Outfest to Honor Sandra Oh and Stephanie Beatriz at Fusion Gala

Outfest recently announced that Sandra Oh and Stephanie Beatriz will be honored at the event’s upcoming 2022 Outfest Fusion Gala — the kickoff ceremony to the annual LGBTQIA+ arts and entertainment festival.

Oh will be honored with the James Schamus Ally Award, which recognizes a great ally to the LGBTQIA+ community. The Emmy-nomianted Killing Eve star is being honored for her work on-screen, as well as her public advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. Oh has been a long-time Outfest supporter having attended the festival multiple times, as well as appearing at the Outfest Honors Gala to benefit their Legacy Project for LGBTQ film preservation. She even presented close friend and fellow actor Alec Mapa with his own Outfest Fusion Achievement Award in 2014. Past recipients include Octavio Spencer, James Franco, Andra Day and Rita Moreno.

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“Ms. Oh’s allyship is far-reaching, unwavering and all-encompassing, standing up for the countless individuals that continue to feel a sense of ‘othered’ in our society. She has been a true trailblazer and consistent advocate before and now throughout her career, and we are honored to call her a friend of Outfest for nearly two-decades,” said Outfest Executive Director, Damien S, Navarro.

“Outfest’s mission closely aligns with my own desire to drive change and creativity, and I am humbled to be chosen for this incredible honor,” said Oh.

Beatriz will receive the Fusion Achievement award, which recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to LGBTQIA+ stories, arts, and media visibility. The Encanto star — who is openly bisexual — was selected for her body of work and dedication to bisexual visability. Past recipients of the award include Michaela Coel, Nisha Ganatra, Angela Robinson, Rose Troche and Wilson Cruz.

“In order for representation to be truly meaningful, it needs to be nuanced and authentic. Through her work in Encanto, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and In The Heights, Stephanie has brought bold, original and engaging characters to life on screen whilst also proudly standing up for our community as well as immigrant rights,” added Navarro. “As a queer, immigrant, women-of-color that has openly embraced and discussed her bisexuality, she has proliferated an often misunderstood, missing or broadly stereotyped representation for what amounts to what may be one of the largest self-identified queer populations in the world. We are inspired and honored by her bravery.”

As an organization focused on championing underrepresented voices in queer media arts, Outfest has long served as a platform for queer voices, as well as being a safe space for discourse within the LGBTQIA+ community. The gala will kick off a 10-day festival that feature panels, workshops and film screenings throughout the week. The first half of the festival and summit will take place in-person, while the latter half will be virtual.

The Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Festival will take place from April 8-13, and then continue from April 14-17.