Wanda Sykes calls for protection of transgender people at LGBTQ+ television gala

"We have to protect our trans brothers and sisters," said the actress, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony. "They are being kicked."

Sykes, known for series such as "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and stand-up comedy specials, expressed great concern about the attack on the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.

"The problem is with the kids. There are parents who are trying to save their lives and now we have the government telling doctors they can't treat these kids," he said. That's a reference to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that limits access to procedures for transgender children, such as puberty blockers.

"This is traumatic, it's wrong, and it's the fight we need to focus on right now," Wanda Sykes said.

The actress received the lifetime achievement award at a ceremony attended by several prominent figures in the LGBTQ+ community in Hollywood. Many spoke of the need to continue fighting against attacks on the community, including actress Megan Stalter, one of the stars of HBO Max's comedy series "Hacks."

"We are privileged not to have to hide parts of ourselves," said the actress, who received the Performance Award for her portrayal of Kayla in the production.

"We have to keep this message alive that it's okay and good to be different," he continued, mentioning the importance of defending trans rights.

The second edition of the ceremony, which took place tonight (early morning in Portugal) at the Fairmont Century Plaza, awarded several LGBTQ+ actors and comedians who are prominent especially on television.

This was the case of Niecy Nash-Betts, distinguished as a Pioneer for the series "Grotesquerie".

"Being a trailblazer sounds glamorous but it's messy and noisy," said the actress, who won an Emmy for her role in the Netflix series "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story." "We keep going not for the applause, but for the impact."

Tramell Tillman, who plays Milchick in the Apple TV+ series "Severance," highlighted the impact of minority representation in Hollywood.

"It's one thing to be seen, but it's another to be heard," he said, noting that the representation that currently exists will empower boys and girls who are growing up right now.

Also Gideon Glick, from the comedy "Étoile", recalled how he was advised to work with a voice coach to "sound less gay" and decided to ignore that warning.

"We live in a time where people are being told that anything that makes them different is dangerous," he said. "Fuck that."

Other award winners on the night included Marvel series "It's Always Agatha" actress Sasheer Zamata, Josh Greenbaum from the documentary "Will & Harper," the cast of the series "Somebody Somewhere" and Liv Hewson from "Yellowjackets."

Leslie Jones, of "Ghostbusters" and "Saturday Night Live," made a surprise appearance to praise the cast of "RuPaul's Drag Race," which accepted the award for best reality show, and also called for protecting the community.

"It's the most important community we have," he said. "You show people that being different is powerful."

The ceremony was hosted by comedian Sherry Cola and will be broadcast on the HereTV streaming service on June 27, the month of celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride.

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