Beyoncé and Jay-Z Celebrate Their Gay Family Members While Being Honoured with GLAAD Award
Beyoncé and Jay-Z were both honoured with GLAAD’s Vanguard Award last night, an award celebrating those who’ve made a monumental impact for the LGBT+ community.
In her speech, Beyoncé paid tribute to her uncle, who died of AIDS: “I want to dedicate this award to my uncle Johnny, the most fabulous gay man I have ever known, who helped raise me and my sister.
“He lived his truth, and was brave and unapologetic at a time when this country wasn’t as accepting, and witnessing his battle with HIV was one of the most painful experiences I’ve ever lived,” she added.
“I’m hopeful that his struggled served to open pathways for other young people to live more freely. LGBTQI rights are human rights.”
Jay-Z thanked his mother, who came out as a lesbian in his 2017 song Smile: “Life is full of highs, lows, and a lot of learning. This is a momentous night and I also want to honour my mother who received the award last year.
“I get to follow in her footsteps of spreading love and acceptance [and thank her] for allowing me to tell her story.”
“To you, Jay, I’m so proud of you for making incredible strides towards changing stigmas in the hip-hop community,” Beyoncé added.
“It’s a privilege to watch you take those steps and we’re super grateful and honoured.”
“I would say that one of the most beautiful memories from our [joint] tour was looking out from the stage every night and seeing the hardest gangsters trappin’ out right next to the most fabulous queens, respecting and celebrating each other.
“And that’s the duty of my partnership, connecting people who at first glance seem worlds apart, and whether it’s friends or family, the LGBTQI community has always supported us and lifted us up.
“We’re here to promote love for every human being and change starts with supporting the people closest to you, so let’s tell them that they are loved, let’s remind them they are beautiful, let’s speak out and protect them, and parents, let’s love our kids in their truest form.
“I hope we continue to shift the stigmas in this community, especially the stigmas in black families towards accepting queer black family members.”
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