Feb. 16 (UPI) -- MJ Rodriguez is set to be honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 33rd annual GLAAD Media Awards on April 2.
The Stephen F. Kolzak Award is presented to LGBTQ media professionals who have made a difference in promoting LGBTQ acceptance. Kolzak was a casting director who raised awareness about discrimination faced by the LGBTQ community and those living with HIV.
Previous recipients include Laverne Cox, Jim Parsons, Wanda Sykes, Troye Sivan, Ruby Rose, Chaz Bono, Stephen Warren, Melissa Etheridge and Ian McKellen.
Rodriguez, full name Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, is an award-winning actress, singer and activist who is best known for starring as Blanca in Pose. She also recently starred in Lin-Manuel Miranda's tick, tick...BOOM! and will next be seen in Apple's Loot.
"Michaela Jaé Rodriguez is an undeniable talent who is changing the way audiences understand trans people while breaking down barriers for the trans community and LGBTQ people of color within the entertainment industry," GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.
"Her performance as Blanca on Pose was one of the most powerful and impactful roles in the history of LGBTQ representation on television, and she continues to spearhead the future of trans visibility and inclusion in entertainment through her talent on screen, in music and as a passionate activist," Ellis continued.