Source: Jason Merritt / Getty
Jay-Z turned the heads of many on his latest studio album 4:44, in particular, the track “Smile” which referenced his mother coming out as a lesbian. The song garnered a “Special Recognition Award” from the GLAAD organization and delivered a moving speech at their 29th annual media awards.
Entertainment Weekly reports:
Gloria Carter was on hand to accept a Special Recognition Award at the 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City on Saturday. She and Jay-Z were honored for “Smile,” a track off his 4:44 album that addressed her publicly coming out as gay. Carter was presented with the award by another prominent gay woman, Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts.
“Thanks to you, to all the people whose lives I touched, for your support, by just telling my truth,” Carter said. “‘Smile’ became a reality because I shared with my son who I am. Not that people didn’t know; I was just someone they didn’t talk about but they loved me anyway. But for me, this was the first time that I spoke to anyone about who I really am.”
Carter added “Love gave me the courage to take the power that I allowed other people to have over my life for fear of them revealing my secret that wasn’t really a secret.”
Congratulations to Gloria Carter and Jay-Z for the honor.
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Photo: Getty
