Elton John used his appearance at the Attitude Awards to take a jab at Elon Musk and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
The British music icon received the Legacy honor at the event, which celebrates outstanding figures from the LGBTQ+ community and their allies.
John’s award presentation was reminiscent of Prince Harry, who accepted the same honor in 2017 on behalf of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
After receiving the trophy from Ed Sheeran, John humorously remarked, “Is this it? Is this the award? What does A stand for?” He then jokingly suggested, “***hole comes to mind,” before adding, “But let’s not talk about Elon Musk tonight – let’s have a good time.”
Other award winners included Nemo, the reigning Eurovision champion, who was named Person of the Year, and former Eurovision winner Lulu, who received the Honorary Gay award. Jessica Gunning, star of Baby Reindeer, won the Culture award, while Esther Ghey accepted the posthumous Inspiration award for her daughter Brianna Ghey, a transgender teenager tragically murdered in England last year.
During his speech, John expressed his happiness as a gay man, mentioning his marriage to David Furnish in 2014 and their two sons, Zachary and Elijah. He stated, “I love my husband, my children – I have benefits as a gay man I never thought I’d be able to have. Thank you, David, I love you so, so, so very much. We’ve come a long way. And we’re very lucky to live in a country that gives us the rights we have.” However, he acknowledged that many still lack these rights, pledging to fight for equality for the rest of his life.
Recently, John revealed he is experiencing “only limited vision” due to a “severe eye infection.” Looking ahead, he is set to open the musical The Devil Wears Prada, for which he composed the music, and his new documentary, Elton John: Never Too Late, which will premiere on Disney+ on December 13.
