Jennifer Coolidge Referenced Her Iconic ‘White Lotus’ Character at GLAAD Awards: ‘Here I Am Again, Surrounded by Gays’

We haven't been able to stop thinking about Jennifer Coolidge's iconic party scenes with her new gay besties from season 2 of The White Lotus (and we're probably not the only ones). Needless to say, the actress seemed like the perfect choice to help open the 2023 GLAAD Media Awards, where she gave a wink to her White Lotus character, Tanya McQuoid, in the process.

As she walked up to the mic, Coolidge, 61, began her speech by saying, “Here I am again, surrounded by gays,” which elicited cheers from the audience. “Thank God!” she added. “It's the story of my life.”

Coolidge continued on a more serious note, saying: “We’re all here for a very important reason, and you want to know why? Because we’re here to honor media that helps the world understand and accept the LGBTQ+ community.”

She also showed her love and appreciation for the community, adding, “I have so much respect for the LGBTQ community, and I just want you all to know that I love you and I thank you for always being there for me, and that's why I'm here. I want to give back.”

Immediately following her introduction, Coolidge was then surprised by Glee actress Jane Lynch, who joined her on stage and presented her with an award for Social Impact.

“This wonderful woman here was pro-gay before it was cool to be pro-gay,” Lynch said. “She is one of us, ladies and gentlemen, and I have always said that the world has to catch up to Jennifer Coolidge, and the world has caught up to Jennifer Coolidge!”

We think you should open every awards ceremony from now on, Jen.

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