Renée Rapp calls for ‘immediate’ Gaza cease-fire at GLAAD Media Awards
“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."
By Emily Zemler
Renée Rapp called for an “immediate” and “permanent ceasefire” in Gaza last night during her acceptance speech at the annual 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 while accepting the award for Outstanding Music Artist at the Beverly Hilton. “Having said that, I’d like to take the opportunity to show support and call for an immediate ceasefire and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”
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.”
The GLAAD Media Awards, hosted by Wayne Brady, honored Niecy Nash-Betts, who received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award for an out LGBTQ person who raises visibility for the community, and Oprah Winfrey, who accepted the Vanguard Award for championing allyship. Kate Hudson and Chlöe performed during the ceremony, which will air on Hulu on March 29.
Elsewhere during the awards GLAAD CEO and President Sarah Kate Ellis invoked the recent death of 16-year-old nonbinary teen Nex Benedict, encouraging attendees to vote in the upcoming 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.”
Other winners included Ted Lasso for Outstanding Comedy Series, Yellowjackets for Outstanding Drama Series, Bottoms for Outstanding Film – Wide Release, Monica for Outstanding Film – Limited Release, and Fellow Travelers for Outstanding Limited Series.
Rapp’s call for a ceasefire comes only days after The Zone of Interest filmmaker Jonathan Glazer used his acceptance speech at the Oscars to draw attention to the conflict in Gaza. “Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation, which has led to conflict for so many innocent people — whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza — all the victims of this dehumanization,” Glazer said onstage. “How do we resist?”