Three incarnations of the GLAAD Media Awards (in L.A., NYC, and SF) are popping up in the coming months, and the media-watchdog group has recruited some surprising stars to make appearances.
Jersey Shore‘s Vinny Guadagnino, Kirk Cameron’s anti-Kirk Cameron co-star Tracey Gold, and Top Chef beauty Padma Lakshmi are confirmed to make appearances at the New York edition of the awards, being held on Saturday, March 24th.
If Vinny G. seems an odd choice, Vinny’s actually been a consistent ally, despite being bros with borderline-homophobic Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino. Last year, the Vinster introduced several hundred LGBT teens who were part of the audience as part of the GLAAD Media Awards Young Adult program.
Over in L.A., the celebrity level is a bit higher—Ellen DeGeneres, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Betty White, Anna Paquin and Fran Drescher are all either presenting awards or being honored on April 21th.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
The nominees for the Awards, announced in January, include Beginners, J. Edgar, Albert Nobbs, Weekend, Pariah, Glee, Modern Family, and Grey’s Anatomy. Other nominees include Maureen Dowd and Frank Bruni for Outstanding Newspaper columnist, Entertainment Weekly and People for Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage, and Batwoman and Archie for Outstanding Comic Book.
A third ceremony will be held on June 2 in San Francisco, but the celebrity guests have not yet been announced. For info on tickets and tables, click here.
Photos via Mike L
jason
GLAAD is a joke. Nobody takes it seriously anymore. Time to disband GLAAD in my view. We need a fearless organization, not one that is selective in whom it criticizes.
Huh ...
@jason: Feel free to start your own anti-defamation league. Anybody stopping you?
jon
Who has GLAAD not criticized that it should have Jason?
Riker
@jon: AT&T?
@Huh …: The heterosexual females who are jealous of male-male sexuality are stopping him with their bisexual double standard. Or something. *snicker*
prince of snides aka divkid
@jason: is there ANYTHING of which you approve? anybody? yourself?
c’mon man for one day, just one day, give us some positive — tell us what you DO appreciate, or love, even. could you do that for me buddy?
Tyson
I also think that GLAAD is a joke but I don’t like how they take Political Correctness to the point of censorship.
Oh, ok.
I agree that GLAAD is a joke, but I never agree with Jason, so yeah…
Most of these organizations are a joke, just look at HRC.
They focus on celebrities rather than helping the people they claim to be helping. Gay teens are still committing suicide every single day, men are still remaining closeted well beyond high school and college, there are very few places for young gay men to go that aren’t clubs or bars, and television still promotes more gay stereotypes than true to life varied people who happen to be gay.
What exactly has GLAAD done for us? I’d love to know. What’s changed? What has improved? Some pockets were lined with cash and it’s great PR for celebrities, but what about the rest of us…who are actually gay, lesbian, transgender, or bisexual?
CBRad
Another measure of GLAAD slipping away in quality (and, yes, becoming a joke) was in the direction they took their Out (art) Auction. An event that used to have guests like Edward Albee (and a great variety of art) turned into a showcase of junk art and guests like….Amanda Lepore..?! I guess the GLAAD folk decided to add some glitz by having new “stars”, so we had to watch something that looked like Donald Duck in drag quacking about and mugging for every camera.
Josh
I don’t really give two shits about GLAAD, but Vinnie is just the BEST!!!
kyle
Why is GLAAD a joke? Would you rather people call gay people faggots, murdered, fired, or beaten and not have anything done about it?
Okay. Sounds good to me!
Sceth
@jon:
“Whom has GLAAD criticized that it should not have?” (Fixed that for ya.)
Most of the entities which it has.
MJ
I’ll just say this. that image of Vinny makes him hotter than any of those other guys on Jersey Shore.
second, when it comes to GLAAD, anyone can get award for saying on TV or just publicly, I support the gay community.