Beyoncé Just Made it Extremely Clear That Love Is Love
I want to dedicate this award to my uncle Johnny, the most fabulous gay man I have ever known and I ever knew, who helped raise me and my sister. He lived his truth. He was brave and unapologetic during 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. I'm hopeful that his struggles served to open pathways for other young people to live more freely. LGBTQI rights are human rights. [APPLAUSE] I just want to say To you Jay that I am so proud of you for making incredible strides towards changing stigmas in the hip hop community. [APPLAUSE] It's a privilege to watch you take those steps and to stand right next to you. I love you and we're super grateful and honored. [APPLAUSE] Thank y'all. [APPLAUSE]
Leave it to Beyoncé to act as an LGBTQI+ ally and spread the most perfect message of love and acceptance. The superstar gave a powerful speech as she accepted the Vanguard Award with her husband Jay Z at the GLAAD Awards on March 28. She got emotional as she dedicated the award to her late Uncle Johnny, whom she called, “the most fabulous gay man I have ever known.”
“He helped raise me and my sister. He lived his truth,” Beyoncé said, choking up. “He was brave and unapologetic during a time when this country wasn't as accepting. And witnessing his battle with HIV was one of the most painful experiences I have ever lived. I'm hopeful that his struggle served to open pathways for other people to live more freely."
"LGBTQI rights are human rights,” she continued. “To choose who you love is your human right. "Who you love is your human right, who you make love to and take that ass to Red Lobster is your human right.”
Before accepting her award, Beyoncé received tributes from Lena Waithe, Janet Mock, and Drag Race alum Shangela, who gave an epic, hair-flipping, voguing tribute to Queen Bey that brought her to her feet. Another powerful moment came from Beyoncé’s longtime stylist, Ty Young.
“You taught me that I can do anything I want to do, I can be anyone I want to be, and you taught me that you can be at the very top and successful and still be humble,” Young said, adding that the most powerful lesson she taught him was her and Jay Z’s motto “Love Is Love.”
“We were not expecting those incredible presenters,” Beyoncé said later during her speech. “I’m just super honored and overwhelmed. I’ve already cried...I put a run in my stocking from Shangela," she continued with a laugh. She went on to describe "most beautiful" memory from The Carters tour, "looking out from the stage every night and seeing the hardest gangster trapping out right next to the most fabulous queen full out respecting and celebrating each other."
She exclaimed that that’s what life is “all about,” emphasizing how important it is to her and Jay Z to spread a message of love and acceptance for everyone in every community.
"We’re here to promote love for every human being, and change starts with supporting the people closest to you,” she told the superstar crowd, which included Gwyneth Paltrow, Allison Janney and Olivia Munn. “So let’s tell them they are loved. Let’s remind them they are beautiful. Let’s speak out and protect them — and parents, lets love our kids in their truest form. We’d like to request that we continue to shift the stigmas in this community, especially the stigmas in black families towards accepting queer black and brown men and women around the world," she said.
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Jay Z also paid tribute to his mother, Gloria Carter, who took home the Vanguard Award in 2018. Jay Z rapped about his mother’s struggle to be true to herself and open about her sexual identity on the song from his album 4:44.
“I want to honor my mother who received this award last year," he said. "And for following up with steps of spreading love and acceptance, for her beautiful speech at the end of “Smile," for her allowing me to tell the story, and for her strong message of love who you love, and souls that connect, and that my soul connected to Bey.”
Jay Z’s willingness to reveal that to the world was a huge moment, which Beyoncé acknowledged before they left the stage.
“Jay, I’m so proud of you for making the incredible strides towards changing stigmas in the hip hop community,” she continued. “It's a privilege to watch you take those steps and to stand right next to you. I love you. And we’re super grateful and honored.”