By Valerie Milano
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 4/13/23 – ‘Twas a ‘queer-studded’ affair during the airing of the 34th annual GLAAD Awards hosted by Margaret Cho which aired on Hulu on April 12, 2023. Featuring some of the biggest names in the LBGTQIA+ community and allies such as the accomplished, hilarious Jennifer Coolidge, Gabrielle Union, TS Madison, Lance Bass, and many more! The evening covered highlights from popular culture and media as well as awarded their honorees- Jeremy Pope, Christina Aguilera, and Bad Bunny- with their own individual awards showcasing how they have brought change and empowerment to the community.
“Here I am again, surrounded by gays!” Jennifer Coolidge opens the evening with a hilarious, off-beat, call back to the hit series White Lotus. “We are here to honor media that helps the world understand and accept the LGBTQ+ community. I have so much respect for this community. I love you and I thank you for always being there for me. I believe that we all have the right to be who we are, to love the people that we love, and to tell our stories everywhere that we can and that’s really what the GLAAD media awards are all about.”
At the end of her speech, none other than the impeccably talented Jane Lynch surprised Coolidge on stage declaring, “This wonderful woman has been pro-gay before it was cool to be pro-gay and I have always said that the world needs to catch up to Jennifer Coolidge, and the world has caught up!”
Toward the end of the illustrious night, award-winning actress Gabrielle Union presented Jeremy Pope with the Stephen F. Kolzak award for his role in the drama film The Inspection. Pope illuminates, “Im so fortunate to be able to use the gift of storytelling to bring visibility to marginalized stories.” He continues, “Thank you for allowing me to be a vessel for something that is bigger than myself to represent and lead black stories with nuance and emotional truth.”
The night was full of laughter, light, and fierceness. Check out the GLAAD awards streaming on Hulu!