Amid a fiery time for members of the LGBTQ neighborhood, GLAAD is bolstering its ranks by appointing a roster of 20 ambassadors to “promote and strengthen” its work in accelerating acceptance.
The inaugural class of LGBTQ creatives, leaders and allies contains comic Atsuko Okatsuka, Queer Eye veteran Bobby Berk, Actual Housewives of Orange County star Braunwyn Spinner, Promoting Sundown star Chrishell Stause, media insider Don Lemon, actress Isis King, actor Jonathan Bennett, Made it Out Media’s Mal Glowenke and Mathilde Jourdan, Actual Housewives star Meredith Marks, Emmy winner Niecy Nash-Betts and Jessica Betts, Actual Housewives of New York star Racquel Chevremont, former NFL participant RK Russell, actor Ronen Rubinstein, media persona Ross Mathews, actress Sasheer Zamata, Pentatonix singer Scott Hoying and Mark Hoying, and actress and comic Sherry Cola.
The founding class got here collectively by invitation from the group as a method to activate superstar affect on the philanthropic and advocacy entrance. In accordance with GLAAD, their work as ambassadors shall be particularly tailor-made for every particular person to align their “public platform, passions and private model with GLAAD’s mission.” The ambassadors may also be offered with alternatives to take part in GLAAD’s programming and occasions together with the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles, Spirit Day, a youth anti-bullying marketing campaign, and GLAAD’s advocacy efforts across the Tremendous Bowl and Pleasure Month.
For a number of the names on the listing, the ambassador gig additional solidifies an already present relationship. For instance, Nash-Betts obtained the Stephen F. Kolzak Award on the thirty fifth annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles final 12 months. “Let’s proceed the combat for equality and normalizing that love is love,” she mentioned in an acceptance speech that adopted a tribute from Sharon Stone.