Well, Reneé had an acceptance speech with a very particular message prepared just in case she received a GLAAD Award, and of course, she won.
The 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards was a star-studded night of celebrities, art, activism, and awareness for LGBTQ+ people.
Niecy Nash-Betts received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award and Oprah the Vanguard Award for their activism through their entertainment careers.
At the same time, TV and movies like Bottoms and Ted Lasso received awards for Outstanding Film and Comedy Series for their LGBTQ+ representation within their cast and storylines.
And individually, the GLAAD Awards awarded performers like David Archuleta and Reneé for their visibility and representation as queer artists.
On Thursday night, I witnessed Kate Hudson perform her live song for the first time, which I assumed would be one of the most talked about events. Instead, Reneé took an opportunity to call for a ceasefire in Gaza during her acceptance speech, and now it’s viral.
After receiving the award for Oustanding Music Artist, the “Not My Fault” singer addressed the “privileged” audience with a message.
As she accepted the award, she reminded everyone of her press run for Mean Girls, where she was criticized, or meme’d for her no-holds-barred responses to interview questions. Then, she called upon her peers in entertainment.
“We are very influential and very privileged people, which is exciting and also a huge privilege to be a part of that,” she began. “Having said that, I’d like to take the opportunity to show support and call for an immediate ceasefire and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”
“Please continue to advocate for yourselves. Continue to advocate for your friends — for your queer friends and those who can’t advocate for themselves. Thanks!”
The 34th Annual GLAAD Awards will air on Hulu on March 29.