Attention Chicago-Area: The Alexandra Billings Story Airs Tonight

Premiering tonight on Chicago’s PBS affiliate WTTW is a new documentary about the extraordinary life of transgender actress Alexandra Billings.

Billings is perhaps best known for appearing in the 2006 GLAAD Media Award-winning episode of Grey’s Anatomy, “Where the Boys Are,” as a transgender patient with breast cancer. But there is much more to this extraordinary woman’s story.

The documentary Schoolboy to Showgirl: The Alexandra Billings Story, presented by Out and Proud in Chicago, will air tonight at 8:30 pm. This 30-minute program will detail the extraordinary life and career of transgender actress and singer, Alexandra Billings. Narrated by poet and performer Cin Salach, Billings delves deep into her harrowing past to honestly and openly discusses her survival through childhood in suburban Chicago, addiction, AIDS, a suicide attempt, and ignorance.

With the addition of rare footage and candid interviews, the audience will really be able to see Billings transition not only from, male to female, but also from impersonation clubs to mainstream theater, and finally to Hollywood. What it means to transition today and the history of the drag movement are also touched upon.

Schoolboy to Showgirl: The Alexandra Billings Story AIRDATES

WTTW-Channel 11
Friday, June 19 at 8:30pm
Monday, June 22, 2009 at 2am
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 4am

WTTW Prime (Comcast 243 or Channel 11.2)
Sunday, June 21 at 7pm
Monday, June 22, 2009 at 1:30am
Monday, June 22, 2009 at 7am
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 4pm

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LA Film Festival Screening: Hollywood, Je T’aime Sunday, June 21

Attention LA based LGBT film fans! If you’re free on Sunday, June 21 at 7:00 PM, you should check out Hollywood, Je T’aime, a fantastic new film screening at Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival.

Recent GLAAD Media Award honoree Chad Allen co-stars in this romantic tale of a man who escapes a wintery Paris in search of his California dreams, finding romance and friendship with the drag queens and local gays of the “real” Hollywood. GLAAD is presenting this screening at the LAFF and Entertainment Media Manager Jonathan Rosales will say a few words before the film.

Hollywood, Je T’aime
Sunday, June 21, 7:00 PM, Majestic Crest
Watch the trailer here

Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by Los Angeles Times, showcases the best of American and international cinema. The Festival is held in the heart of Westwood Village. 

For passes, tickets and full Festival details, please call
1.866.FilmFest or visit www.LAFilmFest.com 

 

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Angie Zapata’s Story Honored by Family and GLAAD

In the midst of the Angie Zapata murder trial in Greeley, Colo., which came to a conclusion last week with the sentencing of Allen Andrade, I was able to travel with Angie’s sisters Monica and Stephanie - along with their close family friend Tina Blea - from Colorado to Los Angeles for the GLAAD Media Awards. 

Univision’s Aqui y Ahora had been nominated for two segments on Angie’s story in the Spanish Language Newsmagazine Category.  As Monica Trasandes, GLAAD’s Director of Spanish Language Media, wrote last week, when the winner was announced, Monica Zapata joined Aqui y Ahora producer Belisa Morillo onstage to accept the award.

The trip gave me an important opportunity to connect to Angie’s family. Having attended the Angie Zapata murder trial in Greeley all day Apr. 17, the Zapatas and I were forced to delay our flight due to a massive snowstorm in Denver, postponing our flight to Saturday morning. 

While we were held over, I had the opportunity, for the first time, to have a very casual conversation with Monica, Stephanie and Tina. Previously we had talked many times, but they were almost always focused conversations about our work with the media around Angie’s life and death.

What has become abundantly clear to me with every conversation I have with this remarkable family is how much they love Angie - and how much they stick together.

Over dinner they remarked that their trip to Los Angeles for the GLAAD Media Awards was particularly significant to them because of Angie. “You know, this was Angie’s dream. She dreamed of going away, being famous, and having her picture everywhere. She would have loved to take this trip,” they told me. They said that Angie dreamed big, and they feel that their first trip to LA was an opportunity to honor her dreams.

They also told me that Angie’s favorite movie was A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story, which won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Television Movie in 2007.  In life, Angie saw a lot of similarities between herself and Gwen. She used to make her family watch the movie over and over with her.

It is devastating that now Gwen and Angie share more than the same life story - but that they were both victims of anti-transgender violence.

In court on the day before she arrived in L.A., Monica recounted that she used to tell Angie to be safe “every day.” She worried about the cruelty that exists in the world against transgender people.

At the event, she stood up while accepting the award and said these words to the audience:

“My family, some who are with me here tonight, always loved and supported Angie.  We understood that she was born in a boy’s body but she was a woman. So many transgender people do not receive that love, acceptance and support.

I would like to thank the reporter and producers of the Aqui y Ahora segment for treating Angie and her story with so much respect.  And for telling her story to Latino audiences.

Thank you to GLAAD for bringing us here, for recognizing Angie’s story and for helping us with the trial, and more. To all of you here tonight, I would like to say exactly what I would tell Angie if she was here.  Be yourself and be proud of who you are.  No tengas verguenza.  Eres una buena persona (Don’t be ashamed, you are a good person.)”

You can also watch a video of producer Belissa Morillo accepting the award for the Aqui y Ahora segments as well as Monica’s speech below: 

The resolve of seeing this wonderful family stand up and demand dignity is inspiring.  It is my hope, that as this family continues to speak up they can, as Monica implores people, “change the world for Angie.”

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The 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards - Los Angeles

A big thank you to everyone who attended the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented by IBM in Los Angeles on April 18! 1,100 local youth and more than 1,500 professionals attended the event, presented by ABSOLUT® VODKA, to watch GLAAD honor outstanding representations of LGBT people in media.

The evening began with a reception at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live where guests bid on silent auction items from more than 30 donors. At the same time, the red carpet stretched over 96 feet and welcomed over 50 media outlets to photograph and interview special guests and raise visibility of A-list celebrities supporting our community.

Media outlets including The New York Times, USA Today and Reuters wrote about the winners and honorees. Leading entertainment shows including Access Hollywood and The Insider interviewed special guests including Ellen DeGeneres, Teri Hatcher and Geroge Takei.

Not only did the celebrities answer questions about marriage equality, but they also dished on their shows and the Desperate Housewives ladies in attendance (Teri Hatcher, Brenda Strong, Andrea Bowen) spoke out about the dearly departed Edie Britt. LGBT media outlets including The Advocate, AfterEllen.com, FH Out Front, Greg in Hollywood and OUTTAKE also brought the event to readers.

Photos from the night ran across the world and showed an array of celebrities including Jessica Alba, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Paul James (GREEK) wearing White Knots in support of marriage equality.

Bebe Zahara Benet, the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Logo, won my best dressed of the night award for her gorgeous sequined gown complete with feathers and a leopard print wrap.

The 20^th Annual Media Awards started with a welcome from host Miss Coco Peru and continued with an opening montage of media images from 2008 that moved the crowd from laughter to tears with clips from television and film.

LGBT advocate Cleve Jones and Oscar-winning screenwriter of Milk, Dustin Lance Black, took to the stage to present the Stephen F. Kolzak Award to Bishop Gene Robinson. Robinson gave a special shout-out to the youth in the audience and brought the audience to its feet with his speech:

“It is such an honor to be here, and to be honored by the Board of GLAAD….To have you say thanks in this way just means the world to me,” Robinson said accepting his award. Speaking of the LGBT movement, Robinson continued, “We need to be in this for the long haul…Just because we achieved civil rights in the sixties for African Americans, it doesn’t mean racism is gone. Because we achieved rights for women in the seventies, it doesn’t mean sexism is gone….But we can stay in this fight because we know how it’s is going to end. This is going to end with full equality for LGBT people in our churches and in society. I have no doubt of it.”

Bill Paxton and Teri Hatcher presented Julia Louis-Dreyfus (wearing a dress that can only be described as GLAAD orange! and Megan Mullally with the award for Outstanding Individual Television Episode for The New Adventures of Old Christine. Paxton broke into an impromptu tap dance backstage after the Award and Julia Louis-Dreyfus told me how great it was to work with out comedian Wanda Sykes.

Broadway hunk and OUT100 Entertainer of the Year Cheyenne Jackson took to the stage with a piano for a moving performance of “A Change is Gonna Come,” wearing a perfectly fitted navy blue suit.

Alan Cumming presented a Special Recognition Award to The L Word which completed its sixth and final season on Showtime in March. After being stuck in traffic and missing the red carpet cast members Leisha Hailey and Katherin Moenning thankfully arrived in time to join show creator Ilene Chaiken and cast member Jennifer Beals to accept the award.

In her remarks, Chaiken commented on the continuing need to advocate for the inclusion of LGBT characters in the media. “At this moment in history, when marriage equality is virtually inevitable and maybe even imminent, when we’ve welcomed new LGBT civil rights legislation in Iowa, Colorado, Washington D.C., New Hampshire and soon New York…how can it be that LGBT people - after years of slow but promising momentum - have careened backwards in terms of representation in mainstream popular entertainment media?” Chaiken said.

Chaiken continued, “GLAAD has been working vigilantly to ensure that the defamation of LGBT people does not go unchecked. GLAAD’s been working to ensure that our lives are visible in the news and in the media. GLAAD’s work is vital and critical to helping us to achieve the milestones that are lifting LGBT people to our rightful place of full, unfettered equality. Thank you, GLAAD. And thank you Showtime, for six wonderful years…Thanks for breaking ground and for having the courage of your convictions. Now let’s do it again. Let’s do it more. Let’s do it often. Let’s do it always.”

Miss Coco Peru joined the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, for a performance of Prop 8: The Musical, which received a Special Recognition Award. The hysterical rendition included one member wearing a recreation of Aretha Franklin’s infamous hat from President Obama’s inauguration. According to him, there’s a store in downtown LA that has dozens to purchase!

T.R. Knight presented the Vanguard Award to Kathy Griffin who accepted the award in a bikini after parading around the green room to show off her beach body. “This is a thrill and an honor and an awesome night,” Griffin said in her acceptance speech. “You guys have been so good to me. I appreciate you, I get you, I love you, and I’ll keep making you laugh as long as you’ll let me! Thank you!”

The show closed with another standing ovation for legend Jennifer Holliday who performed “And I’m Telling You.”

After the show, I escorted Dana Delaney of Desperate Housewives, T.R. Knight of Grey’s Anatomy and Kate Walsh of Private Practice to kick off the young adult party. Over 1000 youth partied in the Nokia Theatre and took photos with these celebrities. Later on, Dustin Lance Black, Katelynn Cusanelli from The Real World Brooklyn, and the casts of Noah’s Arc and Shelter stopped by to join the young adult party.

The VIP dinner, catered by Wolfgang Puck, was held outside the Nokia Theatre and included live auction items from Visit London, Tiffany & Co., Zoom Vacations and the Herb Ritts Foundation.

After the dinner the room transformed into the ABSOLUT Mango Lounge for an after party sponsored by Only Vegas. Only Vegas supplied boas and props for attendees to dance the night away and take photos in the Fiji Water photo booth.

GLAAD thanks over 100 corporate partners for their generous support in making the event a great success and a night to remember.

We hope to see you at the GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco on May 9 where we are honoring Chad Allen and Dustin Lance Black. Additional talent includes Gabrielle Christian & Mandy Musgrave from South of Nowhere, Michelle Clunie, Wilson Cruz, Robert Gant, Suze Orman Eduardo Xol, and Judge David Young.

Following is a complete list of GLAAD Media Award recipients announced Saturday in Los Angeles. Previously awards were presented in New York at the Marriot Marquis on March 28.

• Vanguard Award: Kathy Griffin (presented by T.R. Knight)

• Stephen F. Kolzak Award: The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson (presented by Dustin Lance Black and Cleve Jones)

• Special Recognition: The L Word (Showtime) [Accepted by: show creator Ilene Chaiken, with Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig, and Leisha Hailey]

• Special Recognition: Prop 8: The Musical (FunnyorDie.com) [Accepted by: director Adam Shankman]

• Outstanding Film - Wide Release: Milk (Focus Features) [Accepted by: director Gus Van Sant, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, and producers Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks]

• Outstanding Comedy Series: Desperate Housewives (ABC) [Accepted by: show creator Marc Cherry, Teri Hatcher, Dana Delaney, Kyle MacLachlan, Tuc Watkins, Kevin Rahm, Andrea Bowen and Brenda Strong]

• Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without an LGBT character): “Unidentified Funk” The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) [Accepted by: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Megan Mullally, Clark Gregg, and show creator Kari Lizer]

• Outstanding Talk Show Episode: “Ellen & Portia’s Wedding Day” The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated) [Accepted by: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi]

• Outstanding Spanish-Language TV Journalism - Newsmagazine: “A juzgar por las apariencias” y “En otro cuerpo” Aquí y Ahora (Univision) [Accepted by: Univision producer Belissa Morillo and Monica Zapata, sister of murdered transgender teenager Angie Zapata]

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Aqui y Ahora Recibe Premio GLAAD / Aqui y Ahora Receives GLAAD Media Award

One of the most amazing moments in a great night at the GLAAD Media Awards this Saturday occurred when the award for Best News Magazine in Spanish Language Media was presented to Aqui y Ahora. The winning segment told the story of Angie Zapata, a young transgender woman who was murdered in Greeley, Colorado last year. Featured prominently in the story was Monica Zapata, Angie’s sister.

GLAAD brought Monica to Los Angeles, where she accepted the award, along with producer Belissa Morillo. At GLAAD, we are so proud of people like Monica and other members of the Zapata family, who not only speak out in memory of their loved one, but become fierce and incredibly important allies to our community.

We’re also so proud of the work of journalists like the reporters and producers of Aqui y Ahora - not to mentoin the executives who make their work possible - for telling these important stories and being respectful and inclusive of our community while meeting high standards of journalistic integrity and excellence. All of the segments in this category and, indeed, in all of our Spanish-language categories were of exceptionally high quality and show real progress in the way that media is telling LGBT stories en español.

For more on the awards, please visit glaad.org.

Unos de los momentos mas especiales en Los Premios GLAAD este sábado ocurrió cuando se presentó el Premio GLAAD por Mejor Segmento Televisivo de Revista Periodística, en Español a Aqui y Ahora. El segmento contó la historia de Angie Zapata, una joven transgénero quien fue asesinada en Greeley Colorado. Una importante parte de este segmento fue la entrevista con la hermana de Angie, Monica Zapata.

El sábado, GLAAD trajo a Monica a Los Angeles donde ella aceptó el premio, al lado de productora Belissa Morillo. Nosotros en GLAAD estamos tan orgullosos de personas como Monica (y el resto de la familia de Angie) quienes no solo hablan de la memoria de su ser querido pero tambien son fuertes aliados de todos nosotros en la comunidad.

También estamos orgullosos de periodistas y productores del equipo de Aqui y Ahora, y de los ejecutivos quienes hacen este trabajo posible, por crear historias que son excelentes en su periodismo y tambien tratan a nuestra comunidad de manera inclusiva y respetuosa.

Todos los segmentos en esta categoría, e incluso en todas las categorias de este año, eran de calidad excepcional y muestran verdadero progreso en la manera que los medios cuentan historias LGBT en español.

Para saber más sobre los Premios GLAAD, por favor visite a glaad.org.

 

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Stars Come Out for the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles

We’ve got an exceptional line-up of special guests and honorees to continue the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards on Saturday April 18th at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California.

The 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards kicked off in New York City on March 28. A fantastic line up of celebrities and media professionals came out to show their support for fair and accurate media images of the LGBT community.

More famous faces will come out in Los Angeles to be honored and show support for our community. You can be part of this extraordinary night. Come celebrate the GLAAD Media Awards’ 20th anniversary in Los Angeles with us by getting your tickets to the event, starting at just $50.

Special guests and presents scheduled to attend, include:

Jessica Alba

Chad Allen

Jennifer Beals, Lauren Holloman, Leisha Hailey, Pam Grier,

Katherine Moennig and Illene Chaiken (The L Word)

Dustin Lance Black

Michelle Clunie

Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks

Wilson Cruz

Alan Cumming

JD Disalvatore

Scott Michael Foster

Robert Grant

Rebecca Gayheart

Balthazar Getty

Thea Gill

Teri Hatcher

Paul James

T. R. Knight

Rex Lee

Megan Mullally

Nichelle Nichols

Peter Paige

Brad Rowe

Darryl Stephens

Amber Stevens

George Takei

Gus Van Sant

Trevor Wright

Awards will be presented onstage in the following categories:

Outstanding Film - Wide Release, Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBT character, Outstanding Talk Show Episode, Outstanding Spanish-Language TV Journalism - Newsmagazine.

Kathy Griffin will receive the Vanguard Award, which is presented to media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community. A long time ally of the LGBT community, Kathy Griffin consistently includes LGBT people on the two-time Emmy-winning reality program Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List,as well as in her comedy specials, her Grammy-nominated comedy CD For Your Consideration, and in her stand-up routines around the world.

This year Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List received its second consecutive GLAAD Media Awards nomination for Outstanding Reality Program. When not making audiences around the world laugh on television or stage, she is a vocal supporter of marriage equality in interviews with media outlets including Larry King Live. In 2008, she appeared in a public service announcement produced by human rights group Causecast urging viewers to vote against Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that eliminated the right to marry for gay and lesbian couples in California.

Bishop Gene Robinson will be honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award for his work to raise visibility of LGBT-inclusive voices of faith. Bishop Robinson became the first openly gay Bishop of the Episcopal Church after he was elected Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire in 2004. He most recently delivered the invocation at the opening celebration of the Presidential Inauguration at the Lincoln Memorial.

His ongoing work as a LGBT advocate has been featured in international news outlets including The New York Times, Reuters and NPR. His personal story is featured in the documentary For the Bible Tells Me So and in his 2008 book In the Eye of the Storm. For the Bible Tells Me So profiles several LGBT families discussing their Christian faith and received the award for Outstanding Documentary at the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.

Robinson joins Rufus Wainwright, Melissa Etheridge, Bill Condon, Todd Haynes, Alan Ball, Ellen DeGeneres and Sir Ian McKellen as a recipient of the award, which is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for our community.

The GLAAD Media Awards wouldn’t be where we are today without the help of our corporate partners. More than 100 corporate sponsors are showing their support, including National Presenting Partner IBM and Local Presenting Partners ABSOLUT® VODKA and Prudential. GLAAD is also grateful to the event’s Platinum Underwriters Comcast, TimeWarner and University of Phoenix. Allstate Insurance Company, American Airlines, Barefoot Wine, Disney/ABC Television Group, HMS Media, Herb Ritts Foundation, New York City Marriott & Renaissance Hotels, Renaissance New York Hotel, MillerCoors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Southwest Airlines, The Terry Watanabe Charitable Trust and Wyndham Hotel Group support the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards as Underwriter Partners.

Don’t miss out… Click here and purchase your tickets today!

Check out GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano below, speaking at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards in New York on March 28, 2009.

Nominees and special guests for the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on April 18th gathered for an informal reception for table hosts on March 31.

Photos by Brian Putnam

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Sirius XM’s Derek & Romaine at the GLAAD Media Awards in NYC

Watch Romaine Patterson and Derek Hartley receive a Special Recognition Award at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City.  They are introduced by award winning actor Stockard Channing:

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Frank Cairo ya no será parte de Paparazzi TV/Frank Cairo No Longer In Cast of Paparazzi TV

Para nosotros aqui  en GLAAD fue una triste sorpresa saber que Frank Cairo de Paparazzi TV ya no estará en el programa. Frank primero habló publicamente de su orientación sexual en unos de nuestros Premios GLAAD, diciendo desde el escenario que se sentiría muy hipócrita asistir en el show sin hablar honestamente.

Para tantas personas gays, lesbianas bisexuales o transgéneros en los estados unidos, mexico y latinoamerica, es alentador saber que hay personas talentosas y con mucho exito profesional y personal, quienes tambien son abiertamente gay. Estas personas, quienes muchas veces riesgan tanto para vivir abiertamente, ayudan mucho a disminuir el prejuicio y fortalezer el auto estima de miles de otras personas gays o transgéneros.  Ansiosos esperamos saber del proximo proyecto de Frank y verlo de nuevo en la pantalla de televisión.

For us at GLAAD it was a sad surprise to learn that Frank Cairo would no longer be in the cast of celebrity talk show Paparazzi TV! Frank first spoke publicly about his sexual orientation from the stage of the GLAAD Media Awards, saying he would feel like a hypocrite being part of the show and not coming out.

For so many gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people in the United States and Latin America, it’s gratifying to know that one can be talented, professionally and personally successful and openly gay. These folks, who sometimes risk so much in order to live openly, play a huge role in combating prejudice and raising the self-esteem of gay and transgender people. We anxiously await Frank’s next project and look forward to again seeing him on our television screens.

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Keith Olbermann at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in NYC

Watch Keith Olbermann accept the award for Outstanding TV Journalism Segment at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City. The clip starts with Jane Velez-Mitchell and Hannah Storm introducing all the nominated clips and then announcing Keith Olbermann as the winner.

You can watch Suze, Tyra, Clay and T.R. Knight’s speeches here.

Don’t forget to buy your tickets for the Los Angeles GLAAD Media Awards today!!

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20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in NYC Wrap-Up

A big thank you to everyone who attended the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented by IBM in New York City on March 28! More than 1,500 people attended the event presented by Prudential, which honored outstanding representations of LGBT people in media. GLAAD’s silent and live auctions raised an estimated $110,000 for GLAAD’s culture changing and media advocacy work.

The evening began with a reception at the Marriott Marquis where guests perused silent and live auction items. Meanwhile, the red carpet welcomed over 120 media outlets to photograph and interview special guests and honorees.

Media outlets including Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight and Reuters were on hand to raise visibility for support for the LGBT community from A-list celebrities in attendance. LGBT media outlets including The Advocate, AfterElton.com, Queerty.com and OUTTAKE also took the opportunity interview special guests about their views on marriage equality.

The red carpet was turned white - where staff, guests and celebrities including Clay Aiken, Phil Donahue, S. Epatha Merkerson, T.R. Knight and Jane Velez- Mitchell wore white knots in support of marriage equality (http://www.whiteknot.org/).

The 20^th Annual Media Awards kicked off with a hysterical monologue from comedian Kate Clinton who poked fun at Pastor Rick Warren and continued with an opening montage of media images from 2008 that had the crowd laughing with clips from television and film and moved many tears with its incorporation of media coverage of Proposition 8.

Jennifer Holliday was one of the first of many standing ovations for her performance of “I Believe I Can Fly.” Openly lesbian actress Cherry Jones presented a Special Recognition Award to Phil Donahue, who was the honoree at the first GLAAD Media Awards in 1990.

“It’s unbelievable to think about the power and the warp speed of this revolution,” Donahue said during his acceptance. “Twenty years ago when I proudly accepted the first GLAAD Media Award…it was a very small crowd. There are more photographers here tonight than there were people then…. And now, we look up in 2009, and [the LGBT community] is popular. The majority of the people in the nation agree with us. Our job now is to summon these people to stand up and say so out loud. To tell them to join us. To march the lavender line with us down Fifth Avenue, and to remind them, when they do join us, they’re going to meet a lot of nice people.”

Actress Stockard Channing also presented a Special Recognition Award to Sirius OutQ radio personalities Romaine Patterson and Derek Hartley on behalf of Sirius XM for their two hour documentary, The Laramie Project, 10 Years Later. Patterson thanked intern and producer Katie Castellano for her work on the documentary.

Judith Light and LGBT advocate David Mixner provided a moving look back at the last 20 years of media images, moving us from coverage of HIV/AIDS to some of the groundbreaking television moments to coverage of marriage equality this past year.

Keith Olbermann received a standing ovation from the crowd when accepting the award for Outstanding TV Journalism Segment for “Special Comment: Gay Marriage is a Question of Love” which aired on Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. Olbermann cited that his presence in the media had an advisor of John McCain change his stance on marriage equality. “One down,” Olbermann said- eliciting laughs and applause from the crowd.

Twenty-year old Donald Smith began a tribute to GLAAD President Neil Giuliano. Smith was a teenager during Giuliano’s tenure as President of Tempe, Arizona and remarked that Giuliano’s visibility had been an inspiration in Smith’s coming out.

Openly gay actor T.R. Knight presented the Vito Russo Award to Suze Orman, personal finance expert and host of CNBC’s The Suze Orman Show. The Vito Russo Award is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the LGBT community.

“I want every single one of you in this room to take note of what corporations put their time and money behind gays, behind lesbians - behind you,” Orman said accepting her award. “Do you want to continue to give your money to people in corporations that oppress us, that keep us down? Or do you want to give your money to the corporations who can help us rise and change what needs to be changed in the United States of America today.” Orman continued, “I ask you to honor those corporations not only with your support but with your money as well. We can do this - and here’s how you’re going to do it. You are going to think about every single penny you spend from this day forward. And the only think I ask of you is to spend it and invest it in those companies that invest in you.”

Openly gay singer Clay Aiken presented the Excellence in Media Award to close personal friend Tyra Banks, who was honored for her strong commitment to educating the public about the lives of gay and transgender people on her talk show, The Tyra Banks Show, and on her reality series, America’s Next Top Model. The Excellence in Media Award is presented to individuals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community in the media.

“[The LGBT community] empowered me,” Banks said in her acceptance speech. “And in turn, when I finally had a platform, and a power, and a voice - no longer just a face, but a voice - to get across the points and the messages that were important to me, I brought you along with me. Because you embraced me and now I embrace you in front of millions to show how beautiful you are, how absolutely amazing you are, how giving you are. And I will continue to do that as long as I have a platform. I will continue to get the message out about gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people.”

Holliday returned to the stage to close the evening with a disco version of “And I Am Telling You, I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls.

The Celebrity After-Party, where attendees applauded included media images from 2008 included special guest DJ Junior Vasquez and a special cocktail from ABSOLUT to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of their partnership with GLAAD.

GLAAD thanks over 100 corporate partners for their generous support in making the event a great success and a night to remember.

We hope to see you at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on April 18 where we are honoring Kathy Griffin, Bishop Gene Robinson and The L Word. Additional talent: Jessica Alba, Dustin Lance Black; Balthazar Getty; Megan Mullally; Alan Cumming; Gus Van Sant; George Takei; Bruno Tonioli; Robert Gant, Peter Paige, Thea Gill, Michelle Clunie; Wilson Cruz; and Chad Allen. A third ceremony takes place in San Francisco on May 9 honoring Chad Allen with Special Guests Wilson Cruz, Robert Gant, Jason Lewis and Suze Orman.

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A Jihad for Love Wins at GLAAD Media Awards

A Jihad for Love wins best documentary at the GLAAD media awards.  Writer/director Parvez Sharma and producer Sandi Dubowski were present to accept the award for their groundbreaking work. From their web site:

(L-R) Director Parvez Sharma and producer Sandi Simcha

Islam today is the world’s second largest and fastest growing religion. Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma travels the many worlds of this dynamic faith discovering the stories of its most unlikely storytellers: lesbian and gay Muslims.

Filmed over 5 1/2 years, in 12 countries and 9 languages, “A Jihad for Love” comes from the heart of Islam. Looking beyond a hostile and war-torn present, this film seeks to reclaim the Islamic concept of a greater Jihad, which can mean ‘an inner struggle’ or ‘to strive in the path of God’. In doing so the film and its remarkable subjects move beyond the narrow concept of ‘Jihad’ as holy war.

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Stars Come Out for the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York

**Just announced - A new $100 web-only ticket option!!**  Click here to purchase your tickets for the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Award in New York City!

We’ve got a tremendous line-up of special guests and honorees to kick off the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented by IBM and New York presenting partner Prudential on Saturday, March 28 at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.

Making one of his first appearances at a LGBT event since coming out in People, Clay Aiken will present the Excellence in Media Award to Tyra Banks and T.R. Knight will present the Vito Russo Award to Suze Orman. Special Recognition awards will be presented to Phil Donahue and The Laramie Project, 10 Years Later - The Lasting Legacy of Matthew Shepard, a two-hour documentary broadcast on Sirius XM Radio.

20 years ago when the words “gay” and “lesbian” were taboo in the media, we held the first GLAAD Media Awards to honor media for outstanding representations of the LGBT community. We celebrated 34 nominees in seven categories and Phil Donahue received our first Special Honoree award for including real stories about the lives of gay people on Donahue.

This year the GLAAD Media Awards are celebrating their 20th anniversary with 186 nominees in 41 categories and ceremonies in New York on March 28, Los Angeles on April 18 and San Francisco on May 9. You can see all of the nominees by going to: www.glaad.org/mediaawards.

You can be part of this extraordinary night.  Come celebrate the GLAAD Media Awards’ 20^th anniversary with us by getting your tickets to the event.

Comedian Kate Clinton will be the host of our New York event and there will be many other guests and presenters scheduled to attend, including: 

Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan (Top Design)

Former NBA player John Amaechi

Jensen Atwood and Patrik-Ian Polk (Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom)

Tyson Beckford (Make Me A Supermodel)

Michelle Clunie (Queer as Folk)

Tim Gunn (Project Runway)

Van Hansis and Jake Silberman (As the World Turns)

Cherry Jones (24)

Jay Manuel (America’s Next Top Model)

 

S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order)

Jasika Nicole (Fringe)

Chris Noth (Sex & the City)

Keith Olbermann (MSNBC)

Ana Ortiz, Michael Urie and Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty)

Jenny Shimizu

Hannah Storm (ESPN)

Jane Velez-Mitchell (CNN)

Junior Vasquez will be the guest DJ at the after-party.

Awards will be presented onstage in the following categories: Outstanding Film - Limited Release, Outstanding Documentary, Outstanding TV Journalism Segment, Outstanding Digital Journalism Article, and Outstanding Spanish-Language Magazine Overall Coverage.

Clay Aiken will present the Excellence in Media Award to Tyra Banks for increasing the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community through her work. Banks has consistently featured LGBT people on The Tyra Banks Show and continues to increase the visibility of the community through the diversity of her co-hosts and contestants on America’s Next Top Model, including her inclusion of Isis King, the show’s first transgender contestant, on the most recently completed cycle.

Suze Orman will receive the Vito Russo Award which is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for our community.  The six-time New York Times bestselling author and two-time Emmy Award winner has raised the profile of LGBT Americans by using her position in the public eye to convey that financial planning is a concern for all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. 

A Special Recognition award will be presented to Phil Donahue who, twenty years after receiving our first Special Honor, continues to be a vocal supporter of the LGBT community.

The Laramie Project, 10 Years Later - The Lasting Legacy of Matthew Shepard will also receive a Special Recognition award. The two hour documentary on Sirius XM Radio narrated by acclaimed actress Stockard Channing and featuring an introduction by GLAAD Media Award-winning journalist Barbara Walters shared the stories of individuals touched by the critically acclaimed play The Laramie Project and its discussion of hate crimes.

The GLAAD Media Awards wouldn’t be where we are today without the help of our corporate partners. More than 100 corporate sponsors are showing their support, including National Presenting Partner IBM and Local Presenting Partners ABSOLUT® VODKA and Prudential. GLAAD is also grateful to the event’s Platinum Underwriters Comcast, TimeWarner and University of Phoenix. Allstate Insurance Company, American Airlines, Barefoot Wine, Disney/ABC Television Group, HMS Media, Herb Ritts Foundation, New York City Marriott & Renaissance Hotels, Renaissance New York Hotel, MillerCoors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Southwest Airlines, The Terry Watanabe Charitable Trust and Wyndham Hotel Group support the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards as Underwriter Partners.

Don’t miss out… Click here and purchase your tickets today!

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Logo to the Rescue!

Sarah Silverman knows firsthand that the recession is no laughing matter. When Comedy Central cut The Sarah Silverman Program’s budget by 20%, the executive producers of the highly-rated series thought they would have to close up shop.

Today, Comedy Central announced that it will be ordering a third season of the show, thanks to co-financing from Logo, MTV’s network that targets LGBT viewers.

Over the weekend, Comedy Central president of original programming Lauren Corraro contacted former Comedy Central exec Marc Leonard, now senior staff at Logo. By Monday morning, the two had hammered out a deal to share the series through combined financing.

Logo has run Comedy Central series before, like Drawn Together (which features a gay character), but this is the first time that the networks have teamed to finance a series.

The Sarah Silverman Program was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award last year for Outstanding Comedy Series, because of the groundbreaking portrayal of Brian and Steve, Sarah’s gay neighbors.

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Penelope Cruz Se Gana Premio Con Papel de Artista Bisexual

Penelope Cruz ganó un premio Oscar en Hollywood febrero 22 por su actuación en la película “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” donde Penelope sobresale en el papel de una pintora talentosa, apasionada, un poco loca y … bisexual.  La película tambien fue nominada por un premio GLAAD (para mas sobre los premios GLAAD visite glaad.org).

Felicitaciones Penelope!

Penelope Cruz Takes Home an Oscar for her Role as a Bisexual Artist

Penelope Cruz won an Oscar at the Feb. 22 ceremony in Hollywood for her role as the talented, passionate a little crazy and … bisexual painter in the film “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” The film was also nominated for a GLAAD media Award (for more on the GLAAD Media Awards, please visit glaad.org).

Congratulations Penelope!

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“Nuke” Blows Us Away with a Great Interview

Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann, the two actors who play boyfriends Noah and Luke (”Nuke”) on CBS’ As the World Turns gave a strong interview to Advocate.com yesterday. Not familiar with the only gay male couple on daytime?

Read on for all the juicy details…

To catch the uninitiated up to speed, Noah and Luke have been together for quite some time, but they finally “sealed the deal” a few weeks ago by having sex. Though it was off-camera, the guys made it all-too-apparent they’d just done the deed and celebrated by sharing ice cream. (Awww!)

According to Advocate.com:

The big day was met with controversy all over the Internet — from soap pundits to mainstream journalists, many questioned the lack of promotion for the long-awaited moment from the powers-that-be at ATWT and Procter & Gamble (the show’s sponsor). Still, when the time finally came, Nuke fans were thrilled.

Though we highly recommend reading the interview in its entirety, here’s some tidbits that are especially good:

Advocate.com: Now that it’s finally aired, how do you think Nuke’s first sex scene played out?
Hansis: I think it was a natural progression for the characters at this point to sleep together. I think it’s a good thing that they did. The time was right. It is important to show that they take it seriously. I am glad the fans are so happy because that is the most important thing.
Silbermann: I really liked the way the show handled it by not really having it with bells and whistles and fanfare…
Hansis: Also, it was exciting for the fans not to have any “spoilers” on it, because I know there was a big fan group waiting for this moment. In this day and age, to keep that a secret is pretty cool. I think the fans enjoyed being surprised and shocked.

It’s important that gay romance receives fair cultural representation on television. Do you feel a responsibility in portraying these roles?
Silbermann: The most important thing is that it’s a story for people who felt unrepresented on our show, or any show.
Hansis: One of the most important things in the daytime medium, in portraying a couple long-term, is to give a voice to people who had not had a voice. Also, to show people who are not gay or who don’t have a personal connection to the story. They can form an empathetic connection to these characters. It helps people in that way.

Read the entire interview here.

As the World Turns is nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Daytime Drama. The series airs on CBS Monday through Friday. Check your local listings for air times.

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