Don Lemon, Laverne Cox Condemn US Fascism at 2026 GLAAD Media Awards: ‘Refuse to Be Intimidated’
The 2026 GLAAD Media Awards celebrated the best in queer media on Thursday night in Beverly Hills, with multiple winners and presenters using their platform to speak out against fascism, authoritarianism and anti-LGBTQ+ hate.
Don Lemon even returned to the Beverly Hilton a little over a month after he was arrested in the building for covering the Minneapolis ICE protests. He used his speech to celebrate DHS chief Kristi Noem’s firing: “Karma is a bitch and every dog has its day — and sometimes two, so let’s see who’s next.”
“Thank you guys for not letting this administration — or regime, as I call it — steal your joy in being here and looking so fabulous. So tonight, I have the honor of presenting an award, not accepting one, and I’m really grateful to be standing here. It’s nice to be seen. It’s nice to be free,” he shared. “I just want to take a moment to thank the people who stood up for us when journalist Georgia Fort and I were arrested for covering protests in Minneapolis, just doing our jobs. That was a moment, and a lot of you showed up.”
Lemon went on to thank GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis for working with the National Association of Black Journalists to defend him and free speech.
“You don’t have to carry a press credential to tell the truth. You don’t have to sit at an anchor desk to speak up. We are living through a moment where authoritarianism isn’t theoretical, it’s personal. It’s touching LGBTQ people, people of color, immigrants, women and all intersections in between,” he continued. “Karma is a you-know-what, right? Let’s hope that it gets hold of more people than just her. So use your voice. Use your voices. Use whatever platform you have. Refuse to be overwhelmed. Refuse to be burnt out. Refuse to be intimidated. Because when enough of us keep shining a light, the darkness doesn’t stand a chance.”
Ellis herself condemned President Donald Trump’s supporters in a speech of her own: “They say they’re protecting children. Can we just stop this? It’s stupid. It’s the same old tired bulls–t story they’ve been trying to tell for a thousand years.”
Her sentiments were shared by backstage correspondent Jennifer Welch, who won Outstanding Podcast Episode with “I’ve Had It” co-host Angie “Pumps” Sullivan (and tied with “Call Her Daddy”), saying, “I want to say something with my full chest: Never obey in advance. F—k ICE. F—k Donald Trump. Free Palestine. And save trans kids.”
Elsewhere, Demi Lovato introduced Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers (or Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang) as the “Las Culturistas” hosts accepted their Stephen F. Kolzak Award — after performing her single, “Kiss,” of course.
“Neither of us would be here without your spirit, without the art that you make, and without your presence in a world that, as all of us know, would rather we were quiet or more palatable,” Rogers said, while Bowen added: “It’s a world that Stephen F. Kolzak fought against for the dignity of queer people, and we are honored to receive this award in his name.”
“With his immense legacy of fighting homophobia in a time of fear, we cannot accept this award without condemning the rampant active transphobia from this administration and its supporters,” Rogers echoed. “We are also here to let them know in advance that they are fighting a losing battle, because when we gather in rooms like this, we are always going to have each other’s backs.”
The pair went on to share that they had donated $10,000 to Equality Kansas after state legislature passed an “unconscionable and inhumane” bill that invalidated transgender Kansans’ driver’s licenses overnight with no grace period.
“If you’re in this room tonight, you are a leader in our community of LGBTQ+ people and allies, which also means that you are one of the fortunate ones who is able to materially enjoy a room like this while so many are not,” Rogers concluded. “Our message to those people who are not here tonight, many in frightening places, is that you are not alone. You are not left behind by us. You are our family and everyone here will fight for you and alongside you.”
Meanwhile, Laverne Cox further spoke out against the “utterly and completely insane” anti-transgender tactics being taken by the Right after her journalism win with MS NOW: “What is going on right now in the United States of America is not right, it is not normal and we should not allow it. We are currently in a fascist state right now and we should treat it that way. Nothing that’s going on should be normalized.”
“What we’ve seen over the past seven years is a strategic, well-funded, calculated effort to systematically dehumanize transgender people to make us sub-human,” she continued. “It’s never been about sports or protecting women in sports. It’s never been about protecting the children. If they wanted to protect women and children, they would prosecute the motherf–kers [in the Epstein files].”
Hosted by Hallmark king Jonathan Bennett, other highlights from the night included Quinta Brunson receiving the Vanguard Award for her “Abbott Elementary” allyship, Olympian Amber Glenn presenting “Heated Rivalry” for Outstanding New Series, a sweet performance from up-and-coming pop star Eli and a surprise appearance from living legend Liza Minnelli — complete with a round of “Happy Birthday” from the crowd.
The 37th GLAAD Media Awards are set to air on Hulu on March 21.
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