As the leading LGBT media advocacy organization, GLAAD recognizes individuals who through their work positively impact the LGBT movement. Along with recognizing national activists, GLAAD also acknowledges individuals who make an impact on a global scale. Due to his activism, GLAAD is pleased to recognize Imran Khan as one of such individuals. Khan is an actor from India who appears in Hindi-language films. In addition to his acting career, Kahn is an activist for several social issues.
Khan actively supports many causes such as violence against women, political awareness, sex education as well as LGBT rights. In response to the Supreme Court’s decision to recriminalize LGBT relationships in India, the Mumbai-based comedy collective All India Bakchod posted a video on YouTube featuring Khan. In the video Khan answers common questions about the LGBT community posed in India. The questions included sometimes very naïve yet common questions such as: “Why do these gay people choose to be gay? Why can’t they like un-gay?” to which Kahn offered a great response: “Actually there is a very simple way to make someone un-gay. You can just walk over to your nearest gay person and flick the switch,” said Khan.
By posting such video, Khan offers support to the LGBT community while putting a funny spin on common questions about LGBT individuals in India.
In conjunction with the inaugural International Advocate for Change Award to be presented at the 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, GLAAD is highlighting international advocates working through the media to advance equality across the globe. Earlier this year GLAAD launched the GLAAD Global Voices program, which aims to build support for LGBT equality across the globe by sharing culture-changing stories of LGBT people and families in national and international media.
The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies will be held in Los Angeles on April 12, 2014 at The Beverly Hilton and in New York on May 3 at the Waldorf Astoria New York. The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD's work to amplify stories from the LGBT community and issues that build support for equality.
GLAAD is proud to recognize individuals such as Imran Khan who through their work help promote the international conversation about the inclusion of the LGBT community.