JAY-Z and Beyoncé were honored with the Vanguard award at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards on Thursday (March 28), but it was their heartfelt acceptance speeches that had attendees ready to vote for the Carters in 2020.
As previously reported, HOV and Queen Bey received recognition from the LGBTQ+ organization due to their longtime allyship to the community. During the event, JAY shouted out his mother, Gloria Carter, who came out as a lesbian on his song (“Smile”) in 2017. The track was included on his critically acclaimed album 4:44.
“I get to follow in her footsteps of spreading love and acceptance and her beautiful speech at the end of the song and for allowing me to tell her story,” JAY declared. “And I want everyone to acknowledge her,” the “LOVEHAPPY” rapper stated before leading the crowd into applause.
Beyoncé followed up with an emotional speech that surely had guests misty-eyed. She dedicated their Vanguard award to her late uncle Johnny. The “Halo” singer remembered him as “the most fabulous gay man that I’ve ever known” and revealed he helped raise her and her sister, Solange.
“He lived his truth and 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,” she said.
The proud mom of three fought back tears adding, “I’m hopeful that his struggle served to open pathways for other young people to live more freely. LGBTQI rights are human rights. To choose who you love is your human right. How you identify and see yourself is your human right. Who you make love to and take that ass to Red Lobster is your human right.” The latter line was immediately recognized as a lyric from her 2016 hit “Formation” and elicited cheers from the room.
Elsewhere in her speech, the Houston native told her husband she was “so proud” of him for “making incredible strides toward changing stigmas in the hip hop community.” Bey called on the audience to do the same. “We would like to request that we continue to shift the stigmas in this community,” she said. “Especially the stigmas in black families towards accepting queer black and brown men and women around the world.”
Keep reading to see footage of JAY and Bey’s eventful night, including their acceptance speeches and their reactions to a “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star’s epic Beyoncé Medley.