Accepting the Rand Schrader Award at the LGBT Center Gala in Los Angeles, Cynthia Erivo opened up about embracing her queer identity. Erivo was presented with the award for her achievements in the entertainment industry and activism promoting the LGBTQ+ community. The ‘Wicked’ star was introduced by Jada Pinkett Smith, who praised her “immense talent and spirit” on stage. Met with much applause, Erivo told the crowd that she felt “extremely loved and held” and discussed her journey with her sexuality. “It is a privilege to be on this stage tonight because for so long I lived in deep admiration of anyone who could fully embody their true authentic self, wear their queerness like a feather boa and proudly state ‘This is a beautiful part of who I am,'” said Erivo. The Grammy winner feels it’s “no coincidence” that ‘Wicked’ director John M. Chu decided to make the stage musical into a movie. She also expressed that the “universe saw fit” for her to play “darling, green Elphaba,” also known as the Wicked Witch of the West. Erivo explained that Elphaba’s story “is the cautionary tale of what it can sometimes mean to have to stand in your individuality, your otherness.”
