Cynthia Erivo to be Honored at HRC’s National Dinner
The powerhouse performer to receive the LGBTQ organization’s National Equality Award at its annual gala in D.C.
As Ben Platt said to Cynthia Erivo, as she joined him onstage in June during a performance of his Live at the Palace stint at Broadway’s Palace Theatre, “It was very clear then that you were destined to the stratosphere.”
Platt was referring to a period nearly a decade ago, when Erivo starred in The Color Purple on Broadway, while he starred across the street in Dear Evan Hansen.
Erivo is, indeed, well on her way to stratospheric celebrity, three-quarters of the journey to being queened an “EGOT,” shorthand for someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. While she may not have an Oscar just yet, Erivo has been twice nominated for that particular honor, so chances are it’s only a matter of time.
Come Sept. 7, though, it will be time for yet another honor, as Erivo arrives in Washington to accept the Human Rights Campaign’s National Equality Award at the leading LGBTQ organization’s annual National Dinner in Washington.
“It is an incredible honor to be receiving this year’s National Equality award and to be recognized by some of our country’s most prolific LGBTQ+ advocates fighting for equality,” the 37-year-old said in an HRC release announcing the award, which will be presented by Leslie Odom Jr., himself of song, stage and screen fame.
“Being Black and queer and femme, I deeply understand that there is beauty in intersectionality and the more those voices are given the space to grow and thrive, the closer we get to acceptance of one another as we are. LGBTQ+ people need to see themselves reflected on and off the stage and screen, showing that there are no limits to the heights we can ascend to. I want to continue to use my voice, share my story and to help others share theirs too, and I hope I can be an example of what it could look like when you show up every day as your whole self. The road is not easy, but it is deeply satisfying.”
Erivo, a London native, has been associated with LGBTQ advocacy since at least August 2022, when she and a handful of other celebrities graced the cover of British Vogue above a headline reading, “Come Together: Meet the faces of the LGBTQ+ Revolution.”
At the time, Erivo shared the cover on her Instagram account, writing, in part, “Nerves and fear have gotten in the way of sharing all of who I am, and today with #pride and with wonderful people beside me I’m sharing a little more.”
In addition to The Color Purple, her notable work includes portraying Harriet Tubman in 2019’s Harriet, for which she also co-wrote and sang the soundtrack’s “Stand Up.” This winter, she’ll be starring in the film adaptation of the beloved musical Wicked, opposite Ariana Grande, set to release Nov. 22.
HRC President Kelley Robinson heralded Erivo’s honor in the same HRC release.
“Cynthia Erivo is a generational talent, and her impact on the visibility and celebration of our community is profound,” said Robinson. “Her powerful voice and her contagious authenticity pave the way for other LGBTQ+ people to be out, loud and proud in every room they’re in.”
The Human Rights Campaign National Dinner is Saturday, Sept. 7, starting at 5 p.m., at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. General admission, now available on a wait-list basis only, is $450. For more information, visit www.HRC.org.
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