Madonna delivers moving speech after being honoured at GLAAD Media Awards

American singer-songwriter Madonna has received the most meaningful award of her life.

On Saturday, the pop singer was named the newest recipient of the Advocate for Change Award at the 2019 GLAAD Media Awards ceremony, reported People.

She was honoured for a lifetime of accelerating LGBTQ acceptance in popular culture and beyond. While receiving the award she delivered a heart-touching acceptance speech.

"Growing up I always felt like an outsider, like I didn't fit in. It wasn't because I didn't shave under my armpits, I just didn't fit in," Madonna said in her acceptance speech, after being introduced by American comedian and actor Rosie O'Donnell.

In her heartfelt speech, the singer also paid tribute to her first dance teacher and mentor.

"The first gay man I ever met was named Christopher Flynn. He was my ballet teacher in high school and he was the first person that believed in me. That made me feel special as a dancer, as an artist, and as a human being. I know this sounds trivial and superficial but he was the first man to tell me that I was beautiful," she said.

Madonna added, "He took me to my first gay club in downtown Detroit. I told my dad I was having a sleepover at a girlfriend's house, that later got me grounded for the rest of the summer."

Later the star honoured her other close friends who passed away.

"After I lost my best friend and roommate Martin Burgoyne and then Keith Haring, happy birthday Keith, I decided to take up the bull horn and really fight back," Madonna said.

GLAAD is the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer media advocacy organisation.

Other honourees at the event included Andy Cohen, Don Lemon, Janelle Monae and Samantha Bee, among others.

News about Madonna receiving the honour was first announced in February this year.

A GLAAD press release cited the singer's commitment to raising awareness about the HIV/AIDS crisis, particularly the inclusion of a "Facts about AIDS" leaflet inside her 1989 album 'Like a Prayer.'

Over the years, the singer has also performed at numerous AIDS benefit concerts, established a benefit dance marathon, and spoken out against anti-LGBT policies and practices around the world, particularly in the United States, Romania, Malawi, and Russia.

Recently, Madonna gave a speech about equal rights at New York City's famed Stonewall Inn.

"I stand here proudly at the place where pride began, the legendary Stonewall Inn, on the birth of a new year. We come together tonight to celebrate 50 years of revolution," the singer said.

According to Variety, Madonna has been named as Stonewall's ambassador for their 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots, which launched the gay rights movement.

"If we truly look and we truly take the time to get to know one another, we would find that we all bleed the same colour and we all need to love and be loved. As we stand here together tonight, let's remember who we are fighting for and what we are fighting for. We are fighting for ourselves. We are fighting for each other. But truly and most importantly, what are you fighting for? We are fighting for love," she added.

On the work front, on Friday, she released her new single 'I Rise', an empowering ballad from her upcoming studio album 'Madame X', which drops on June 14.