Madonna is being honored for her advocacy on LGBTQ issues
Madonna is being recognized for a lifetime of championing the LGBTQ community.
The pop icon is due to receive the Advocate for Change Award at GLAAD’s 30th Annual Media Awards on Saturday night.
According to the LGBTQ media advocacy organization, the award goes to a person who “through their work, changed the game for LGBTQ people around the world.”
“Madonna always has and always will be the LGBTQ community’s greatest ally and it is only fitting to honor and celebrate our biggest advocate at GLAAD’s biggest event ever,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “From the HIV crisis to international LGBTQ issues, she fearlessly pushes for a world where LGBTQ people are accepted. Her music and art have been life-saving outlets for LGBTQ people over the years and her affirming words and actions have changed countless hearts and minds.”
The singer has long been outspoken about LGBTQ issues, beginning with the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s. GLAAD cited her performances at AIDS benefit concerts and her creation of a benefit dance marathon, as well as how she demanded action on the epidemic when it was often ignored. The organization also commended her efforts to support her LGBTQ dancers and speak out against anti-LGBTQ laws in countries like Romania, Malawi and Russia.
Madonna is the second person to win the award. President Bill Clinton received the honor in 2013 for his work on marriage equality.
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize artists, journalists, media companies and others for fair and inclusive representations of the LGBTQ community and the issues that affect their lives, according to its website.
The full list of nominees is on GLAAD’s website.
