GLSEN, the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for all students, will honor Golden Globe Award winner and Academy Award nominee Kate Hudson with the Inspiration Award at the GLSEN’s Respect Awards – Los Angeles, to be held Friday, October 21, at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills.
Hudson joins Editorial Director of Time Inc.’s Celebrity, Entertainment and Style Group Jess Cagle and YouTube star Connor Franta as honorees for the event.
The GLSEN Respect Awards, introduced in 2004 and held annually in Los Angeles and New York, showcase the work of students, educators, individuals and corporations who serve as exemplary role models and have made a significant impact on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.
“We are excited to announce Kate Hudson as an honoree for GLSEN’s Respect Awards,” said GLSEN Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard. “As a parent, as a quiet humanitarian, and now as a visible ally to LGBTQ youth, she is an inspiring public figure who shares our vision of a future in which all youth can thrive.”
Hudson will be honored with the Inspiration Award for her longstanding advocacy work to benefit youth. She is a Board Member of The Hawn Foundation's Board of Directors and is actively involved in the organization’s signature program, MindUP, which teaches skills and mindfulness practices that help children improve learning and academic performance, as well as valuable social and emotional skills. She has also partnered with the World Food Program in their fight to end hunger around the world and has been involved with numerous other causes, including the Starkey Hearing Foundation, Baby2Baby, women’s rights, education and the fight to eradicate breast cancer. She has used her voice to spotlight issues of diversity and inclusion, including the fight for marriage equality.
GLSEN has led the way on LGBTQ issues in K-12 education since 1990. Through ground-breaking original research, innovative program development, student leadership and educator training, community organizing, and targeted state and federal advocacy, GLSEN has seen the impact of its work with the development of educational resources, direct engagement of youth and educators, and national programs like GLSEN’s Day of Silence, GLSEN’s No Name-Calling Week, and GLSEN’s Ally Week.
Previous GLSEN Respect Awards honorees have included Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel; Zachary Quinto; Julia Roberts and Danny Moder; Derek Hough; Matthew Morrison; NBC Chairman Bob Greenblatt; Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg; Bob and Harvey Weinstein; former NBA player Jason Collins; Darren Star; Shonda Rhimes; Michele and Rob Reiner; Andrew Tobias; John Mack, CEO of Morgan Stanley; NBA executive Rick Welts; the National Education Association; Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak; Simon Halls and Matt Bomer; MTV; Disney-ABC Television; Johnson & Johnson; and HBO, as well as student leaders and educators from around the country.
Honorary co-chairs for the event include Julia Roberts and Danny Moder, Matt Bomer and Simon Halls, Bob Greenblatt, Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chris McMillan, and Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak.
Co-chairs for this year’s event are Jim Fielding, Dave Karger, Patrick Moran and Chip Sullivan. The event is co-hosted by Lawrence Angrisani, Greg Berlanti and Robbie Rogers, Brad Bessey and Frank Sanchez, Edison Briones, Kevin Brockman and Dan Berendsen, Jessica Capshaw and Christopher Gavigan, Terry Clark, Donald De Line, Matt Henry, Andrew Hotz and Kevin Friedman, Lauren Huff, Mike Irvin, Richard Konigsberg and Craig Olsen, George Kotsiopoulos, Carlos Lopez, Duncan Millership and Simon Thomas, Cody Morris and Christopher Landon, Corey Palent, Jonathan Rollo and Joey Gonzalez, Ben Roy, Mimi Slavin, and Ben Spector.
Sponsors of the 2016 GLSEN Respect Awards – Los Angeles include Presenting Sponsors Wells Fargo, Target and The Walt Disney Company.
For more information about the GLSEN Respect Awards – Los Angeles, please visit the event website..
