The Beverly Hilton was buzzing like a Bey hive Thursday night as the audience waited for Beyonce and Jay-Z to descend from the heavens to accept the Vanguard Award at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. When the couple took the stage, the room was immediately emotionally charged as the two praised the LGBTQ community and shared their own personal experiences.
But before they took the stage, RuPauls Drag Race all-star Shangela, who also can be seen in the Academy Award-nominated A Star is Born, lit up the stage in one of the most electrifying one-woman Beyonce tributes. Performing a 7-minute medley of Beyonces greatest hits with a crew of thirst trap-worthy dancers, she slayed the stage as Beyonce and Jay-Z soaked up every single minute of it.
After the smoke cleared from Shangelas performance, HIV activist Morris Singletary, advocate and Pose director & writer Janet Mock, Beyonces long-time stylist and friend Ty Hunter and Emmy-award winning writer Lena Waithe took the stage one by one to sing the praises of the duo — not just their general greatness, but how their support for the LGBTQ community and the marginalized has inspired them. Waithe called them “the most powerful black couple” and then joked they might have to fight the Obamas for that title.
During Jay-Zs speech he praised his mother, who came out as a lesbian on the groundbreaking track “Smile” from his album 4:44. “I get to follow in her footsteps for spreading love and acceptance and her beautiful speech at the end of the song — and for allowing me to tell her story,” he said. Jay-Z received a GLAAD Special Recognition Award last year for the song and the music video.
When Beyonce spoke she shared her husbands sentiment, spreading love and said that “Change starts with supporting people closest to you.” She encouraged people to speak out and protect those who are marginalized and asked for parents to love their kids in their truest form.
“We would like to request that we continue to shift the stigmas in this community,” she said. “Especially the stigmas in black families towards accepting queer black and brown men and women around the world.”
As she continued, she got emotional as she dedicated the award to her Uncle Johnny, who sheRead More – Source
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