The Critics Choice Association started Pride Month festivities early, as the organization hosted its third annual Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television on Friday in Los Angeles.
The event recognized a star-studded lineup of LGBTQ+ stars and creatives, with Dan Levy, Hannah Einbinder, Noah Schnapp, Jane Lynch and Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney all receiving honors.
Levy, currently on the Emmy campaign trail for his new show Big Mistakes, opened up in his speech about his desire for queer people to be able to make Hollywood projects “without the added weight of responsibility — knowing that what we make needs to work in order to make an impact, in order for more of our stories to be told. Imagine the bliss of making something, knowing that there are so many queer stories being told that we can simply create for entertainment’s sake, or better yet, fail and be given a second chance.”
He mused that often those running the industry “think they know what they want until a Schitt’s Creek or a Heated Rivalry comes along” and are met with huge audience demand. Levy also took time to point out that those are “two shows that only exist because Canada saw value in them first, two shows that have people clamoring to make more shows like them; but the truth is, we don’t need more shows like them, we need more money being invested in queer voices, because we make you money.” He added a hope that Hollywood gets to a place “where the odds err in our favor, and Canada doesn’t have to always say, ‘I told you so,'” joking that his homeland is “a very modest country; we hate bragging, but we will if we have to.”
