Beyonce And Jay-Z Will Be Honored At The 2019 GLAAD Media Awards

Power couple Beyonce and Jay-Z will be honored for their activism and support for the LGBTQ community.

The “Drunk in Love” artists will be honored at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards in March. According to CNN, Glaad is a media advocacy organization for people who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender, and/or queer. The Carters will reportedly be the recipients of the organization’s Vanguard Award, which acknowledges individuals who use their celebrity status to make a “significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people.” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis released a statement on Monday explaining how the Carters’ influence has greatly helped raise awareness of LGBTQ issues.

“Beyonce and JAY-Z are global icons and passionate defenders of human rights and acceptance for all people,” Ellis wrote. “When Beyonce and JAY-Z speak, the world becomes inspired and when it comes to LGBTQ people, their voices of acceptance have been heard loud and clear. We could not be prouder to stand with them to send a message of love during the biggest LGBTQ event in the world and to honor their work to bend the arc of justice forward for LGBTQ people, people of color, and marginalized communities everywhere.”

The couple has been together since 2001 and just came off of their world tour, “On The Run II,” which followed their first joint album, Everything Is Love. Both Beyonce and Jay-Z have used their likeness to discuss national issues to their massive audiences. According to Rolling Stone, Beyonce spoke against North Carolina’s Anti-LGBTQ “Bathroom Bill” in 2016 and also posted a message on her Facebook page in support of LGBTQ students following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw Obama-era protections for transgender students in 2017.

The “Ego” singer’s husband also received GLAAD’s special recognition award for a song on his 4:44 album, titled “Smile.” The song was written after his mother, Gloria Carter, came out to him as a lesbian. Both Beyonce and Jay-Z have also highlighted members of the LGBTQ community in their work and showed their support on marriage equality on multiple occasions.

The “Friends” artists will join Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Cher, Whoopi Goldberg, Demi Lovato, Elizabeth Taylor, and Janet Jackson as GLAAD Media Awards recipients. According to Rolling Stone, the 2019 GLAAD Media Awards will be held in Los Angeles on March 28 and in New York City on May 4. Jay-Z and Beyonce will be honored at the Los Angeles event, while Madonna will receive the Advocate for Change Award in New York City. Ross Matthews will host the March 28 event.