Taylor Swift to Be Honored With the Vanguard Award At the 2020 GLAAD Media Awards

GLAAD will honor pop and country singer Taylor Swift with its prestigious Vanguard Award at the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards.

Swift joins the likes of Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Whoopi Goldberg, Beyoncé, and JAY-Z, Jennifer Lopez, amongst others who have been recognized with the award for their support of the LGBTQ community and equality rights.

The 30-year-old has long used her superstardom to stand up for equal rights. During the 2019 LGBTQ Pride month, Swift wrote a letter to Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, requesting that he support the Equality Act, which would provide discrimination protections to LGBTQ Americans. She also created a Change.org petition, urging others to support the Equality Act as well. The petition has garnered more than 570,000 signatures.

The anti-hate-themed music video for Swift’s platinum single “You Need to Calm Down” featured cameos from many proud members of the LGBTQ community, including Ellen DeGeneres, Laverne Cox, RuPaul, the Queer Eye cast and Billy Porter.

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis confirmed the news of Swift being this year’s honoree.

“From boldly standing up against anti-LGBTQ elected officials to shining attention on the urgent need to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination through the Equality Act, Taylor Swift proudly uses her unique ability to influence pop culture to promote LGBTQ acceptance.”

The GLAAD Media Awards will take place on April 16, 2020, in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton.