Dan Levy, 'out and proud' Schitt's Creek star, accepts GLAAD award

Canadian Dan Levy, showrunner and star of the TV comedy Schitt's Creek, received a GLAADaward Saturday evening in San Francisco for promoting LGBTQ acceptance and said his personal path, particularly during his formative years in high school, was not an easy one.

"I think back to that time where I legitimately thought that I'd have to live with this secret my being gay for the rest of my life," Levy told the audience at the gala event. "I didn't have the security of seeing a lot of people like myself being celebrated in popular culture."

GLAAD, anLGBTQ advocacy group, gave the Toronto-born star its Davidson/Valentini Award, given to someone who "has made a significant difference in promoting acceptance for the LGBTQ community," according to the GLAAD website.

The awardis named after Craig Davidson, GLAAD's first executive director, and his partner Michael Valentini.

Levy joked on stagethat as humble Canadians, "we don't accept things like this well" and that he was an "out and proud gay Emmy loser."

The riches-to-rags sitcom Schitt's Creek, which began on CBC and was co-created with his father Eugene Levy, was a best comedy seriesnominee at the 2019 Emmy Awards,but lost to the British show Fleabag.

Schitt's Creekcentres ona family thatloses its fortune and is forced to relocate to a small town.Levy's character, David Rose, is pansexual meaning he's open to all sexual orientations and gender identities and as such, became among thefirst depicted on television.

The character's sexual orientationwasexplained in the show's first season (using ametaphor of wine)and has been widely commended since for being written with acceptance and without homophobia.

"I like the wine, and not the label," Levy'scharacter famously responds after being asked about it in one of the episodes.

Schitt's Creek cast members Annie Murphy (Alexis Rose), Emily Hampshire (Stevie Budd) and Noah Reid (Patrick Brewer)presented the award.

Levy, who has experienced a steady rise in Hollywoodsince Schitt's Creek became available in the U.S. through Netflix,signed a three-year deal with Disney's ABC studios recently to develop and produce projects. Hetook home an MTV Award in June for best comedic performance.

The Canadian has participated in fundraising effortsto support GLAAD. Previous winners of the Davidson/Valenti award include CNN host Don Lemon and singer-songwriter Adam Lambert.

Onstage, Levy crediteda supportive network of friends and family for giving him the courage to come out during his teenage years.

"Had I not had the love to give me a sense of security, I don't know if I would have found my way out of the closet, let alone create the opportunity for myself to tell stories on televisionthat have effected some kind of positive change in the world," he told the audience.

"Support, encouragement andlove: Threerelatively simple acts of kindness that can change the course of a person's life."

Schitt's Creekscoreda Canadian Screen Award earlier this year for best comedy series.Its sixth and final season will begin airing in January.