speak up when people need our help.”
The second of its kind, the gala celebrates the work of the organization while honoring particularly devoted advocates, hosting an auction to raise funds for annual operating costs, and rounding out with an afterparty featuring host Patia of Patia’s Fantasy World, and DJs including Boston Chery and river moon.
“They’ve been there for me and a lot of my friends, especially when I first came to this country and needed healthcare,” Moon said. When the lights went down and guests trickled out onto the street, the event’s urgent appeal was in clear and energizing focus, primed for a productive year ahead.
We got some input from partygoers — some anonymous, some less so.
Anonymous — The film was like a three-hour-long trailer for GTA 6.
Anonymous 2 — We’ll call tonight, “Harmony Korine’s goon cave.”
Aidan — I came here kind of old-new to New York, and I haven’t lived here in eight years, but I’m here again and this is the most cracked-out shit I’ve ever been to.
office — In a good way or a bad way?
Aidan — Always good.
Claire — It’s a rare evening that you find yourself the perfect amount of drunk to be in the space that you’re in, but I happened to experience that tonight, so for me, it’s pure Nirvana. But they stopped playing "All Star" mid-song. That was upsetting. But at one point in the evening, a rogue, brave woman got herself on stage and took her titties out.
Girl with her tits out — This is the future of cinema.
Tyler — The last time I partied at Elsewhere was 2018. Harmony Korine brought New York back.
Is it frivolous to dedicate art in periods of war? It’s a question that seems increasingly relevant — should the appreciation of beauty take a backseat to the fight for freedom? Not necessarily. Current director and chief curator at the Ren, Myriam Ben Salah drew on critic Margo Jefferson’s claim that deems art a necessity in periods of turmoil “because history cannot exist without the discipline of imagination.”
View scenes from the night below.
