The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards have just honored GLAAD with the prestigious Governor’s Award. The award, which debuted in 1978, is meant “to honor an individual, company or organization that has made a profound, transformational and long-lasting contribution to the arts and/or science of television.” GLAAD is this year’s Governor’s Award recipient because of the ways that the organization has increased the acceptance and representation of LGBTQ+ people in media.
A prime example of GLAAD contributing to LGBTQ+ representation in entertainment is their annual Where We Are on TV report. The findings track the quantity, quality and diversity of queer representation on television.
Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, took to the stage at the Emmys to accept the Governor’s Award and express gratitude for the honor.
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“I am honored to accept the Governors Award for GLAAD tonight at the at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. This is a historic moment for LGBTQ visibility across Hollywood,” she wrote on Instagram.
“At a time when our community, especially trans people, are under attack, to receive this outstanding honor for our work ensuring that queer stories are told accurately feels pertinent and powerful,” Ellis said in a statement prior to tonight’s show. “By recognizing GLAAD with the Governor’s Award, the Television Academy reaffirms what we have known for decades, which is that television and entertainment has the power to accelerate acceptance for LGBTQ people, and that our organization sits at the forefront of that conversation,” Ellis continued.
Previous recipients of the Governors Award have included Debbie Allen, Tyler Perry, Star Trek, American Idol, mtvU Campaign for Darfur, PBS, Masterpiece Theater, Hallmark Cards Inc. and Walter Cronkite.
Other big gay Emmy wins so far include RuPaul’s Drag Race for Outstanding Reality Competition Program, Niecy Nash for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, and (ally, but gay icon nonetheless) Jennifer Coolidge for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
