On Saturday evening, the Hilton in Union Square welcomed politicians, athletes, four Prop. 8 plaintiffs, two Chippendales, one real housewife of Beverly Hills and the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race to celebrate California’s fight for LGBT equality: all in the name of GLAAD.
Adam Lambert received the Davidson/Valentini Award for his out-and-proud success in the music industry and tied with Frank Ocean for outstanding music artist. California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom’s efforts in piloting marriage equality were recognized with The Golden Gate Award, while the reigning World Series champions San Francisco Giants got props for making an It Gets Better video and asking local drag socialite Donna Sachet to sing the national anthem.
Backstage, we chatted briefly with Lambert about his musical influences growing up. Given his stint singing with the remaining members of Queen, Lambert spoke fondly of Freddie Mercury but revealed his early adoration for musical theater. “I watch Glee and think, ‘wow, I was just like [Kurt Hummel],” he said.
It was fitting that Lambert should mention both Mercury and Chris Colfer, given that his acceptance speech touched upon the divide between the “proud rebels” of the Stonewall generation and the younger post-gays whose sexuality does not define them.
“It’s a crucial time. Totally crucial,” he said onstage. “We’re right in the middle of two generations with two perspectives but one common thread: love.”
The singer also told Queerty that he was open to the possibility of guest starring on Glee, being a judge on his alma matter American Idol and playing a rock ‘n’ roll Judas onstage in a reboot of Jesus Christ Superstar.
Another musical theater queen, Jinkx Monsoon, also took the stage fresh off her win on RuPaul’s Drag Race and sang her narcoleptic little heart out, channeling Elaine Stritch with a pretty darn good rendition of “Ladies Who Lunch.”
Earlier on the red carpet, Jinkx gave Queerty some of her strategy to nabbing the coveted title of America’s Next Drag Superstar.
“I didn’t brag about being a classically trained singer until the singing challenge,” she revealed. “I set small personal goals for myself along the way. First it was to just make it to the Snatch Game. After I won that, that’s when the fire inside me sparked to go after the whole thing.”
On the red carpet we also talked to Amazing Race hunks Jaymes and James about their work-out routines in preparation for a new 2014 calendar. During the ceremony, the dynamic duo auctioned off their bods to two presumably straight women (Real Housewives of San Francisco?) in order to raise money for GLAAD.
Speaking of straight women and mancandy, Barefoot Wine auctioned off Kyle Richards of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Richards told us on the red carpet that the winning bid would get first class flights to Los Angeles to have champagne with her at Villa Blanca (fellow castmate Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurant) and maybe a ride on her Maserati. Although most guests at the GLAAD Awards would probably bid more to ride her husband, Mauricio.
Another memorable moment onstage was the powerful speech by badass entertainment attorney Steve Warren. Accompanied by the Prop. 8 plaintiffs, Warren called on the Supreme Court for an end DOMA.
Other guests in attendance included, GLAAD national spokesperson Wilson Cruz, basketball player Brittney Griner, Revenge‘s E.J. Bonilla, trans actress Laverne Cox, Scandal‘s Guillermo Diaz, RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Honey Mahogany, former Spice Girl Mel B, True Blood‘s Jessica Clark, The Fosters‘ Teri Polo and Sherri Saum, Boy Scout reform activist Jennifer Tyrrell, Kevin Keller creator Dan Parent, Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler and 2012 Queerties nominee Shane Bitney Crone.
Check out which celebs posed for the #QueertyTakeover photo station.
Reality101
Looks like a fun event and I happen to love Adam Lambert, Jinkx Monsoon and even Kyle Richards who has been an outspoken supporter and donator to LGBT.
Mr. E. Jones
It’s easy to be post gay, when others did all the work for you. I’ll take “post-gay” youth seriously, when we start seeing post-black and post-Jewish kids.
magsmagenta
@Mr. E. Jones: So what was all the work for then? If you are going to resent how easy the young generation have it these days why bother?
Every generation puts in work to make life easier for those who come after them, it’s called Progress.
ScaryRussianHeather
This is Lambert’s actual speech:
Okay, I have to make a speech; I am supposed to just be a singer, but I tried to write a speech, so bear with me.
After almost winning American Idol, I have become a public figure; an openly gay public figure. With that comes a lot of responsibility and a lot of opinions. One person thinks you should be more this, another thinks you should be more that, the label thinks this, the fans think that, your family wishes this, this community wants you to shut up, that community wants it louder, the conservatives, the liberals, what do you want from me?!?:)
At the end of the day, it is not always so black and white. On one hand, you have the Stonewall generation, who paved the way. They are proud rebels who have waved the rainbow banner; they fought for our rights and brought causes into the light and into the press.
On the other hand, you have the next generation coming up and because of the groundwork that has been laid, they have more than the luxury to say: “Yeah, so I’m gay, it’s no big deal; my sexuality does not define me.”
Because of increasing visibility, more kids are coming out earlier and, of course, we are always going to have our challenges with acceptance, but it has certainly gotten better.
So, it is a crucial time, right? Totally crucial. We are right in the middle of two generations, with two different perspectives, but one common thread – love. With all the differences of opinion, both within the LGBT community and elsewhere, the best we can do is to keep it real and to spread a message of acceptance.
If we can inspire even one person to open their mind or another to be who they want to be, whether they are gay, they are straight, they are old, they are young, man, woman, black or white, then it is worth being objectified by the sometimes frustrating world of media sensationalism.
Thank you to GLAAD for recognizing my efforts because I put a lot of effort to this. I think about it a lot, it makes me f… crazy, but my goal is to try to represent both myself and my community proudly. We have come so far, so now let’s unify in our goals and take it further.
Have a beautiful night, thank you.
Deepdow
@magsmagenta:
Common sense reply.
Now that us “post-gay” youth have the liberty we need to help spread it around the world. We need to keep the PRESSURE on our elected officials. No wait, we need to BECOME the elected officials.
magsmagenta
@Deepdow: Yes exactly, because there is a massive amount of work still to do, and there always will be.