GLAAD recognises outstanding LGBT media achievements
March 16th, 2010 by Kim.Renfrew
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) recognised outstanding achievement in the fields of television and journalism this weekend, at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
Held in New York, the ceremony was attended by numerous A-list stars, both LGBT and straight, including Sigourney Weaver, Alan Cumming and Rosie Perez. The awards were handed out to those whom the organisation believe have made a significant contribution towards promoting fair, accurate and inclusive stories about LGBT people and matters.
Winner of the Vito Russo Award, given to lesbian or gay people from the worlds of entertainment or media who have worked to diminish homophobia, was Cynthia Nixon, who plays Miranda in Sex and the City. The organisation felt that the actress’ frank discussions about her relationship with Christine Marinoni has helped foster better understanding about the fight for marriage equality. In her acceptance speech, Nixon said “Coming out wasn’t difficult for me because of the work of many people in this room and because of the vision, tenacity and sacrifice of people like Vito Russo, who are no longer with us, but because of whom there is a room – a room that has all of us in it.”
Comedian and chat show host Joy Behar was awarded the Excellence in Media Award for showing “a strong commitment to educating the public about the lives of gay and transgender people on her HLN talk show and as co-host of The View.”
Sigourney Weaver, along with the film’s producers, won an Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series award for Prayers for Bobby, a TV movie about a mother coping with her gay son’s suicide. Meanwhile, The Oprah Winfrey Show won Outstanding Talk Show Episode for ‘Ellen DeGeneres and Her Wife, Portia de Rossi’.
Further Media Awards will be presented at ceremonies in Los Angeles on 17 April and San Francisco on 5 June.
comments