Accepting the Advocate for Change honor at the 34th annual ceremony, the 'Say Something' singer says in her speech, 'It's incredibly hard and scary to find your voice and fight back.'
- Apr 1, 2023
AceShowbiz - Christina Aguilera celebrated her LGBTQ friends on a special occasion. Having been honored with the Advocate for Change award at the 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, the "Beautiful" hitmaker did not forget to give a shoutout to those in the community who encouraged her to do what she does.
"Looking out at this audience I see so many familiar faces and beautiful people and I'm so proud to be in this room with all of you," the 42-year-old songstress said in her acceptance speech at the Thursday, March 30 ceremony. "I grew up in this community as most of my lifelong best friends identify as LGBTQ."
Continuing to praise the community, the "Fighter" singer went on to say, "So much of who I am and what I do is because of each of you, and our shared experience of having to fight for equality and freedom in some capacity." She added, "Side by side we've learned and taught each other everything about life, from business to relationships to music, family, and partying."
"I don't know who does it better," the "Keeps Gettin' Better" singer further elaborated before making a reference to her hit 2002 single "Dirrty". She hollered, "I mean, I'm just saying, we know how to get dirrty, OK!"
Acknowledging the challenges faced by the community, Christina stated, "While I've had years of incredible moments with this family, the community has endured decades of fighting and we will continue to do so. I'm constantly impressed by your examples of the courage it takes to fight for acceptance, respect and safety that every human being deserves, which happens to be the core message of the music and art I've created over the years."
In her speech, the co-founder of sexual wellness brand Playground also reflected on her own experience, sharing, "When you've been a victim of violence, abuse or trauma, it's incredibly hard and scary to find your voice and fight back." She added, "Having grown up in a home with domestic violence, it was seeing my mom in a powerless position that first ignited the fire in me to speak up for all of the people whose voices don't get heard. And it is not easy."
One day after accepting the honor, Christina celebrated Trans Day of Visibility with an Instagram post that saw her hugging Club Q shooting's survivor Michael Anderson among others. In the accompanying caption, she wrote, "On #TransDayofVisibility we celebrate the invaluable contributions of every individual in the transgender community."
"As someone who believes in equality and inclusion for all, I am deeply grateful to GLAAD for amplifying the voices of those who are often marginalized," she continued expressing her gratitude. "I am humbled and honored to receive this award, and to have the opportunity to serve as a safe haven and advocate for all those who seek acceptance and inclusion."
"Michael, your words of inspiration mean the world to me, but I must say that you are the true embodiment of bravery. To endure violence and then choose to take action to effect change is nothing short of heroic," she added.
Christina was known to be an avid supporter of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. In the music video of her 2002 single "Beautiful", she included a revolutionary gay kiss. She has also supported transgender charities.
