Pop icon Britney Spears to receive prestigious award for supporting LGBTI rights
Pop superstar Britney Spears is to receive the prestigious Vanguard Award at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles.
Spears will be presented with the award, which each year honours someone who has “made a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance of LGBTQ people”, at the awards on April 12, Pink News has reported.
The star posted on social media that she was “honoured” to be receiving the award.
“The LGBTQ community means the absolute world to me and inspires me every day,” she wrote.
“I am proud to be an ally and I will continue to support equality and acceptance for all!”
Previous winners of the GLAAD Vanguard Award include Liza Minnelli, Eric McCormack, Kathy Griffin and Patricia Arquette.
Gay icon Spears has spoken out against anti-LGBTQ bills in the US, and performed on a GLAAD charity single after the Pulse nightclub massacre in 2016.
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis praised Spears, saying she “embodied the spirit of GLAAD’s Vanguard Award by speaking out on significant issues that face her fans”.
“She is a force in the music world who has used her global platform to share messages of love and acceptance, something that the world needs today more than ever,” said Ellis.
The GLAAD Media Awards have been given annually since 1990.
The awards honour outstanding achievement in representing the LGBTQ community.