Kelly Ripa Says It Felt ‘Odd’ to Receive GLAAD Award

Kelly Ripa was given the Excellence in Media Award during the 2015 GLAAD Media Awards on May 9, and her poignant acceptance speech addressed a compelling point: Why, exactly, does she deserve praise and recognition for treating people like human beings?

She said, "I feel that it’s kind of odd, in a way, that I should be given an award based on the fact that I’ve had the privilege of being surrounded by, loved by and influenced by this community my entire life. Or, quite frankly, that I should be celebrated for treating people like people.”

She went on to say, "Like everybody in this room, I watch hoping and trusting that [the expansion of LGBT rights] will move the nation towards the same type of acceptance that my own children are growing up with here in New York City."

According to GLAAD's president and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, Kelly is one of the driving forces behind enforcing that idea of acceptance. She said in a statement (via GLAAD), "For over a decade, Kelly Ripa has greeted millions of viewers with messages of acceptance and inclusion. By sharing inclusive stories with her audience and loudly voicing support for her LGBT friends and fans, Kelly is helping to drive acceptance forward."

Kelly's attitude toward being recognized simply for being humane recalls a speech given by Anne Hathaway during the 2008 HRC Los Angeles Dinner. She expressed a similar sentiment when she said, "There are people who have said that I'm being brave for being openly supportive...of gay rights, but with all due respect I humbly dissent. I'm not being brave, I'm being a decent human being and I don't think I should receive an award for that."

You can check out footage of Kelly's speech in the video above.