The Marriott Marquis in Times Square was the place to be Saturday night, as the GLAAD Media Awards saw Madonna in fine form as she presented Anderson Cooper with the organization’s Vito Russo Award.
Taking the stage in a modified Cub Scout uniform, her Madgesty chided the youth group for its exclusionary policy and revealed she had been a Girl Scout as a child. “But they kicked me out because my skirt was too short and I didn’t sell enough cookies,” she explained. “I ate all the cookies.”
In a speech she wrote herself, Madonna spoke eloquently about the need for universal human rights and respect, and the inanity that, in 2013, there are those who would deprive the LGBT community of our freedoms.
She then turned to the man of the our, Anderson Cooper, whom she praised as “brave,” for bringing forth stories others have ignored, and for sharing his own truth. In true Madonna fashion, she also praised his gorgeous mug and devastating blue eyes, and commanded him to come up on stage “so I can pinch your butt.”
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Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Other Award recipients at Saturday’s event include:
Ally Award: Brett Ratner
Outstanding Drama Series: Smash (NBC)
Outstanding Documentary: How to Survive a Plague (Sundance Selects)
Outstanding Reality Program: The Amazing Race (CBS)
Outstanding TV Journalism (Newsmagazine): “Being Transgender in America” Melissa Harris-Perry (MSNBC)
Outstanding TV Journalism Segment: “Obama Endorses Marriage Equality” Good Morning America(ABC)
Outstanding Newspaper Article: “Game Changer” by Andy Mannix (City Pages [Minneapolis, Minn.])
Outstanding Newspaper Columnist: Frank Bruni (The New York Times)
Outstanding Newspaper Overall Coverage: The Boston Globe
Outstanding Magazine Article: “School of Hate” by Sabrina Rubin Erdely (Rolling Stone)
Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage: The Advocate/Out
Outstanding New York Theatre: Broadway & Off Broadway: The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter
Outstanding New York Theatre: Off-Off Broadway: From White Plains by Michael Perlman
Photo: Makario Sarsozo
Scribe38
still love this chick!
Dixie Rect
She looks absolutely ridiculous. Her plastic surgery is out of control – Bernadette Peters needs to teach this hag how to get work done. Sit down, Madonna!
Atlantis
Good speech but I kept waiting for the “Don’t Fuck With Me Fellas!” a la Faye Dunaway in ‘Mommy Dearest”.
jwrappaport
I liked her in Evita, but I just don’t get why she’s a gay icon.
Fitz
@jwrappaport: I agree. The gays embraced her like she was so important, and she embraced… well, our money and gave half hearted support. During the worst of the AIDS crisis, she did nothing for us, though it was the height of her career. Exploiting gay fashion and dance should NOT qualify you for gay saint status– there were others at that time. Liza, Liz, to name two, who did so much for us.
Red Meat
Half the speech was her promoting her work, from songs to videos played on her MDNA tour.
Collect those gay dollar bills Madge.
John Doe
@Fitz: You must know a different Madonna than many of us. Wow. I don’t know this one you are talking about. Surely not the one that emerged during my younger years.
Do you not remember the events she participated in, such as with AIDS Project LA and her work later with amFAR? Not to mention that when many celebrities were giving a cold shoulder to the gay community during the height of the 80’s AIDS crisis, Madonna embraced those in the gay community, including her close friend who died from AIDS in the mid 1980s. (Like princess Diana, showing physical affection and touching those with AIDS when most people were deathly afraid to do so). Madonna was financially supporting this guy friend (his name??) during that time and in the coming years gave millions of dollars towards AIDS programs. Later she was giving proceeds of some of her music to gay men’s organizations…. and dedicated her Erotica album to her friends that died from AIDS. There were also the reports her husband at the time was upset with her because she was spending TOO much time on the AIDS topic and her gay friends. (Penn was her husband at the time).
Well, you must know a different Madonna than the one I remember. Not that I think Madonna doesn’t have her major flaws. Not that I want to judge. But, I do know that she did A LOT during those early years when AIDS was new to the world.
By the way, being a “gay icon” covers a pretty diverse group of people. There is no uniform ingredient to being admired by gays or being a so-called gay icon. Lucille Ball, Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, Dolly Parton, Cher, Kylie Minogue, etc. Many of those women developed a huge gay following without having to advocate for gays beforehand…. or even after in some cases. Their icon status emerged simply because they had such a huge following in the gay community.
Cee
Wait, why was Anderson Cooper being honored?