Arts & Entertainment
Britney Spears ‘broke’ the GLAAD Media Awards
Jim Parsons, Lena Waithe were also recognized
Britney Spears at the 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards (Screenshot via YouTube)
Britney Spears was honored with the Vanguard Award at the 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Thursday but her appearance caused a stir.
Spears, who attended the ceremony with her boyfriend Sam Asghari, was recognized for promoting LGBT acceptance and equality. Jennifer Lopez, Cher, Antonio Banderas and Demi Lovato are among the award’s past recipients.
Ricky Martin presented the award to Spears before she took the stage.
“She could be one of those stars with a huge LGBTQ following who does nothing and says nothing,” Martin said of Spears. “Instead, she uses her platform to remind audiences around the globe that intolerance is unacceptable.”
Spears thanked her family, friends and fans for their support and noted that her role as a mother taught her “what it means to be loved unconditionally.”
“I feel like our society has always put such an emphasis on what’s ‘normal’ and to be different is unusual or seen as strange. But to be accepted unconditionally and to be able to express yourself as an individual through art is such a blessing,” Spears says.
“Being a mother has shown what it means to love unconditional. And you all in this room throughout my career have shown me what it means to be loved unconditionally. It’s such an honor to be here. Thank you so much GLAAD and thank you to the LGBTQ community and all my friends and fans. I love you very much. Thank you,” she added.
People reports that after Spears accepted the award the show briefly fell apart. People were out of their seats, the crew was trying to get a look at Spears backstage and even the teleprompter broke.
“Britney broke the damn show. Everybody lost their minds,” host Wanda Sykes joked. “She broke the damn show.”
Spears revealed on Instagram that she met Gus Kenworthy and Adam Rippon who also attended the star-studded event. Kenworthy, Rippon and Spears fangirled over each other on Twitter during the Winter Olympics.
Oh. My. God. Was really not prepared to wake up to this. Not sure how I’m gonna ski today because I’m LITERALLY dead now but I’m gonna go that extra mile for you, Britney! Ilysm!!! ?❤️ https://t.co/yhoEJq1qRL
— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) February 17, 2018
I could feel you on the ice with me @britneyspears. I now have an OVERWHELMING desire to post Instagram fashion shows, google stock imagines of corn, and paint on the balcony of my dorm in the Olympic village. Thank you for not being in denial, LOVE YOU ❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/CfeyGNecM3
— Adam Rippon (@Adaripp) February 18, 2018
Other notable moments included Ryan Murphy presenting Jim Parsons with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award and Lena Waithe being honored for writing the “Master of None” episode “Thanksgiving.” The episode, which also earned Waithe an Emmy, focused on Waithe’s character Denise coming out to her family.
The GLAAD Media Awards air on April 18 at 8 p.m. on LOGO.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reaction when it becomes available.
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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