The Tamesis
“It means a lot to me to be here, especially right now with so many challenges facing the LGBTQ community,” Demi Lovato said Fashion Thursday night. The star got ready to perform and present an award backstage ahead of the 37th annual GLAAD Media Awards. “This is my community. To me, it’s about showing and celebrating the progress we’ve made, but also recognizing that there’s still work to be done.”
Every year, GLAAD — the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer media advocacy organization — hosts a gala event honoring fair, accurate and inclusive representation in film, TV, games, music, podcasts and news. A longtime advocate, Lovato jumped at the chance to be part of the campaign again: “Spaces like this remind us that our stories matter, that our voices deserve to be heard and celebrated, and that GLAAD has always focused on visibility and authenticity in storytelling, which is incredibly powerful,” said the Magda Butrym-clad chart-topper.
This year’s awards ceremony was hosted by mean girls Beverly Hilton actor Jonathan Bennett honored 291 nominees in 32 categories. Lovato kicked things off with a delightful and sexy performance kiss from her latest album Not that deep; This set the tone for an exciting evening filled with humour, camaraderie and passionate speeches focused on cultural change.
Not surprisingly, the global phenomenon fierce competition Become the center of attention. It was also the most mentioned pop culture moment during the awards show — with no shortage of nods to the show’s infamous cabin plot. Actors Connor Storrie, François Arnaud, Robbie GK, Christina Chang and Nadine Bhabha were joined on stage by co-creator Brendan Brady and the series’ creator, writer and director Jacob Tierney to accept the trophy for Best New TV Series.
“The global reach of this show still amazes me,” Robbie GK, who plays Kip, told us Fashion. “I’m from Canada, I’ve worked there my whole life, and I know things at home are important, but every day, I know that there are more people from different countries watching. It’s crazy, and very fulfilling. I hope fans take away from my character that it’s important to be patient with the people you care about. Try to meet them where they are. But at the same time, it’s just as important to respect yourself and know your own worth.”
Lovato then returned to the podium to introduce popular podcast co-hosts Bowen Young and Matt Rogers cultural expert, Received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award. “They came together as closeted comedy nerds when they were students at NYU. Since then, these two besties have grown into creative powerhouses on the cornerstone of pop culture,” she praised.
stranger things Star Noah Schnapp received a standing ovation as he accepted the award for Outstanding Drama Series for recognizing his character Will Byers’ emotional sexual struggles. “For anyone who has ever felt like they didn’t belong or were loved; there’s nothing wrong with you and there’s nothing wrong with you,” he said. “You are exactly where you are supposed to be. You are exactly who you were meant to be – be proud of every part of yourself because no one else in the world can be you.”
