By Stephanie Hu, Communications Intern
On March 14th, 2024, esteemed media leader, actress, and author Oprah Winfrey received GLAAD’s Vanguard Award at the 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles. The Vanguard Award honors allies who have promoted acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues.
Introduced by long-time friends, iconic Chicago performer Chilli Pepper, and celebrity host Paolo Presta, Winfrey delivered an emotional and powerful speech. She honored her late brother, Jeffrey Lee, whose memory inspired her allyship.
“Many people don’t know this but, 35 years ago, my brother, Jeffrey Lee, passed away when he was just 29 years old from AIDS. Growing up at the time we did, in the community we did, we didn’t have the language to understand or speak about sexuality and gender in the way we do now. And at the time, I didn’t know how deeply my brother internalized the shame that he felt about being gay. I wish he could have lived to witness these liberated times and to be here with me tonight.”
Winfrey was the host and producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show for 25 years, where the show consistently spotlighted an array of LGBTQ issues:
All the years of the Oprah Show, for me, were about sharing stories that helped people be their authentic selves … and I know that is the truest form of what it means to be free, to have personal freedom, to be able to fully be who you are. To have the truest expression of yourself as a human being. And what I’ve learned over the years of interviewing over 35,000 people, one-on-one, is that every single person wants the same thing, and that is the desire and need to feel seen and know that what we say matters and to know that we matter.
During her time on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Winfrey sought “to create a space, a safe space, to bring the lives and the profound stories of the LGBTQ community front and center to our audience.” In 1987, Winfrey took The Oprah Winfrey Show to Williamson, West Virginia, advocating for more accurate coverage and education about AIDS. Upon learning that local officials had shut down the community pool because AIDS patient Mike Sisco had gone swimming with his sister, she brought a medical expert to dispel myths about AIDS and “tried to erase some of the biases.” The show has also celebrated National Coming Out Day and featured AIDS activists like Idea Broadbent and LGBTQ+ figures like Ellen DeGeneres. GLAAD has nominated The Oprah Winfrey Show 15 times and presented an award 9 times under the “Outstanding Talk Show Episode” category.
Most recently, Winfrey won the GLAAD Media Award for her interview with actor Elliot Page on The Oprah Conversation. Winfrey recalls, “[He] trusted me to share his joy of being liberated in his transition, which helped open up the understanding of the challenges, the fears and pressures facing our trans youth today.” Winfrey oversees Harpo Productions, where she manages scripted and unscripted programming. At Harpo Productions, Winfrey was “able to bring powerful documentaries such as “Becoming Chas” and “I am Jazz” to the screen.”
Today, Winfrey continues her allyship to the LGBTQ+ community through various other projects, as seen by her commitment to uplifting LGBTQ+ creatives: “I am proud to support and produce projects centering on the LGBTQ storylines through Harpo through OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) and I will continue to hire queer and trans filmmakers to bring authentic characters to the screen, like nominees here tonight Trace Lysette at and our fantastic Hulu series Black Cake.” She pledges to continue working with GLAAD on different productions “to make sure we get it right along the way.”
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement, “At a time when it was potentially career-ending to support LGBTQ people, Oprah Winfrey did what’s right and championed our community’s stories. A pioneer for diverse and inclusive media, she shines a powerful light on HIV, coming out, LGBTQ people, our families and the challenges we face which educated and moved countless around the world. When Oprah speaks, the world listens and our community cherishes her as an unapologetic ally, especially to transgender people. Winfrey’s commanding career will forever align her on the right side of history.”
Watch Winfrey’s full remarks HERE, which are also available for download HERE.