Hannah Hart

Last week, at the 2016 GLAAD Gala San Francisco, Hannah Hart recieved the Davidson/Valentini Award for her work to elevate LGBTQ stories and empower people to live the lives they love. Presented to her by friend and fellow YouTuber, Mamrie Hart (no relation), the Davidson/Valentini Award is presented to an LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance for the LGBT community. The award is named after Craig Davidson, GLAAD’s first executive director, and his partner Michael Valentini. Check out Hart’s acceptance speech below!

As a longstanding out creator, Hart is one of the Internet’s leading LGBT voices. Hart gained traction on YouTube with her “My Drunk Kitchen” series, now amassing more than 2.5 million subscribers on her YouTube channel. Being out and proud in videos since her start in 2011, Hart helped to normalize her identity for many young viewers who could finally hear the word “gay” being used in a positive light.

“By using her powerful platform to elevate LGBTQ stories, Hannah Hart has proven to be a tireless advocate for self-love and acceptance,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Her messages of empowerment inspire countless LGBTQ youth and move hearts and minds across the world.”

In 2012, Hart launched her “Coming Out” series on YouTube, detailing her own experiences coming out and living as an out gay woman, but also highlighting the voices and concerns of others in the LGBTQ community. Hart makes it clear to viewers that experiences and views fall on a large spectrum in the community. The eight-part “Coming Out” series still continues today.

Hart embodies the life of an online personality in 2016. She’s a New York Times best-selling author with her parody cookbook, “My Drunk Kitchen: A Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Going with Your Gut,” and will be publishing her second book, “Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded,” later this year. Hart and friends, Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart, co-produced and starred in an independent comedy film, Camp Takota, released in 2015. She starred in the reboot of Legendary’s Electra Woman and Dyna Girl and will be starring in the feature film Dirty 30, being released on September 23, with the Camp Takota trio.

Additionally, Food Network announced last month the creation of a six-part food and travel series with Hart. And to solidify her position as a champion of online media, Hart was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in 2015. This representation and success across several media platforms is what makes Hart stand out as she accelerates acceptance for the LGBTQ community.