Actor Dan Amboyer chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos on the red carpet of the 2026 GLAAD GALA in New York.
This year’s event honored Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen with the Vito Russo Award, in honor of GLAAD’s co-founder.
On being a part of this event, Amboyer exclaimed, “I am so happy to be here. GLAAD is one of my favorite nights of the whole year and I look forward to it every year, so I’m thrilled to be here. The organization is as old as me.”
“This year and this season, we are depending most upon all the work that foundations and groups like GLAAD are doing, so we are celebrating them tonight,” he noted.
On the importance of GLAAD, Amboyer remarked, “Well, I think we’ve learned the importance more and more as these years have gone on, particularly the past two years.”
“I think being out there, being proud, and being visible for kids like me, who grew up in the Midwest, was incredibly meaningful. When I was young, seeing gay people being visible, succeeding, taking risks, making waves, and proudly expressing themselves meant so much to those of us who were growing up at the time. Today, I think that visibility is equally meaningful because we still need it in our world,” he elaborated.
“From tonight’s event, I want people to gain a sense of community, inspire one another, and continue to be as vocal and outspoken as possible. I want them to keep sharing their thoughts, speaking their minds without fear, and standing up for those who aren’t here tonight,” Amboyer concluded.
Background on GLAAD
GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic force in media, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke powerful dialogue that shifts culture. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and advances LGBTQ representation, creating a world where everyone can live the life they love.
From its founding in response to harmful and inaccurate coverage of the AIDS crisis, to today’s frontlines of entertainment, news, politics, podcasts, AI, and social media, GLAAD has always championed in the power of storytelling to change the world.
To learn more about Dan Amboyer, follow him on Instagram.
