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Raven-Symoné is to receive the Icon Award at the upcoming Truth Awards for her commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.
The 36-year-old actress – who has been married to Miranda Maday since 2020 – will be honoured at the ninth annual Truth Awards on March 18 for her “persistent presence” in family entertainment in shows like ‘That's So Raven' and the ‘Raven's Home' reboot as she “raises the visibility of LGBTQ community.”
In a statement, founder Sheryl Lee Ralph said: “The Truth Awards, along with our acceptance and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community, will encourage, inspire and motivate others to live their truth unapologetically.
“It's important that we focus on supporting our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ+ community as they continue to fight for equality. Our public acknowledgment and partnership make it possible for them to live out loud and openly for the world to see.”
The ceremony will stream exclusively on Fox Soul next month and will feature a wealth of other famous faces as hosts, including the likes of ‘Pose' actress Angelica Ross, talk show star and Cocktails With Queens‘ host Claudia Jordan.
The former ‘Cosby Show' star previously admitted that there was “no need” for her psychic alter ego Raven Baxter to be made into a lesbian when Disney was rebooting the series in 2016 because she and her character are two different people.
She said: “There was a conversation before the series started and I was asked the question, ‘Would you like Raven Baxter to be a lesbian?' And I said, no. I said no. The reason I said no wasn't because I wasn't proud of who I was, or I didn't want to represent the LGBTQ+ community in any way.
“It was because Raven Baxter is Raven Baxter is Raven Baxter. There was no reason for me to change the human that she was in order to fit the actress that played her. And Raven Baxter is a character that I was proud to play, even if she is straight, cisgender, I don't mind. Let her have her moment
