GLAAD to honour Ruby Rose

Ruby Rose will receive a special award from the US advocacy group GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation).

The Orange Is the New Black actress will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, awarded to someone who has made a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance.

Previous recipients have included Laverne Cox, Wanda Sykes, Chaz Bono, Robert Greenblatt, Melissa Etheridge, Bill Condon, Todd Haynes, Alan Ball, Ellen DeGeneres and Ian McKellen.

“Ruby Rose is captivating audiences across the world, using her voice to transform conversations about gender and inclusion,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Through her visibility and outspoken advocacy, Ruby is breaking ground and inspiring dialogue that advances acceptance for people of all genders.”

It’s a big turn-around for the Aussie who only three years ago indicated she was losing a battle with depression.

Award-winning actress Ruby Rose captured mainstream attention with her breakout role on Netflix’s critically-acclaimed hit show Orange Is the New Black. Rose’s character, inmate Stella Carlin, was introduced in the third season as a romantic interest for Piper, the series’ lead. Identifying as a lesbian and gender fluid, Rose has encouraged understanding of gender identities outside of the traditional binary. In 2014, she wrote, produced, and starred in the short film “Break Free,” a tribute to gender nonconforming people that became a viral hit, garnering more than 17 million views on YouTube.

Rose is an outspoken advocate for the LGBT community, tirelessly voicing her support for marriage equality, standing against bullying, and advocating on behalf of transgender and gender nonconforming people. Rose is also a fervent supporter of youth mental health, women’s rights, and animal welfare.

Rose will next be seen starring in Paramount Pictures’ XXX: The Return of Xander Cage opposite Vin Diesel, on January 20, 2017; alongside Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter out January 27, 2017 by Sony Screen Gems; and John Wick: Chapter Two, with Keanu Reeves from Lionsgate which will hit theatres on February 10, 2017.

Rose’s talent also extends across fashion and music. She has graced the pages of Elle, Vogue, InStyle, GQ, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, L’Officiel and Nylon, among many others. On the music scene, Rose became a VJ for MTV Australia in 2007, which earned her an ASTRA award, and she has performed as a DJ throughout the world.

She will be presented with the award at the Beverly Hilton on April 2, 2016.