Feb. 12 (UPI) — Cynthia Erivo is set to receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award during the upcoming GLAAD Media Awards.
The LGBTQ media advocacy organization announced on Wednesday that Erivo — who is also up for an Oscar for her portrayal of Wicked’s Elphaba — would join the likes of Wanda Sykes, Jim Parson, Melissa Etheridge and Ellen DeGeneres, who have previously received the honor.
“From an outspoken ally to a trailblazing member of the community, Cynthia Erivo’s one-of-a-kind voice has been an integral part of accelerating acceptance for LGBTQ people since she came on the scene over a decade ago,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, who is GLAAD’s president and CEO.
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The award is named after a casting director dedicated to fighting homophobia, and is given to individuals within the community who dramatically increase both LGBTQ visibility and acceptance, a press release states.
In an interview in November, GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos asked Erivo, “What’s the message that you want all your queer fans that see Wicked to take away from this?”
“That you deserve all the good things, that your difference is what makes you special, that your queerness is beautiful, that I love you,” she responds. “Elphaba is just like you and she understands what it feels like to be alone and to feel different, but that doesn’t make you any less special than you were born to be.”
The 36th annual GLAAD Media Awards will take place March 27.
