Based in 1985, GLAAD is a non-profit group targeted on LGBTQ advocacy and cultural change. The GLAAD Media Awards honor media for truthful, correct, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ folks and points.
The ceremony powers GLAAD’s work past the pink carpet, to speed up LGBTQ acceptance and visibility in media all 12 months spherical. Since its inception in 1990, the GLAAD Media Awards have change into essentially the most seen annual LGBTQ awards. This 12 months’s awards had been hosted by Michael Urie and honored the incomparable Cynthia Erivo. The GLAAD Media Awards had been hosted on the Beverly Hilton Lodge and featured a few of our favourite stars in attendance: Lil Nas X (who was additionally the presenter of the ‘Excellent New Artist’ award, MJ Rodriguez, Doechii, Natasha Rothwell, Wayne Brady, Durand Bernarr, R.Ok. Russell, Raven-Symoné, Lena Waithe, and naturally, Cynthia Erivo, who was honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award for making a major distinction in elevating visibility and selling the acceptance of LGBTQ folks and points.
Nonetheless, one other breakout star moreover Erivo was current this night, Doechii, who gained GLAAD’s Excellent Music Artist award and obtained resounding applause from the viewers. The artist, humbled, jumped up out of her seat to obtain the award, offered by trade colleague Lil Nas X, and whereas on stage, shared a heartfelt and humble speech, dedicating her speech to her household. “I wish to thank God and my household who’ve been guiding me for the reason that begin of my musical journey. I wish to thank my little sisters for all the time supporting my music and for hyping me up, but additionally preserving it actual,” she mentioned.
She continued, “I’m honored to be acknowledged with such a prestigious award by GLAAD and be part of the prior honorees akin to Girl Gaga, Lil Nas X, and Janelle Monae. That is additionally an enormous and particular second as a result of GLAD is celebrating its fortieth anniversary this 12 months, which is tremendous fab. This group was based on the ideas of acceptance, inclusiveness and empowerment, and people are the identical issues that I strongly imagine in and advocate for and that proceed to propel me ahead, particularly now that arduous gained cultural change and rights for transgender folks in The LGBTQ group have been threatened, and I’m disgusted. However I wish to say that we’re right here and we aren’t going anyplace.”
To shut out her speech, she shared her gratitude for the group and inspired different hopeful artists to proceed pursuing their desires. “The help and the love that I’m feeling as I settle for this award from GLAAD is really overwhelming and uplifting, and as I transfer ahead in my life and profession, enabling it’s additionally a beacon to different aspiring artists to not let anybody ever block your desires. So I simply wish to encourage you guys to remain linked with each other. Keep passionate. Keep targeted. Hold your chin up. Be sort and be fab,” she said to the viewers.
The focus of the night was after all, Cynthia Erivo, who lately got here off a busy awards season, as she was nominated for an OSCAR, Golden Globe, NAACP Award, and SAG Award for her function as Elphaba within the award-winning movie, WICKED. She fortunately accepted the Stephen F. Kolzak Award for her tireless work of advocacy within the LGBTQ+ group. She gave all her because of her group throughout her acceptance speech. “Greater than something that I’ve seen and felt, how open-armed my group has been. I’ve spoken about being your complete self and your true self. I converse concerning the prizes from being you towards the alts, however hardly ever do I acknowledge how laborious that may be. So I assumed that I’d make some room for these of us who’re looking for the braveness to exist as we wish, as a result of I feel that is the house to try this. It isn’t straightforward. None of it’s. Waking up and selecting to be your self, proclaiming an area belongs to you whenever you don’t really feel welcomed, instructing folks each day easy methods to handle you, and coping with the frustration of re-teaching folks a phrase that has been within the human vocabulary for the reason that daybreak of time,” she said.
Erivo continued, “It isn’t straightforward to ask folks to deal with you with dignity, since it’s best to simply have it, as a result of it’s a given. It isn’t straightforward to be taught to develop who you might be. If the world round you is knocking at your door, telling you to remain inside. Some flowers bloom towards all the chances, just like the peony, however most flowers should be tended to and cared for earlier than they courageous the sunshine and open up their petals to the solar. Right here on this room, we’ve all been the recipients of a present that’s the alternative to be extra. I doubt that it has come straightforward to any of us, however extra for some, the street has not been one paved with yellow bricks and as a substitute paved with glass pot holes, whichever street you’ve traveled, how stunning it’s that you just’ve had a street to journey on in any respect.”
Erivo closed her speech with a robust dedication to these feeling misplaced and unsure of their journeys. “I do know that this occasion is to have fun the work that we do, and I’m endlessly grateful for this honor and the celebration of this the true work is making the bottom we go away in our means stage sufficient for the following one that finds their means to participate. For the one that is looking and looking and has not discovered it but. This room is full of people that can and can, in the event that they select, and I hope they are going to, as a result of I do, to be lanterns to gentle up your journey and your path on a solution to exhibiting the world who you might be. We use the phrase “out and proud,” although you won’t have had the energy or capability to try this, know that I’m pleased with your quiet and solitary. All of us wish to be simply be seen. We might be seen once we see one another. I see you. Consider those that haven’t been seen. Consider those that sit at the hours of darkness and wait for his or her time, hoping and ready for a light-weight to gentle their path. I ask each single considered one of you on this room, with the areas that you just’re in and the lights that you just maintain to level it within the path of somebody who simply wants a bit steerage.”
You’ll be able to watch the thirty sixth Annual GLAAD Awards solely on Hulu on April twelfth.
