Cynthia Erivo Delivers Powerful Speech Supporting The Non-Binary Community At GLAAD Media Awards
Image: Image: GLAAD Media Youtube
Wicked star Cynthia Erivo has delivered a powerful speech whilst accepting her award at the GLAAD Media Awards this week.
Accepting the Stephen F. Kolzak Award the bisexual star took the opportunity to speak up for the non-binary community.
Cynthia Erivo receives the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at GLAAD Media Awards
At the GLAAD Media Awards on Thursday Cynthia Erivo was presented with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award for her work promoting the LGBTQIA+ community.
The award “is presented to a LGBTQ media professional who has made a significant difference in raising visibility and promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues” said GLAAD.
“It is named in honor of the Los Angeles casting director who devoted the last part of his life to fighting homophobia and HIV stigma within the entertainment industry.”
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Taking to the stage at the awards ceremony Erivo used her time on stage to deliver a powerful speech supporting the non-binary community.
“This has been a wild, wild ride, and I’ve been deeply grateful for every second of it. But more than anything, I have seen and felt how open-armed my community has been” she began.
“I have spoken about being your whole self and your true self, I speak about the prizes that come from being you against the odds, but rarely do I acknowledge how hard that can be. So I thought that I would make some room for those of us who are trying to find the courage to exist as we want. Because I think this is the space to do that.”
She went on to talk about the non-binary community and they/them pronouns which she said are “Words used to describe pedantically two or more people; poetically, a person who is simply more.”
“It isn’t easy to ask people to treat you with dignity since you should just have it as a given” she continued.
“It isn’t easy to learn to grow who you are if the world around you is knocking at your door telling you to stay inside.”
“Some flowers bloom against all the odds, like the peony, but most flowers need to be tended to and cared for before they brave the light and open up their petals to the sun.”
Delivering her poetic speech with calm and grace the audience was captivated, fixated in silence, regularly bursting into applause.
She continued to speak about the importance of visibility for the community and encouraged hope and patience for those who felt unseen.
“I doubt that it has come easy to any of us, but more, for some, the road has not been one paved with yellow bricks, but instead paved with bumps and potholes.”
“Whichever road you have travelled, how beautiful it is that you’ve had a road to travel on at all. There are the invisible ones who have had no road at all. For those who have not yet even begun to find the road, be encouraged and be patient with yourself, it will show itself.”
In closing she called on the community to help guide those in need and help them find their own light.
“We are all visible. We can be seen. We see each other. I see you, you see me.”
“But think of those who have not been seen, think of those who sit in the dark and wait their turn, hoping and waiting for a light to light their path.”
“I ask every single one of you in this room, with the spaces that you’re in, and the lights that you hold, to point it in the direction of someone who just needs a little guidance.”
The night of awards and celebrations also saw plenty of other stars and shows celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community with ten other awards presented on the evening, this included:
- Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal (Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records) received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Artist
- The Groomsmen: Second Chances (Hallmark) received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Streaming or TV
- Will & Harper (Netflix) received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary
- RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV) received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program – Competition
- The Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo) received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program
- Agatha All Along (Disney+) received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding New Series
- Baby Reindeer (Netflix) received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
- Baby, This is Keke Palmer (Wondery) received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Podcast
- 9-1-1: Lone Star (Fox) received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series
- Hacks (Max) received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
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It was incompressible pap.