Taylor Swift to Receive 2020 GLAAD Vanguard Award
Taylor Swift is set to be honored with the Vanguard Award for being an LGBTQ+ ally.
The 30-year-old will receive the honor during the 31st GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton on April 16. Nominees in the categories will be announced Wednesday (January 8). The award is given to "allies who have made a significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people."
In the past few years, the "Lover" singer has been outspoken about her political beliefs, including LGBTQ+ rights. Swift showed her support for the Equality Act (which protects LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in several areas), by sending an open letter to Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander asking for his support as well as creating a Change.org petition encouraging her legion of fans to support it and contact their local officials. She later donated to the Tennessee Equality Project, which is a Nashville-based organization that is working to defeat six anti-LGBTQ bills.
Last year, Swift released the powerful anthem “You Need to Calm Down,” which includes lyrics that give a shot out to the organization, “Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD?".
Previous winners of this prestigious honor include Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Kerry Washington, Cher, Janet Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Antonio Banderas, Demi Lovato, Whoopi Goldberg, and Patricia Arquette.