“And change starts with supporting the people closest to you. So let’s tell them they are loved, let’s remind them they are beautiful, let’s speak out and protect them, and parents—let’s love our kids in our truest form.”

In addition to accepting the award, the 23-time Grammy-winning songstress dedicated it to her late uncle Johnny, “the most fabulous gay I’ve ever known,” Bey said. Her uncle helped raise her and her younger sister, R&B soulstress Solange, she added. “He lived his truth and he was brave and unapologetic at a time when this country wasn’t as accepting,” Bey shared. Sadly, Bey’s uncle passed away after a battle with HIV—a heartbreaking turn for the Knowles family. “Witnessing his battle with HIV was one of the most painful experiences I’ve ever lived,” she emotionally shared. In that moment, Hov can be seen supportively placing his hand on her back as she recalls the fate of her uncle Johnny. “I’m hopeful that his struggle served to open pathways for other young people to live more freely. LGBTQI rights are human rights.”

The audience exploded in applause at Bey’s sentiments, but nowhere near as emphatically than the moment she referenced her iconic “Formation” lyrics to preach about the human law of love. “Choosing who you love is your human right,” she said. “How you identify and see yourself is your human right. Who you make love to and take that a** to Red Lobster is your human right!”

Bey thanked her husband for his part in LGBTQ within hip-hop as well. “It is a privilege to watch you take those steps and to stand right next to you,” she said. Of course, Bey’s speech crashed the internet as the BeyHive bowed to her epochal GLAAD Media Awards words and public LGBTQI+ community advocacy. And they haven’t gotten up from their knees ever since: