Cynthia Erivo was recognised at the 36th annual GLAAD Media Awards, held on 27 March in Los Angeles, where she received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award for her work in the fight against homophobia in the entertainment industry.
In her speech, which quickly went viral, the British actress and singer spoke about the importance of authenticity and the challenges of the LGBTQ+ community. "It's not easy to take up space as a queer person and wake up every day choosing to be yourself," she said. She also highlighted the difficulty of demanding respect for pronouns and finding the courage to exist without compromise.
Erivo, who identifies as bisexual, encouraged those who still seek the courage to come out as they are and called for greater inclusion for those who do not feel fully represented within the community.
With a distinguished career in theatre and film, Erivo is one of the few artists to have been nominated for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards, winning all but the Oscar.
On a personal level, Erivo has been in a relationship with actress and producer Lena Waithe since 2020. Professionally, she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role in Wicked, where she shares the screen with Ariana Grande, nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
Sources: @afrocollectiva | sentidog.com