Watch: Straight Actor Jean Smart, a Gay Icon, Thrills to Being 'in the Company' of Stars like 'Judy and Liza and... Cher'

LGBTQ+ ally and "Hacks" star Jean Smart accepted the Human Rights Campaign's National Equality Award at a dinner in Los Angeles, expressing her gratitude to her queer fans and her excitement at the company she's in as a gay icon, The Hollywood Reporter detailed.

Smart also called out the fundamental absurdity of lawmakers focusing so hard on the private lives and personal choices of queer individuals when there are so many truly pressing problems in the world.

"[I]n a world where children are starving and dying because of war," Smith declared, she found it "obscene and beyond understanding that any of us should be concerned with someone else's sexuality."

"Smart also spoke to the crowd about her experience acting in 'Last Summer at Bluefish Cove,'" THR noted, "a trailblazing off-Broadway play focusing on a group of women that vacation yearly at a lesbian beach colony."

"Smart credited the play for starting her career," the writeup added, "and shared her entry point in learning about the LGBTQ+ experience."

"I personally learned about gay life through some very painful experiences," Smart told her audience, before she "went on to share a heartbreaking and personal story about her late friend Jimmy, who died of AIDS," THR relayed.

But Smart's speech hit a high point as she celebrated her status as a gay icon – something a canon of truly great female entertainers have in common.

THR said that Smart declared, "if I'm in the company of Judy and Liza and Betty and Joan and Bette and Cher, then I'm thrilled, absolutely."

The five-time Emmy winner went on to quip: "But what was it about those women, what is it? I think it's because they told you exactly what they thought and didn't give a crap, but always looked fabulous doing it."

Hannah Einbinder, Smart's co-star on the Max comedy, introduced Smart and took the opportunity to crack a few jokes.

Saying she had been under the impression that "they only gave these awards to queer people," Einbinder, who identifies as bisexual, told the audience that her first thought upon hearing Smart would receive the award was, "'Finally... now's my chance.' You know, we're both single," she added.

"But alas," Einbinder said, "I was informed Jean's being honored for her allyship to our community and is still very much straight."

Smart joked back. Once at the podium she offered her thanks to Einbinder, whom she called her "hilarious playmate at work, my friend, my confidant, and my wokeness counselor," as the audience laughed.

The Max comedy focuses on Deborah Vance (Smart), a standup comedian trying to remain relevant in a changing world with the help of Ava Daniels (Einbinder), a writer from a younger generation. But their relationship is a two-way street, with Deborah's life experience also proving valuable to Ava.

Smart and Einbinder will be back for a third season of the show, which premieres May 2. Watch a teaser for the new season below.