GLAAD on Wednesday announced that it
would honor actress Judith Light at its 31st annual GLAAD
Media Awards in New York on Thursday, March 19.
GLAAD will present Light with its
Excellence in Media Award, which is “presented to media
professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting
acceptance of LGBTQ people.”
Previous Excellence in Media Award
honorees include Ava DuVernay, Robert De Niro, Kelly Ripa, Patti
LaBelle, Debra Messing, Tyra Banks, Julianne Moore, Glenn Close,
Barbara Walters, Joy Behar, Billy Crystal, and Diane Sawyer.
“Judith Light stood up for and with
LGBTQ people when others in media and entertainment refused to speak
up, and she has never left our side,” said GLAAD President and CEO
Sarah Kate Ellis. “When the GLAAD Media Awards first started and
was a small event with little visibility, she was one of the few
entertainers who would join us in calling for LGBTQ representation,
so it is only fitting to now honor her advocacy on what has become
the largest LGBTQ stage in the world. From standing alongside LGBTQ
people during the AIDS crisis, to fighting for marriage equality, to
now uplifting transgender people and issues, Judith advocates with a
unique passion and an unending dedication that uplifts.”
Lilly Singh, the openly bisexual host
of NBC's A Little Late with Lilly Singh, will host the GLADD
Media Awards in New York.
GLAAD previously announced that out
director Ryan Murphy will be honored at the New York ceremony and
Taylor
Swift and Janet Mock will be honored at the Los Angeles ceremony.