Singer and actress Renée Rapp called for all combatants in Gaza to lay down their arms and begin an “immediate” and “permanent ceasefire” during her acceptance speech at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles.
“We’re in a room of very influential people, very privileged people, which is exciting and also a huge privilege to be a part of that,” Rapp said Thursday night as she accepted the award for Outstanding Music Artist at the Beverly Hilton from the LGBTQI+ advocacy organization.
“Having said that, I’d like to take the opportunity to show support and call for an immediate ceasefire and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”
As she left the stage to applause, she added, “Please continue to advocate for yourselves, continue to advocate for your friends, for your queer friends, and for those who can’t advocate for themselves.”
Politics again appeared later in the show.
Rolling Stone reports GLAAD CEO and president Sarah Kate Ellis invoked the recent death of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict, encouraging attendees to vote in the 2024 election to “protect queer and trans rights on a national level.”
“We have to keep telling our stories, raising our voices, pushing back on the rhetoric,” Ellis said. “Folks, this is not a fire drill. This is the actual fire.”