Arts & Entertainment
GLAAD to present Ryan Murphy with Vito Russo Award
LGBTQ entertainment mastermind Ryan Murphy has been announced by GLAAD as the winner of one of its most prestigious honors, the LGBTQ media advocacy group revealed on Thursday.
Murphy, the award-winning screenwriter, producer, and director behind “Glee,” “American Horror Story,” “Feud,” and “Pose,” among a host of other LGBTQ fan-favorite projects across various media, will be honored as part of the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in the Spring. The GLAAD Media Awards honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues, this year with over 175 previously-announced nominees competing in 30 categories.
In addition to the competitive awards, GLAAD also presents several special awards, honoring specific individuals who have used their platform in the media to advance the cause of LGBTQ acceptance worldwide.
The world’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization had previously revealed Taylor Swift and Janet Mock as the 2020 recipients of the Vanguard Award and the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, respectively, with the awards to be presented at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Thursday, April 16.
The new announcement names Murphy as the recipient of the Vito Russo Award. Russo, a founder of GLAAD and a celebrated ACT UP activist, pushed open doors for LGBTQ performers and stories to be included in the news and entertainment media. The award named in his honor is presented annually to an openly LGBTQ media professional who has made a significant difference in accelerating LGBTQ acceptance; previous honorees include Billy Porter, Anderson Cooper, Ricky Martin, Andy Cohen, Cynthia Nixon, RuPaul, Rosie O’Donnell, Tom Ford, Samira Wiley, Thomas Roberts, George Takei, Alan Cumming, Craig Zadan, Liz Smith, and Neil Meron, among others. Murphy will receive the honor at an earlier GLAAD Media Awards presentation at the Hilton Midtown in New York on Thursday, March 19.
In a statement, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said, “Ryan Murphy is a talented trailblazer behind some of the most innovative and popular LGBTQ projects in television, theater and film history, and he continues to bring underrepresented LGBTQ voices to the table in ways that raise the bar in Hollywood. Ryan’s unique and gifted brand of storytelling has not only entertained the masses, but provided LGBTQ youth with characters who inspire them to live boldly and proudly.”
It’s not the first time the Emmy, Golden Globe, Tony, and Peabody-winning LGBTQ media mogul has been honored by GLAAD. He has previously been nominated for GLAAD Media Awards for multiple projects, winning for shows like “Pose,” “Glee,” “American Horror Story: Asylum,” “The New Normal,” “Popular,” and “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.” This year he is nominated again in two categories, Outstanding Comedy Series (for “The Politician,” his most recent Neflix series) and Outstanding Drama Series (for “Pose,” which made history by featuring the largest transgender series regular cast and the largest LGBTQ cast ever for a scripted series).
Murphy’s work has not been limited to episodic television. He has been lauded for his film version of “Running With Scissors,” as well as for his HBO adaptation of Larry Kramer’s seminal AIDS drama, “The Normal Heart,” which was a previous winner at the GLAAD Media Awards in addition to several Emmy and Golden Globe honors.
On stage, he produced
the Tony-winning 2018 Broadway revival of the iconic LGBTQ play “The Boys
in the Band,” which featured a cast of out actors that included Jim Parsons,
Zachary Quinto and Matt Bomer. He has produced a film version of the stage hit,
slated for release this year.
Also coming soon are the upcoming series “Ratched” and “Hollywood,” both
co-written, directed and produced by Murphy, who is also set to direct the
feature film adaptation of “The Prom,” the hit Broadway musical about a gay
high school teenager who stands up against anti-LGBTQ discrimination in her
small town. It will have a cast that includes Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and
James Corden, among others.
Murphy has not just promoted LGBTQ acceptance through his work in the entertainment industry. He’s also used his platform to elevate LGBTQ and minority voices in other ways: in 2018,he announced that all profits from “Pose” would be donated to charitable organizations working with LGBTQ people, such as the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, and Callen-Lorde Community Health Center; last year, he hosted a special benefit performance of “The Prom,” in with proceeds going to LGBTQ organizations including the Hetrick-Martin Institute, GLAAD, and The Trevor Project. He previously launched an initiative called Half, which aims to create equal opportunities for women and minorities behind the camera in Hollywood. Less than a year later, his own Ryan Murphy Television had a director’s slate that featured 60% women, with 90% being women and/or minorities.
Murphy has also been recognized for his trailblazing accomplishments and impact. In 2018, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 2019, he was selected as a ‘Titan’ for the Time Magazine’s annual 100 Most Influential People list.
This year, the GLAAD Media Awards, including the returning category for Outstanding Broadway Production. The Outstanding Kids & Family Programming category has been expanded to ten nominees, and GLAAD has also announced Special Recognition honors for Netflix’s “Special,” and for pioneering LGBTQ journalists Karen Ocamb (California Editor for the Blade), and Mark Segal.
For a full list of the nominees for the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards, click here.
Friday, March 27
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Dupont Italian Kitchen. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome and there’ll be card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Saturday, March 28
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black Lesbian. For more details, email [email protected].
Monday, March 30
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
“Tea Time! A Local DC Drag Comedy Show” will be at 3 p.m. at Spark Social. This is a live drag comedy show where drag legends TrevHER & Tiara Missou Sidora host spill all the tea in the DMV. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Tuesday, March 31
Visibili-TEA Party will be at 6 p.m. at Restoration Station. Guests are encouraged to come sip, celebrate, and shine together. This event is a Trans Day of Visibility celebration and a special collaboration between Auntie’s Home and Damien Ministries. This is a boozy tea party with intention and the dress code reflects the vibe. More details are available on Eventbrite.
Wednesday, March 1
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, April 2
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Unconventional Diner will host “Cherry Blossom Drag Bingo Party” on Friday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m.
Guests will be treated to an unforgettable night of drag performances, bingo, food and drink and prizes. Highlights of the evening include themed cocktails, drag performances and bingo prizes.
Tickets can be secured via Resy.
Sports
New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics
New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.
“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.
The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”
“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”
The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”
The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”
“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
(Video courtesy of the IOC)
Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.
Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.
“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.
An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.
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