Actress Laverne Cox will be honored
next month at the 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los
Angeles.
Cox, a transgender woman who plays a
transgender character on Orange is the New Black, will receive
the group's Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which is presented to an openly
lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made
a significant difference in promoting equality.
Actress Ellen Page will present the
award to Cox. In coming out last month, Page named Cox as one of her
inspirations.
(Related: Ellen
Page comes out gay.)
“Laverne Cox has reshaped the way
Americans see transgender people and raised the bar in diverse
representations of the LGBT community in entertainment,” GLAAD
President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “She is
not only a talented actress, but a truly transformational leader in
the LGBT equality movement. Through her tireless commitment to
building understanding and acceptance through education and advocacy,
Laverne is moving equality forward both on and off the screen.”
Previous recipients include Wanda
Sykes, Rufus Wainwright, Melissa Etheridge, Bill Condon, Todd Haynes,
Alan Ball, Ellen DeGeneres and Sir Ian McKellen.
GLAAD will also honor Jennifer Lopez at
the April 12 event.
(Related: Jennifer
Lopez to be honored at GLAAD Media Awards.)