Sir Elton John and David Furnish had their annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party in West Hollywood Park. Before he took the stage to perform with Rina Sawayama, the musician shared a few words about embracing the marginalized in his speech which he also uploaded a snippet of the night to Instagram.
The event, which was first held in 1992, remains one of Hollywood’s longest-running Oscar parties, with a star-studded guest list that aims to support the AIDS Foundation. Although the party was meant to celebrate the Oscars, the current politics surrounding the anti-LGBTQ legislation currently passing in many states were at the forefront of everyone’s mind.
John also made a point to mention in his speech to those who were being excluded that they were not alone and that no matter what they identified as, whether gay, straight, or trans, everyone in that room loved them no matter what, and they were there for them.
Elton John’s words to the marginalized LGBTQ community read:
“Everybody is special no matter what sexuality you are, whether you’re straight, whether you’re gay, whether you’re trans, whatever, we love you, and we put our arms around you.”
“You are my chosen family, Rina Sawayama. Thank you for your spectacular performance at EJAF Oscars.”
The performance also signified particular importance as the rocker shared the stage with Rina to sing their collaboration on her track ‘Chosen Family,’ which was released in 2020. The song, which is a tribute to the LGBTQ community, signified the struggle people go through in their day-to-day lives, and considering the occasion, it was a very meaningful moment that night.
