Monday, May 23, 2022

Nickelodeon Honored With Corporate Ally Award at 2022 GLSEN Respect Awards

Nickelodeon was recently honored at this year’s GLSEN Respect Awards!


First established in 2004, the annual GLSEN Respect Awards honor individuals and companies that have made significant impact in bettering the lives of LGBTQ youth. This year’s ceremony saw Nickelodeon receive the Corporate Ally Award, given to companies that have made queer youth impact a priority.

“The important work that GLSEN does for LGBTQ+ youth is critical to ensuring an inclusive and affirming learning environment for all kids,” Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President (EVP) of public affairs at Nickelodeon, said in a statement to Variety in April. “Nickelodeon is honored to be recognized by GLSEN, and we look forward to continued collaborations as we strive to create content that supports and empowers LGBTQ+ youth.”

In recent years, Nickelodeon has broadcast several television shows that feature prominent LGBTQ+ characters and queer themes including Danger Force, which features openly trans actor Michael D. Cohen in the cast; The Loud House, which has several queer characters in its ensemble such as a gay male couple raising a child and Luna (Nika Futterman), a bisexual 15 year-old; and Power Rangers: Dino Fury, which introduced the first openly queer character in the long-running superhero franchise. In addition, Nickelodeon has repeatedly partnered with LGBTQ organizations like GLSEN for staff inclusivity training and support. Recently, the two organizations teamed up to develop a toolkit for parents and educators to combat LGBTQ discrimination.


“Conversations focused on discrimination and hate can be challenging at any age,” GLSEN executive director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers said. “Nickelodeon has been a leader in starting conversations around LGBTQ+ inclusivity and understanding for parents, students, and families both internally and through groundbreaking programming and resources. GLSEN is proud to honor Nickelodeon for their ongoing leadership to create a more colorful and inclusive world for LGBTQ+ students of all ages.”

Antoni Porowski, best known as a co-host for , also received this year’s Champion Award.

The 2022 GLSEN Respect Awards ceremony took place on Monday, May 16 at the Gotham Hotel in New York City. Star Trek: Discovery star Wilson Cruz hosted the event and serves as a co-chair alongside Joseph Carozza, Amita Mehta, Michel Mercure, Ryan Pedlow, Elizabeth Stribling-Kivlan and Alicin Reidy Williamson. Hollister served as the presenting sponsor for the ceremony.

GLSEN Respect Awards 2022 Winners:

Gamechanger Award
Leyna Bloom

Corporate Ally Award
Nickelodeon

Champion Award
Antoni Porowski (co-host of Netflix’s Queer Eye)

Educator of the Year Award
Alex Quinto

GSA of the Year Award
MS 442 School for Innovation

GLSEN works to create safe and inclusive schools for all. GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression. Each year, GLSEN programs and resources reach millions of students and educators in K-12 schools, via action at the national, state, and local level. Since 1990, GLSEN has improved conditions for LGBTQ+ students across the United States and helped launch an international movement to address LGBTQ+ issues in education.


Originally published: May 23, 2022.

H/T: The Knockturnal; Photos courtesy of Pam Kaufman.

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