Out actor-singer Jussie Smollett
(Empire) presented the HRC Visibility Award to Queer Eye's
culture guy Karamo Brown at the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) 21st
annual HRC Houston Gala on Saturday.
Netflix premiered its “reimagined”
Queer Eye in February and in March announced that the Fab Five
would return for a second season.
In introducing Brown, Smollett said
that Brown has “always, always, always kept it real.”
In accepting his award, Brown talked
about his severed relationship with his father.
“My father isn't here with us today
because unfortunately he has never been able to reconcile having a
son that is openly gay and proud,” Brown said. “He has never
been able to see me for the man I am, but instead allowed the
destructive construct of a religion to shatter our relationship.”
Brown also shared what being open and
visible means to him.
“It's up to every one of us in this
room to work diligently to create an inclusive culture in our school,
in our churches, in corporate America, where LGBTQI people of every
walk of life feel seen and feel valued. It is up to every one of us
in this room to share the difficult parts of our journey that led us
to the triumphant moments in our lives, so that others can understand
there is success and happiness beyond one difficult moment,” Brown
said.