Inside the 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

At the 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City on Saturday, Jennifer Lawrence had the audience—a room full of journalists, celebrities, politicians, and LGBTQ+ trailblazers—a bit gagged, hooting and hollering over a timely and sharp conversion therapy joke. 

“I love the gay community. In fact, I was in love with a homosexual. It was my first love,” Lawrence said onstage before presenting the Vito Russo Award to her “dear friend,” country musician Orville Peck. “I tried to convert him for years and now I know conversion therapy doesn't work. Did you hear me, Mike Pence? I said conversion therapy isn’t real, even though I know you think it worked on you.”

Jokes aside, the glamorous fundraiser, partially in partnership with Hornitos Tequila, was a success, with more than $300,000 raised in real-time to help fund the non-profit organization’s advocacy efforts for LGBTQ+ communities. The roster of celebrities inside was A-list—from Lawrence to host Ross Matthews, honoree Jennifer Hudson, plus Uma Thurman, Beanie Feldstein, Don Lemon, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Laverne Cox, and what felt like every former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant under the sun. 

And while, yes, the draw of celebrities packed into one place often helps non-profit organizations like GLAAD generate critical media coverage, the messages shared on stage were the real stars of the show. “Laverne [Cox] and I have a message for trans youth,” Jazz Jennings said. “You are loved. We are here for you and we are doing everything we can to accelerate acceptance for you.”

Jennings's sentiment is a poignant one. According to a nationwide survey conducted by GLAAD in January, 53 percent of registered voters and Americans "likely to vote" would oppose "a political candidate [who] speaks frequently about restricting access to health care and participation in sports or transgender youth."

Among other key findings? Seventy-six percent of registered voters believe "Republicans should stop focusing on restricting women's rights and banning medical care for transgender youth and instead focus on addressing inflation, job creation, and healthcare costs."

"The GLAAD Media Awards is the most visible LGBTQ+ event in the world," says Alex Schmider, the organization's senior director of entertainment and transgender inclusion. "Because of this visibility, it is of the utmost importance to spotlight not only the beauty of transgender and nonbinary guests, but to celebrate their meaningful contributions to outstanding LGBTQ+ storytelling and culture making. When so many in the community are facing legislative and societal challenge, in addition to artistic suppression, these moments provide us the platform to share their resilience to inspire others through it.” 

The subject of how to protect trans youth was certainly a timely topic of conversation among guests at Saturday's event, which is why InStyle closely followed trans, non-binary, and queer attendees behind the scenes, catching a glimpse of the individuals using their platform to get loud and make an impact for good.