Saturday’s second GLAAD Media Awards event of 2023, held at the Hilton Midtown in New York City, proved to be an evening of accolades, glitz, and unabashed statements. The night was punctuated by notable wins for Netflix’s Heartstopper and the gay rom-com Fire Island. Yet, the highlight of the evening was country singer Maren Morris’s powerful rebuke of former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Netflix Takes Home Big Wins
Based on graphic novels by British author Alice Oseman, the much-adored series Heartstopper garnered the award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming (Live Action). Concurrently, Fire Island and the trans coming-of-age story Anything’s Possible shared the win for Outstanding Film – Streaming/TV. Furthermore, A Strange Loop, the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, and We’re Here, a reality show featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni, bagged the awards for Outstanding Broadway Production and Reality Series, respectively.
Maren Morris: An Iconic Ally
However, it was Maren Morris, the country pop artist and an iconic LGBTQ+ ally, who dominated the discourse. Upon receiving the Excellence in Media award, Morris let loose a fiery retort to Tucker Carlson, who had previously denigrated her support for trans rights. Transforming Carlson’s insults into a fund-raising t-shirt design, the singer raised an impressive $150,000 for trans charities, demonstrating that offensive language can be turned into a force for good.
Trans Lawmakers Stand Firm
Also present at the event were trans lawmakers Zooey Zephyr and Mauree Turner, state representatives for Montana and Oklahoma respectively. Despite recent attempts to silence them, both used the platform to promote acceptance and denounce bigotry. Zephyr, a recent fiancé to journalist and activist Erin Reed, introduced GLAAD’s president and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, as an unflinching advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
A Night to Remember
The 34th annual GLAAD Media Awards ended on a high note, with each winner contributing to the important narrative of representation and equality within media. As the event fades into history, the words spoken and awards given will remain significant in the continuous fight for LGBTQ+ rights and representation.