Taylor Swift is to be honoured at the GLAAD Media Awards for "using her unique ability to influence pop culture and promote LGBTQ acceptance".
The 30-year-old singer will receive the Vanguard Award at the 16 April ceremony, following in the footsteps of previous honourees such as Beyonce and JAY-Z, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and Kerry Washington.
"From boldly standing up against anti-LGBTQ elected officials to shining attention on the urgent need to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination through the Equality Act, Taylor Swift proudly uses her unique ability to influence pop culture (and) to promote LGBTQ acceptance," GLAAD president and chief executive officer Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. "In a time of political and cultural division, Taylor creates music that unites and calls on her massive fan following to speak up and call for change."
Taylor has long been a champion for LGBTQ rights and tackled discrimination in her song You Need to Calm Down, which she released back in June. The tune featured lyrics such as "Shade never made anybody less gay" and "Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD?"
In addition, Taylor has made her allegiances clear through her political statements, such as donating to the Tennessee Equality Project, which was formed in response to the anti-LGBTQ bills nicknamed the "Slate of Hate".
Pose writer and director Janet Mock, who made history when she became the first trans woman of colour to write and direct a television episode, will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the ceremony.
