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In alphabetical order
This important award recognises and thanks those outside the LGBT+ community who support the challenges around equality and inclusion.
Alison Hammond
One of British TV’s most loved stars, the Bafta-nominated Brummie has been bringing joy to our screens through a huge range of shows, most notably Loose Women and This Morning, for more than two decades after launching into the mainstream on Big Brother. Living alongside her gay best friend, Jason, and her son, Hammond is an incredible supporter of the LGBT+ community.
Emma Watson
Multi-award winning actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson has used her global platform to speak out about LGBT+ issues. Notably, Watson has joined calls of fellow former Harry Potter stars for trans inclusion, stating that trans people “deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned.” Watson is a regular donor to trans youth charity Mermaids and feminist fund Mama Cash, and speaks out about the importance of intersectionality when discussing LGBT+ issues, calling for recognition of Sylvia Rivera, Audre Lorde and Marsha P. Johnson in 2018 for LGBT+ History Month USA.
Harry Styles
Styles began his career with One Direction but he has since skyrocketed to another level of celebrity through his work in the fashion industry and his solo music career. His unapologetic approach to gender-fluid fashion and frequent references to inclusivity in the music industry has marked him out as an icon for younger generations, queer and otherwise. Styles has also branched out into the film industry, most recently starring in My Policeman, alongside felloe nominee Emma Corrin, where he played a gay police officer at a time when LGBT+ rights were greatly restricted in the UK.
Jenna Ortega
A Golden Globe-nominated actress, Ortega truly broke into the spotlight last year starring as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix horror-comedy smash Wednesday. Her performance received widespread critical acclaim and she joined calls for fans for more LGBT+ representation on the show, stating “People want to see powerful women with powerful women.” She is a proud supporter of Pride over Prejudice, a campaign which promotes LGBT+ inclusion and acceptance. Alongside this, Ortega is outspoken about her stance on immigration and racism. What’s not to love about this incredible actor?
Katherine Ryan
Everyone’s favourite comedian and actress, Ryan is not only known for her role on British panel TV shows, but also for her unapologetic and witty defence of the LGBT+ community. In 2020, she joined forces with a plethora of British figureheads to call for trans allyship for Trans Day of Visibility in a Sarah O’Connell video, and frequently weaves topics including allyship and inclusion into her acts.
Michelle Visage
Visage’s allyship to the LGBT+ community is not only seen through her work on RuPaul’s Drag Race, but also in the steps she has taken to talk about LGBT+ issues. From her heart-warming open letter to the LGBT+ community in Billboard to voguing on Strictly as an ode to the drag queens of Harlem in the 1960s, and as a tribute to the LGBT+ community who welcomed her when she was a troubled teen in New York. In October 2022, she worked closely with Virgin Atlantic to help create a gender-inclusive uniform policy for staff – and it doesn’t hurt that it’s designed by the late, great Vivienne Westwood!
Sir Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick is an English actor whose career spans six decades, covering everything from Shakespearean tragedies to Star Trek. He is a close friend of Stonewall co-founder Sir Ian McKellen and is a champion of gay rights and equal marriage, as well as campaigning against domestic violence, which he witnessed at home as a youngster, and belonging to Amnesty International. He felt his role as a star ship captain in Star Trek gave him a powerful international platform to talk about equal rights: “My character Jean-Luc Picard always stood for equality, democracy, fairness, and he had no interest in materialism and he hated prejudice.”
P!nk
P!nk has been a long-time advocate for LGBT+ rights, including scenes of same-sex stories in her music videos for Raise Your Glass and Perfect. P!nk is well-loved for her androgynous style, a message she has spoken about passing on to her children, stating. “We take the gravel and the shell and we make a pearl. We help other people to change so they can see more kinds of beauty.” Alongside this, P!nk has called for intersectional inclusion both on and off stage.
Sir Rod Stewart
One of the biggest selling artists of all-time, Sir Rod has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the UK Music Hall of Fame and was knighted in 2016. Stewart famously turned down $1 million to play at the World Cup in Qatar. He has been a supporter of the LGBT+ community releasing single The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II) – a ground-breaking track about the tragic murder of a gay man – in 1976, a time when there was little positive representation of the LGBT+ community in the mainstream.
Simone Ashley
Ashley is an actress best known for her starring roles in Netflix smash hits Bridgerton and Sex Education. This year, the talented performer will also feature in the live-action film adaptation of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. She has spoken candidly and openly about her support for the community and pride at the representation she is able to show in her career so far.
