Prince William receives LGBT Award

Prince William receives LGBT Award

Last Friday, May 12, Prince William was named the Celebrity Straight Ally at this year’s British LGBT Awards. William did not attend the ceremony, instead sending a video message.

William accepts LGBT award

You can watch the video here (trying to embed does weird things). In the video, William says:

    “Good evening, everyone. I’m sorry that I can’t be with you all this evening, but I hope you’re having a wonderful time. I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone at the LGBT Awards for this incredible award. It is a real honor to be recognized in this way. In recent years, I’ve become passionate about what we can do to protect people from bullying, particularly online. Through this work, I’ve encountered a number of tragic stories about LGBT young people who have sadly felt unable to cope with the abuse and discrimination they face in their lives. But this work has also led me to a number of inspiring people who are helping others to stand up to bullying wherever it occurs. It is 2017 and no one should be bullied for their sexuality, or any other reason. It is so important to be proud of the person you are. I am very proud to receive this Ally Award. Thank you and have a good evening.”

How much of a stronger statement would it be for William to say, “no one should be bullied for their sexuality”, and leave off the qualifier of “or any other reason”?

The co-founder of the British LGBT Awards, Sarah Garrett MBE, said of William’s award and video:

    “Prince William has used his position to promote diversity and speak out against homophobic bullying. He is a very deserving winner of the ally award and it is wonderful that he took time out of his schedule to make this short video. His message will resonate and offer hope to young people around the world who have faced discrimination because of their sexuality.”

To recap: William covered the July 2016 issue of Attitude magazine, in which it was revealed that William had invited Attitude mag to bring nine members of the LGBT+ community to Kensington Palace to hear their experiences of homophobic, bi-phobic and transphobic bullying, and discuss the mental health implications of bullying in the LGBT+ community. After the discussion, William posed for the cover and made a short statement:

    “No one should be bullied for their sexuality or any other reason and no one should have to put up with the kind of hate that these young people have endured in their lives. The young gay, lesbian and transgender individuals I met through Attitude are truly brave to speak out and to give hope to people who are going through terrible bullying right now. Their sense of strength and optimism should give us all encouragement to stand up to bullying wherever we see it. What I would say to any young person reading this who’s being bullied for their sexuality: don’t put up with it – speak to a trusted adult, a friend, a teacher, Childline, Diana Award or some other service and get the help you need. You should be proud of the person you are and you have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Being the first British royal to publicly support the LGBT+ community, William’s cover was a big deal. But I don’t think one cover/short statement/meeting really qualifies one as an active supporter of the LGBT+ community enough to receive an Ally Award. But I also understand that those awards are partially (mostly?) PR so good for them for them for getting some press, and good for William for acknowledging it by making a video.

You know who didn’t acknowledge the award or William’s video message at all? The @KensingtonRoyal and @RoyalFamily Twitter accounts.

I’m sure William could have gone to the award ceremony if he wanted to, but he did have two engagements in Friday, May 12. He first met President of Kenya and his wife at an audience at Buckingham Palace, before doing an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

This is Alison Baum, the CEO and Founder of Best Beginnings, one of Heads Together’s charity partners.


62 thoughts on “Prince William receives LGBT Award

  1. I hate that he spins this award into words that sound like he’s been working hard on this issue. He has not. He may care, but he’s not passionate. The mag cover was PR for him, like this award is PR for LGBT issues. It’s just all so fake and contrived. It’s infuriating that he might be seen, to the casual observer, as a hero to this cause. Like, future biographies will tout this as an accomplishment rather than an unsubtle manipulation. William sucks.

    1. I’ve never understood the idea of giving out awards for humanitarianism. I understand the PR aspect, but it just seems like a waste of resources that could be used elsewhere.

      1. I agree. To me it beats the whole point of humanitarianism by receiving an award and accolades for helping others. Its like a person calling themselves humble. It just doesn’t make sense and is a bit of a contradiction. In regards to awards, I question a persons motives such as are they doing it because they care or instead to get an award/praise/pr. A person’s motives become murky.

      2. I could understand it if said person was being honored for decades of service to a particular cause like say Jane Goodall. But an award for this, no.

      3. Would you all say this about Princess Diana winning the 1995 Cerebal Palsey Humanitarian of the Year award? I looked through the 100 charities that walked in her funeral. None were specifically focused on Cerebal Palsey, although many were health related and no doubt worked with CP patients and families.

    2. Well, Red Snapper you said it all. I think that his title played heavily into this, and there’s something wrong here. KMR I have heard things about a member of his family but not sure ok to say it here. **IF** what I believe to be the case is true IMO this is a slap in the face of the genuine supporters. And yeah, humanitarian causes are just that, but is Billy really going to do anything w/o being swooned over?

      When I read that he had been nominated there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that it was a done deal.

      In that picture he looks half awake, or full of too much cheese toast. Terrible picture, imo. Wonder if it’s a dig. Anyway, he doesn’t look good, and hardly ‘princely’ .

  2. “Through this work…” – what work is this, exactly, over “recent years” that William has done, apart from one meeting and a photo for a mag cover? Wasn’t it GraceH who said this award was linked to the Diana Award, run by William’s uncle, Charles Spencer?

    It is beyond tiresome and dishonest for royals to claim credit for something they have only peripherally touched. Great to mention organisations and causes but not great to give the impression that the royal’s interest is anything but brief and their work is non-existent or insubstantial, as in this case. Sadly, the majority of people will only see the headline and think William does so much charity work. And the myth continues.

    1. Maybe he’s counting not being homophobic as “work”. Because other than the one meeting last year, he hasn’t done anything related to LGBT+ issues. He may have met LGBT+ people through his other work, but he’s done nothing specifically related to that cause other than that one meeting.

      I didn’t see anything relating the British LGBT Awards to the Diana Award. And the Diana Award had nothing to do with setting up William’s meeting with Attitude mag last year.

      “It is beyond tiresome and dishonest for royals to claim credit for something they have only peripherally touched.” – Like last year when Kate claimed to do so much work with knife crime the day before she actually made her one and only knife crime-related visit.

      1. If William is counting not being homophobic as ‘work’, then do we all count this as work and get an award too since people of all sexual orientations permeate our lives, professionally and socially? That William has to be propped up with awards in areas where he has no track record speaks volumes as to how KP is scratching around trying to make this guy credible. Kate’s also in the same boat with her knife crime ‘work’ or with anything really. They lead lives of such uselessness.

        Re. the Diana Award: was there something else this past week or so that William was praised for? GraceH made the link between both. I may have gotten it mixed up with this LGBT award.

    2. Exactly! What work has he down besides the mag cover where he looks completely uncomfortable?! It actually makes me mad that they would give him this award! I’m sure there is someone more worthy.
      And what work with bullying??? Again gahhhhh ?

    1. Last year, Kate did an engagement where she said: “We see through the work that we do with addiction, homelessness, and knife crime that a lot of it stems back to childhood.”

      She had literally never done anything with knife crime at the time and we were all baffled.

      The next day, she did an engagement where she “heard stories from mentors and young people about their experiences with gang violence, gun and knife crime, and family issues.”

      Then it made sense why she said knife crime, but her one knife crime-related engagement came the day after she claimed to do work with knife crime.

    2. I would imagine stabbing someone or threatening them with a knife. I’ve never heard that expression before either and wonder where she picked it up.

      1. Knife crime is in common usage in the U.K…unfortunately. Any crime that involves knives. The recent terrrorist at the Houses of Parliament carried a knife not a gun or a bomb.

  3. I wish I was royal, I’d get accolades for doing nothing but saying tired statements, too!

    He’s done nothing to earn this, but as usual, he gets it and doesn’t care enough to show up. A lousy video message? Please. W&K especially are fond of doing this–talking about work which they have not done, work which is visiting a place maybe once or making one statement and taking all the credit when others do real, genuine work that benefit others and help lives.

    1. Ellie, from reading your comments I can’t see you as a person who would be prancing about accepting awards and leeching off of the public. You are an intelligent person and that’s reflected in your comments, and even if you don’t have a sky high IQ you care. It shows. No, I don’t think you would make a good ‘royal’ at all, but I’m hoping you don’t read this as an insult. It isn’t. At all.

      1. That made me laugh! Thank you for the compliment, my friend.

        You know, it does bother me about a lot of the young royals. If I were in their hypothetical shoes I would be thrilled I could really use that star power to make a difference in people’s lives. Oh, yes, of course the wealth and all those trappings are seductive but it would be really neat to know I had the power to give a voice to people. It’s why I admire Harry’s Sentebale and Invictus, and Camilla’s work for women who suffered through domestic abuse, violence and rape. That shows what one can do if they care.

  4. Such tosh. I don’t know how he lives with himself and his shamelessly fake persona.

    His hypocrisy knows no bounds: “It is so important to be proud of the person you are”, all the while he’s kicking and screaming about what a victim of circumstance he is, how difficult it is to be a prince. His misuse of LGBT issues is as offensive as his misuse of mental health.

  5. Another new step for William, carrying out audiences on behalf of Her Majesty – times really are a changing. KMR do you know if this was the first audience he carried out by himself? And then an investiture, he really is onto the big boy jobs now!

    1. I know he’s been doing investitures for years. I don’t know about audiences since I don’t follow him that closely.

    2. He’s been doing investitures for ages and has accompanied HM on some audiences.

      I mean, William is the one who did an audience in Kenya with the President to make sure the taxpayer covered his trip to Jecca’s wedding…

      1. Thanks KMR / Ellie, if he had already me the President of Kenya that might be why HM felt it OK to let William do this audience by himself as a starter.

  6. He couldn’t even pretend to not read from a paper on the floor. All hail LGBT hero Wills. He says the same pre-prepared sentence once a year.

  7. Ah their video messages really warm the cockles of your heart don’t they! So heartfelt and personal.

  8. My only takeway from that LGBT cover was his glaring fake front tooth. Since then, i can’t unsee it. It was badly done.

    You can see it in the video still that you’ve posted above. As if they whitened that one tooth and left the rest.

    He didn’t have anything to say about LGBT and he still doesn’t have anything to say. Adding a qualifier to his comments speaks to that lack.

    If they wanted to give it to a royal as an ally of LGBT, they should have given it to Harry. At least we know he defended that one gay soldier being bullied. Here is the soldier’s own words of how Harry helped him:
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-harry/10108456/Prince-Harry-saved-gay-soldier-from-homophobic-attack.html

    1. I’ve always hated looking at William’s mouth, but now that you’ve pointed out that fake tooth I can’t take my eyes away. It’s so bright and shiny lol.

      1. Have you watched the Pixar animation UP? The scenes where the dogs are distracted from everything whenever the word ‘squirrel’ is spoken?

        His tooth is my ‘squirrell’! Lol

  9. Awww look Willy Dancer Boy gets his gold sticker for participation! Let’s give out participation awards to everyone so that no one feels bad. No one, including Willy Dancer over here, need to learn that one is rewarded when they commit to hard work over the long term.

  10. If he cares so much, why didn’t he show up to receive the award?
    I also am under the impression that PW has done little to receive such an honor. And, as others have so nicely put it: Do we really need to honor people for being decent, for caring, for helping others?

    It just goes on and on, doesn’t it? All the foolishness about PW. And, Kate, too. (although, she is not being honored here).

  11. Another feather in his cap and for what? Really!!!

    I’m sure the accolades will keep rolling in. Thank goodness for this site where we can vent!!!!!

  12. I firmly believe that William’s support for the LGBT cause is due solely to Jason Knauf, an openly gay man who, with his spouse, has long been publicly involved with this issue. Before Jason came on board, did William do anything to support this cause specifically?

    I also firmly believe that part of the reason Jason took this job with KP was the opportunity to use the royals to highlight LGBT issues on a worldwide stage. It’s Jason’s passion. None of this comes from William himself.

    1. It’s a shame that Jason is being wasted on W&K. I don’t think he is the most savvy PR person out there, but his skills could still be used to highlight the LGBT cause in better ways than this.

      1. Jason should be learning from Pippa’s publicist because in less than a month, that woman has created a media circus around the wedding. No one can be in doubt that Pippa is getting married, with little input from Pippa herself beyond allowing herself to be papped a few times.

        Jason could learn the art of generating interest in all their causes, with little input from the principals. WK might be able to live in peace away from everyone.

        1. I wonder how much Jason’s failure is his own doing vs constraints/doing of his employers? He was touted as some wunderkund of pr before taking this job and I have yet to see any of that brilliance since working for the trio.
          As for the pippa pr blitz, I can’t tell what their endgame is with that. Are they wanting to sell the pics afterwards? Try and get her a new “job”, Just promote the hell out her to make her relevant since she couldn’t land an aristo?
          I’m tired of seeing story after story about it and I don’t even read them!! The latest I saw was the clear glass tent that supposedly cost £100,000!
          TR James will soon be broke marrying into this fam

          1. Before social media, the royal PR was very much like the best social media of such celebrities like the Beckhams and the Kardashians.

            Lots of planted stories that generated the pre-social media equivalent of clicks. Tittle tattle that may or may not have been true, but kept the masses riveted.

            The young royals object to that way of doing things yet clumsily follow the same script because they haven’t figured out a different way. Clearly hired a hack of a publicist who has been a failure from the first day he started who hasn’t managed to right the ship.

            Pippa’s publicist is playing from the Beckham/Kardashian/old school royal playbook of saturating media with titbits and updates generating a media storm whose endgame would be to launch a second career for Pippa – see the various secondary Kardashian/Beckham careers that are fuelled by the PR generated super shiny media images.

            Jason should have figured out a way to do the same for his clients no matter how unwilling. A way that made them look like they were hardworking, engaged, blah, blah with only occasional trotting out of the clients.

            Jason should have been as sly as Pippa’s publicist to make entire enterprise appear to be hapstance of media stalking because you know that is the line being sold to privacy obsessed William. Not that Pippa’s publicist *cough assistant we swear William cough* is planting stories, arranging paps, encouraging speculative articles from Middleton friendly publications.

            There are comments from gullible public on the DM who genuinely think the DM simply decided to start stalking Pippa and her wedding prep. These gullible people keep asking the DM to stop stalking her. As if. Yet, it points to the success and slyness of the publicist.

            Jason wishes he had those skills.

          2. But will Pippa ever ‘happen’? There seems to be unbridled contempt for her as nothing but a gold-digger. Sure, she can’t get enough attention, but what is the point of Pippa?

            The publicist has done a grand job in saturating the media with Pippa blinking, Pippa with a bag in her hand, Pippa walking, Pippa picking her nose…but if people are repulsed by this excess, isn’t that problematic for her ‘brand’? That people will simply stand firm and say ‘no’ to whatever she is selling?

            The DM being slammed is one thing but is anyone buying Pippa as victim here? I’m not sensing that, just a general irritation with being bombarded with mindless nonsense. The none too subtle smuggling of language into articles to suggest a quasi-royal status eg the couple making their ‘first official appearance’ has met with derision

        2. Didn’t Pippa hire the same firm that represented the Beckhams? And does Modestly Well-Off James Matthews have his own PR?

          1. Kimothy, if the Fates are kind, Pippa’s wedding will be as gloriously tacky as the Beckhams’ was. I’ve got my popcorn ready.

          2. I’ve got the lawn chairs (in the shade, of course 😉 ) and the healthy snacks (since I’m still on WW,I’ve lost 3.5 lbs and my belly is, slowly, getting a tiny bit less bloated each week) because this is going to be a doozy of a show! Any specific healthy snack requests from the audience? 😉

            Now, who has the drinks for us to sip while we watch this new British reality program?

        3. Not just Jo Milloy–Pippa’s publicist–but also Lorraine Heggessey is playing a major role in Jason’s professional life, and, between those two strong, opinionated women, Jason must be struggling to put up a facade of competency. So far, it seems that these women, in their different approaches, are managing their clients and the press quite well, and they are probably walking all over poor Jason while doing so. Their success just emphasizes his own lack of ability and leadership.

          Even if Jason could learn from Milloy and Heggessey, what he has demonstrated over and over again is that he simply can’t balance more than one spinning plate, and even that one comes crashing down quickly. Throw together a Dancing Dad, Pippa’s wedding, Heads Together Marathon, a probable royal engagement announcement, and the briefest of foreign daytrips, and it’s easy to see how this failure of a PR office completely drops the LGBT award. Complicating the spinning process is probably the issue of who is reporting to whom, who is responsible for what, who is setting priorities, etc. Jason’s professional life must be complete and total chaos.

          1. Good points Lizzy.

            Can you imagine if Jo was in charge of that Party at the Palace? It would have looked much more interesting than the damp squib we got.

          2. “Damp squib”–lol. So fitting!

            The best part of this whole event was the party invitation with the letter from Harry.

  13. I know this is petty, but William has the same bad posture as Kate; crotch-clutching, shoulders slumped and neck craning forward. Honestly, how hard is it to talk and stand up straight? And William had military training.

    I’m sure there were many people far more deserving of this award, but I can’t fault a choice which I’m sure they hoped would bring maximum publicity and an appearance. How nice it would have been if both W and K went to the awards? Compare this with the good work Victoria has done with the LGBT community in Sweden.

  14. And he didn’t show up, sent a video message. What is the reason for this, aside from other things to do. KMR you do your research so I think that had he wanted to he could very well have shown up and shown support in that way. Can’t be bothered, and that to me says that his support is mere lip service and PR, which is once again using a vulnerable group of people. He should have been there very very visible and present. JMO

    1. If William has the gall to accept the award in the first place for doing bugger all, then at least he can turn up if he ‘cares’ so much. That wastrel has no ticker for anything.

      On a broader plane, there is absolutely no reason for William and Kate to ever lift their game as long as sniveling sycophants pander to them.

  15. Off Topic….sort of: one of the Japanese princesses is losing her status because she’s marrying a commoner.
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4510700/Japans-Princess-Mako-married-report-says.html

    http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/05/16/national/princess-mako-granddaughter-emperor-engage-ex-classmate/#.WRtGJmjTWf1

    FYI, Princess Mako is daughter of the 2nd in the line of succession.

    Her father will inherit the thrown after the Crown Prince because Crown Prince failed to produce a male heir and the Japanese succession is Male only.

    Per tradition, if the royal females marry someone of lesser status, they lose their own status. Thus Princess Mako will become a commoner on her marriage.

    I hope her future husband loves her and never comes to regret the downgrade.

    1. A comment from DM

      Elsie C, Melbourne, Australia, 15 minutes ago
      So many inaccuracies in this article. Princess Mako’s fiancé is actually a former banker and is currently working as a graduate in a large law firm. He was previously employed as a “beach tourism worker” a number of years ago, which was only a part-time job when he was a university student. You also insinuate that the Princess is voluntarily giving up her title by marrying this man – but Japanese monarchy dictates that ALL females leave the royal family after marrying (something which Japan is actually considering changing).

      Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4510700/Japans-Princess-Mako-married-report-says.html#ixzz4hHfd2vUf
      Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  16. I just find his comment “It is 2017 and no one should be bullied for their sexuality, or any other reason. ” really rich considering the fact that he still makes rude, condescending comments towards his own brother. **shakes head**

    This is a PR award, not a truly earned/deserved award. Plain and simple. Sighs…..

  17. I agree it’s silly to say William deserves an award after one featured article. However, the very fact that a public figure from a very traditional family is in the press for LGBT issues is a win for the cause.

  18. So, I kow this is this is way off topic, but I feel like talking about this. I wrote HM about my trip to London asking for a meeting for HM or Beatrice and yes I know the possibility was slim, I also mentioned the book I was working on for Bea . I had to try, of course they sent a polite rejection, and they mentioned some personal stuff. What was interesting is that they said they sent a copy of my letter to Beatrice, so I may be in luck with that part? So there might still be some hope for me to meet a royal during my stay to Britain.

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