Britney Spears given GLAAD award for supporting LGBT rights
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 02: Singer Britney Spears performs onstage during 102.7 KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball 2016 presented by Capital One at Staples Center on December 2, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
Pop star Britney Spears is to be honoured by US LGBT campaign GLAAD.
The pop superstar will receive the Vanguard Award at the 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards on April 12 in Los Angeles.
Each year the award goes to someone who has “made a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance of LGBTQ people,” GLAAD officials said in a press release.
Britney follows in the footsteps of other A-list stars, including Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson and Demi Lovato.
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Britney responded to the award on Instagram, writing that she was “honoured”.
“Honored to be receiving the Vanguard Award at the @GLAAD Media Awards this year!
“The LGBTQ community means the absolute world to me and inspires me every day.
“I am proud to be an ally and I will continue to support equality and acceptance for all!!”
(Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said Spears “embodied the spirit of GLAAD’s Vanguard Award by speaking out on significant issues that face her fans ― from the Dream Act to anti-transgender bills in Texas.
“She is a force in the music world who has used her global platform to share messages of love and acceptance, something that the world needs today more than ever,” she continued in a Tuesday post on the GLAAD website.
In recent years Britney has spoken out against anti-LGBT bills in Texas and performed on a GLAAD charity single for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
She is also set to headline this year’s Brighton Pride, which caused the event’s website to crash.
Brighton Pride announced on Twitter that Britney will headline the Saturday evening event during the three-day celebration on August 4.
(Photo: @BrightonPride /Twitter)
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Britney said: “I’m so excited to be kicking off my UK tour this summer at Brighton Pride!
“I guarantee it’s going to be a night to remember and can’t wait to sing and dance with all of my LGBTQ fans.”
The famous Brighton festival has previously hosted acts such as The Pet Shop Boys and Years and Years.
The announcement was met with a significant reaction from fans, quickly trending on Twitter on Tuesday morning.
(Photo @BaggersBites / Twitter)
However, as excited fans attempted to get tickets for the event, the sheer volume of traffic reportedly broke the Brighton Pride ticketing website.
Brighton Pride apologised for any difficulty that fans were facing and told potential attendees to keep trying for tickets.
