TIME has named GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, a 2023 TIME100 honoree, as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Her wife, musician Kristen Ellis-Henderson, attended the TIME100 red carpet and gala with her.
At the star-studded red-carpet event, Ellis demonstrated her allyship to the transgender community by wearing a custom Christian Siriano ensemble, which incorporated the colors of the transgender flag, light blue, light pink and white.
“Allies to transgender people need to be vocal, visible, and to call out extremists and media figures who are working overtime to harm transgender people and spread lies about who they are,” said Ellis. “As a woman and a mom, I believe every young person, including transgender youth, should be able to grow up knowing that they’ll be treated fairly and equally.”
“Working with Sarah Kate for this event was an honor. We wanted a look that was powerful and strong, but still elegant, so we created a gorgeous custom suit honoring the trans flag which features white, pink and blue. It’s a power suit with meaning,” said designer Christian Siriano.
In addition to the Christian Siriano ensemble, Ellis displayed her commitment to the LGBTQ community by wearing a special edition diamond-encrusted amplifier pin created by celebrity jeweler Zameer Kassam. The pin, in the shape of GLAAD’s logo, symbolizes the urgent need for allies and LGBTQ people to amplify their voices.
Previous wearers of the special edition pin include Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Coolidge and Margaret Cho among others.