‘Glee’ cast, Demi Lovato honor Naya Rivera at the GLAAD Media Awards

The cast of Glee and Demi Lovato honored late Naya Rivera and the legacy of her character Santana Lopez at the 2021 GLADD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Awards on Thursday, April 8. 

Demi, who briefly played Naya’s on-screen girlfriend on Glee, opened the segment. “The character Naya and I played was groundbreaking for closeted queer girls like I was at the time. And her ambition and accomplishments inspired Latino women all over the world,” she emphasized. 

“It’s been 10 years since Santana Lopez’ came out. Look what LGBTQ teens had done in the decade. And imagine what we can do in the next one,” Demi said before introducing the Glee cast members.  

Jane Lynch, Darren Criss, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Kevin McHale, Heather Morris, Jenna Ushkowitz, Matthew Morrisson, Alex Newell, Becca Tobin, Vanessa Lengies, Jacob Artist, and Harry Shum Jr. reunited for the tribute. 

Jane, who played cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, recalled when Naya became a regular cast member. “She was a dancer, and I always thought she was cute… And then Ryan (creator of Glee), started giving her lines, and I was like, ‘Wow. This girl is really something,” she said. 

The rest of the cast members then shared how important Santana’s coming-out scene a decade ago was. “With the exception of our show, there were almost no LGBTQ teens on the television at that time, especially young Latina LGBTQ women. Especially as an ally, Naya was so honored to represent them,” they said. 

The tribute ended with a message from Naya’s mother Yolanda Previtire. “Little did we know that she would impact so many people in the LGBTQ community,” she said. 

“Her desire was to always be an advocate to those who did not have a voice. I don’t believe she realized how important she was to this world. I am grateful that my eldest daughter helped to change the landscape of how we view and see each other,” she continued. 

Naya, 33, was declared dead in July 2020 after her body was found on the surface of a California lake. – Rappler.com