Beyoncé and Jay Z to be honored by GLAAD with the Vanguard Award for their LGBT advocacy

Beyoncé and Jay Z are to be honored by GLAAD for their LGBT advocacy work. The LGBT media organization announced that the two superstars have won the Vanguard Award.

The couple will receive the award at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards on 28 March.

GLAAD’s Vanguard Award is presented to allies who have made a significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBT people.

Beyoncé said, when marriage equality was legalized, that “everyone has the right to love who they love.”

GLAAD also credits the Lemonade star for including LGBT people in videos for Formation and All Night. She also dedicated her performance of Halo to victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting during The Formation World Tour.

Jay-Z received a GLAAD Special Recognition Award last year for his music video, Smile, paying tribute to his gay mother Gloria Carter. GLAAD says the rapper is also receiving the award for including Janet Mock in his video for Family Feud, which opens with a quote from gay writer James Baldwin.

When marriage equality was passed, Jay-Z said it was “the right thing to do as a human being.”

“Beyoncé and Jay-Z are global icons and passionate defenders of human rights and acceptance for all people,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.

“When Beyoncé and Jay-Z speak, the world becomes inspired. When it comes to LGBTQ people, their voices of acceptance have been heard loud and clear. We could not be prouder to stand with them to send a message of love during the biggest LGBTQ event in the world and to honor their work to bend the arc of justice forward for LGBTQ people, people of color, and marginalized communities everywhere.”