Actress Patricia Arquette will honour her late sister Alexis Arquette when she receives the Vanguard Award at the GLAAD Media Awards next month (Apr17).
The Boyhood star will be feted for the advocacy work she performs on behalf of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community. She will also pay tribute to Alexis, who passed away in September (16), after suffering a cardiac arrest.
“Patricia Arquette embodies the critical voice needed during these times to resist against injustice and discrimination across a range of issues,” GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis says. “She is a beacon of light who has consistently used her platform to advance equality across marginalized groups and to drive culture-changing conversations that move acceptance forward.”
Past recipients of the prize include Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Taylor, Cher, Kerry Washington, and Whoopi Goldberg. It recognizes individuals “making a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance of LGBTQ people.”
The awards gala, hosted by comedian Cameron Esposito, will take place on 1 April (17) at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. Empire’s Jussie Smollett and Broadway star Cynthia Erivo will be among those performing at the event.
Patricia recently spoke out about her disappointment surrounding Academy Awards bosses’ decision to exclude Alexis, who transitioned from Robert Arquette in 2006, from the Oscars In Memoriam segment last month (Feb17).
“I’m really bummed…,” she told Vanity Fair. “We’re living in a time right now where trans kids can’t even go to the bathroom in schools and they’re diminished in society. It’s really unfortunate that the Oscars decided they couldn’t show a trans person who was such an important person in this community. Because – trans kids – it could have meant a lot to them.”
