At the 32nd GLAAD Media Awards, the cast of ‘Glee’ paid tribute to their former colleague Naya Rivera. The actress died in a boating accident last summer.
–
The GLAAD Awards honor media figures and organizations that present an honest and credible image of the LGBTQ + community. The tribute was opened by Demi Lovato, who played Rivera’s girlfriend Dani in the hit musical series Glee. It’s been ten years this year since Rivera’s character, Santana Lopez, had her coming out. “The character that Naya played was groundbreaking for that queer girls that were still in the closet, like I did at the time ”, it sounded. “Our show was an exception at the time, there were almost no LGBTQ characters on television,” said Alex Newell, who played Unique in Glee.
Naturally, the cast members also reflected on Rivera’s death. Among other things, a message was read from the actress’s mother. “When Naya told me Santana was a lesbian, she said she loved it. We didn’t know at the time how much it would mean to the community, ”she said. “She always wanted to stand up for the people who had no voice. I don’t think she realized how important she was to the world. I am very grateful that my oldest daughter has made a difference in how we look at each other and how we see each other. ”
Naya Rivera drowned in July while on a boat trip on Lake Piru near Los Angeles. The 33-year-old was missing for days after her 4-year-old son Josey was found alone on the boat. The toddler was able to tell the police that the two were swimming when the boat started to rock in the wind. Naya got her son on board but was unable to save herself.
–
