Jennifer Lopez receives 2013 Ally for Equality Award

Jennifer Lopez was honored at the 17th annual Human Rights Campaign national dinner on Saturday (05Oct13).

Activist Gloria Steinem presented the superstar with the 2013 Ally for Equality Award at the Washington, D.C. event in recognition of her support for marriage equality, HIV/AIDS research, anti-bullying and youth anti-violence causes.

Last month (Sep13), the American Idol judge faced some controversy after it was announced she would receive the award following her performance for the president of Turkmenistan at a concert in July (13). Human rights activists have accused leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov of overseeing one of the most repressive regimes in the world.

Lopez later admitted accepting the invite to perform in the Central Asian country was a mistake, adding, "I know that being seen as a role model means taking responsibility for all my actions. I am human, and of course, sometimes I make mistakes. But I promise that when I fall, I get back up. When I am wrong, I will learn the lesson and move on to face other challenges. For me, that's what creating your own life is. Doing your best work while being your best self."