GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis hits out at 'cruel and harmful lies' as she accepts Governors Award at the Emmys
Los Angeles, California (Release): On Monday evening, during the 75th Annual Emmy Awards, GLAAD was honored with the Television Academy's 2023 Governors Award. The award, accepted by GLAAD’s President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, recognized the organization's work over nearly four decades to secure fair, accurate and diverse representation of LGBTQ people across all forms of media and to advocate for LGBTQ equality.
Founded in 1985 by Vito Russo, author of 'The Celluloid Closet', and other LGBTQ advocates, GLAAD works with leaders in television, film, gaming, news, business, politics, and more to lead the global conversation and ensure authentic and diverse LGBTQ stories are seen and heard. Out actor and Emmy Award-winner Colman Domingo joined Emmy Award-winner and LGBTQ ally Hannah Waddingham to present GLAAD with the honor.
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis was joined onstage by Liz Jenkins (Chair of GLAAD’s Board of Directors), Rich Ferraro (GLAAD Chief Communications Officer), Nick Adams (Vice President of Transgender Representation), Anthony Allen Ramos (Vice President of Communications & Talent), and out actor Wilson Cruz. Cruz is a former GLAAD staffer and Board Member. In 1994, he became the first out actor to play an out character in a leading role on television when he played Rickie Vasquez on My So-Called Life.
In her acceptance speech, Ellis called for more LGBTQ stories to be told, especially about transgender people: “So many people have worked tirelessly to get LGBTQ representation here. For us this work is personal, for me, it’s about my wife and our kids. What the world sees on TV directly influences how we treat each other and the decisions we make in our living rooms, schools, at work, and at the ballot box.What the world sees on TV directly influences how we treat each other and the decisions we make in our living rooms, schools, at work, and at the ballot box.
"The world urgently needs culture changing stories about transgender people. Because more Americans say they have seen a ghost than know a trans person. When you don’t know people, it’s easy to demonize them. Visibility creates understanding and opens doors, it’s life-saving. Our community has achieved so much and yet, we are still being villainized with cruel and harmful lies. Sharing stories is the antidote. Now is the time to take action -- support everyone in the LGBTQ community, because this story is still being told and we all can be the heroes.”
