Last night at the 36th GLAAD Media Awards, Cynthia Erivo accepted the special Stephen F. Kolzak Award, in recognition of her raising visibility and promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues.
During her acceptance speech, the Wicked star noted that her journey has been a “wild, wild ride” and praised her community along the way. “Here in this room, we’ve all been the recipients of a gift that is the opportunity to be more,” said Erivo.
“I doubt that it has come easy to any of us, but more for some, the road has not been one paved with yellow bricks but instead paved with bumps and potholes − whichever road you have traveled, how beautiful it is that you’ve had a road to travel on at all. There are the invisible ones who have had no road at all.”
“For the person who is searching and searching and has not found it yet, this room is full of people who can and will, if they choose… to be lanterns to light up your journey and your path on the way to showing the world who you are.” Watch her full speech now.
GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award is named in honor of the Los Angeles casting director who devoted the last part of his life to fighting homophobia and HIV stigma within the entertainment industry. Previous recipients of the Stephen F. Kolzak Award include: Niecy Nash-Betts, Jeremy Pope, Laverne Cox, Wanda Sykes, Jim Parsons, Ruby Rose, Chaz Bono, Melissa Etheridge, Ellen Degeneres, Michaela Jae Rodriguez and more.
Erivo is a Grammy Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress, singer and producer, as well as an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG nominee. For her performance in Wicked, Erivo has received numerous accolades, including nominations at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards. She made her Broadway debut in 2015 as Celie in The Color Purple.
