The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has announced that Octavia Spencer will receive the Inspiration Award at this year’s GLSEN Respect Awards.

For over 25 years, GLSEN has worked to create safe and inclusive educational spaces. Per Deadline, their Respect Awards celebrate individuals and companies who have supported and impacted the LGBTQ youth community. Past recipients include Kerry Washington, Julia Roberts, Zendaya, and Shonda Rhimes. 

Spencer has been an outspoken LGBTQ ally both on- and offscreen. She has participated in conversations around marriage equality and homophobia and just last year appeared in “A Kid Like Jake,” which follows parents raising a nonbinary toddler.

“GLSEN is deeply honored to present the Inspiration Award to Octavia Spencer, an actor who has devoted her career to diverse storytelling, promoting social good, and is a steadfast ally for the LGBTQ community,” said Eliza Byard, Executive Director of GLSEN. “Octavia is a role model for combining art with activism and a true embodiment of the Inspiration Award.”

Spencer received an Oscar for her role in “The Help” and nods for “Hidden Figures” and “The Shape of Water.” She has various projects in post- and pre-production, including Anne Hathaway-starrer “The Witches,” Pixar’s “Onward,” a Netflix series on black hair care pioneer Madame C.J. Walker, and an Apple series on America’s fascination with true crime. She is also set to star alongside Melissa McCarthy in Netflix’s superhero flick “Thunder Force.”

Spencer will be honored with the Inspiration Award at GLSEN’s annual gala in Los Angeles on October 25.