Janet Mock and Taylor Swift to Be Honored for LGBTQ Advocacy at GLAAD Media Awards
Taylor Swift and Janet Mock will be recognized for their LGBTQ advocacy at the 31st annual GLAAD Award Nominees, the organization announced Tuesday morning.
Grammy winner Swift will receive GLAAD’s Vanguard Award, which is presented to allies who have made a significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people. Previous honorees include Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Kerry Washington, Cher, Janet Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor.
Meanwhile, “Pose” director and producer Mock will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which is presented to a LGBTQ media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting LGBTQ acceptance. She follows in the footsteps of Laverne Cox, Jim Parsons, Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa Etheridge and Ian McKellen.
*Also Read:* Taylor Swift and the Cast of 'Cats' Perform 'Memory' With Tiny Instruments (Video)
Events for the GLAAD Media Awards will be held in New York on Thursday, March 19, 2020 and on Thursday, April 16, 2020, at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. Swift and Mock will be honored at the latter ceremony.
“From boldly standing up against anti-LGBTQ elected officials to shining attention on the urgent need to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination through the Equality Act, Taylor Swift proudly uses her unique ability to influence pop culture to promote LGBTQ acceptance,” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “In a time of political and cultural division, Taylor creates music that unites and calls on her massive fan following to speak up and call for change.”
*Also Read:* 'Pose' Producer and Director Janet Mock Signs Multi-Year Overall Deal With Netflix
Ellis continued to say describe Janet Mock as “a trailblazing force for diverse and inclusive storytelling who has raised the bar for LGBTQ representation in Hollywood. She tells stories that need to be told, including those of transgender people and people of color, in revolutionary and eye-opening ways that inspire and enrich.
“Her passion for inclusive storytelling, combined with her undeniable talents in writing, directing, and producing, will continue to create a Hollywood where voices and stories that have been left out of the conversation are placed front and center where they belong,” she added.
The full list of nominees for the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards will be announced Wednesday.
*Related stories from TheWrap:*
LGBTQ Series-Regular Characters Hit Record High on Broadcast TV, GLAAD Report Says
IMDb's Revised Birth Name Policy Criticized by GLAAD and SAG-AFTRA
GLAAD Calls Out IMDB for 'Deadnaming' Trans Actors