The 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards took place this past Saturday night at the New York Hilton Midtown. The event was hosted by the one and only Ross Matthews, and had several celebrity guest appearances including Nyle DiMarco, Laverne Cox, Lea Michele and more.
The event celebrates another wonderful year of all the incredible things that GLAAD is doing for the LGBTQ community as well as awarding major movies, magazines, television shows and more that have impacted us in a truly positive way.
It was a true honor to be there that night, as the room itself was electrified with so many amazing moments that showcased how amazing our community can be when we all get together and try to do something. Here is a recap of the four best moments from the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
Adam Lambert and Melissa Etheridge, who are not exactly wallflowers when it comes to how they perform, literally brought the house down with a mind blowing performance of her 1993 Grammy-nominated hit "I'm The Only One." I definitely wasn't the "only one" who noticed just how amazing these two are on stage, as their energy with one another was nothing short of electric.
Orange is the New Black and Handmaid's Tale star Samira Wiley was the recipient of the Vito Russo Award on Saturday night, and took the opportunity to discuss her coming out story as well as her incredible marriage with her wife Lauren. She also had a very important message to give to our LGBTQ youth while on stage: "You are loved. You have a community that is here for you. Is dedicated to protecting to you. And accepts you for exactly who you are, right in this moment."
Jay-Z's mother Gloria Carter received a special recognition award that was presented to her by legendary journalist and Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts. Her son featured her on his song "Smile", which tells of his mother’s struggles and of his unwavering love and support for her: “Mama had four kids, but she's a lesbian. Had to pretend so long that she's a thespian. Had to hide in the closet, so she medicate. Society shame and the pain was too much to take. Cried tears of joy when you fell in love. Don't matter to me if it's a him or her. I just wanna see you smile through all the hate."
During her speech on stage, she discussed the impact of what coming out has had on her family and several others across the world. The most powerful moment from her speech came when she said "“Love gave me the courage to take the power that I allowed other people to have over my life for fear of them revealing my secret.”
The most emotional moment of the night, at least for me, was when NBA star Reggie Bullock came to the stage to discuss his transgender sister Mia Henderson, who he lost to fatal violence back in 2014. The whole speech brought tears to my eyes, but when he mentioned how he wanted to be the first NBA player to wear a rainbow jersey, I nearly lost myself.
For more information on GLAAD, please check out their official website.
Adam and Melissa, two uber
Adam and Melissa, two uber talented, confident, generous, funny individuals blowing us away.
Adam is always a great duet partner, never needing to show off, letting his partner shine. With Melissa, he met his match. I loved it!!