Kelly Ripa is warning Americans to not let discrimination get “rebranded.”
In an acceptance speech for her GLAAD Award for Excellence In Media in New York Saturday, Kelly Ripa said that even if the Supreme Court rules for nationwide marriage equality, “It must not end there, equality means equality across the board. We must not allow discrimination to be rebranded and to be used against people in other facets of society, including housing, employment, and education.”
On a lighter note, Kelly Ripa was introduced by her friend and CNN anchor, Anderson Cooper, and he quipped that Kelly Ripa is so real she talks about going clubbing the night before at a gay bar unabashedly.
“Even the gay ones don’t talk about that on the air,” he said, “and there’s a lot of gay morning hosts.”
#GLAADawards Honors @KellyRipa, @ThomasARoberts, Sports Illustrated http://t.co/viLinkXc0Q pic.twitter.com/dTpyvnsO0X
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 10, 2015
In her speech, Kelly Ripa she talked about the fact that acceptance of those different from what many may consider normal is still a long way off, but said she remains optimistic.
Noting her children in the audience, she said “they are genuinely puzzled” sometimes by stories of discrimination.
.@KellyRipa, @ThomasARoberts give emotional testimonies at #GLAADMediaAwards http://t.co/xZmBlJTQvv pic.twitter.com/bLPKC4bJH5
— Variety (@Variety) May 10, 2015
In a statement, GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis noted that Kelly Ripa‘s optimism and activism is a cause for optimism.
“For over a decade, Kelly Ripa has greeted millions of viewers with messages of acceptance and inclusion,” she said. “By sharing inclusive stories with her audience and loudly voicing support for her LGBT friends and fans, Kelly is helping to drive acceptance forward.”