During the 2013 GLAAD Awards, the frontman of the Scissor Sisters serenaded Anderson Cooper who was being honored by the organization. Shears performed a stirring cover of “A Real Hero” originally by College & Electric Youth. You may have heard the song in Ryan Gosling’s 2011 noir film, Drive.
He even added a special verse dedicated to Coop. Check out the performance below:
Check out more photos from the event.
Dixie Rect
Please explain to me how Anderson Cooper is ‘a real hero’? What a farce!
TinoTurner
He’s lived a life of unfathomable riches and privilege. No, he’s not a bad person….but he’s not a hero and I can think of 500 other people deserving of being recognized for their contributions. I hate the gay media….anything for publicity. Dust off Madonna and voila! Lotsa press.
itsjustmejon
Tino, the award is presented to an openly LGBT media professional. Jake sang a song that had “hero” in it. Anderson didn’t get an award for being a hero. Plus every charity invites celebs to get press, not just LGBT ones.
gppm1103
@Dixie Rect: I like Anderson, I really do. But “hero”? That should be reserved for people who ARE real hero.
Cam
I really like Cooper, he seems like he would be funny and fun to have over for dinner and I enjoy this show.
But giving somebody an award and calling them a hero for only coming out of the closet after they had been attacked for ages on blogs as being a shameful closet case and called a coward etc… seems a bit silly.
Cooper came out and that is fantastic, but as I’ve said before, the LGBT folks who come out working in a small business in Mississippi, Kansas, etc… fit my definition of Hero much more, or even that Senators son who came out and persuaded his father to change his views on gay rights.
All I remember is that when Cooper was closeted and the story on George Reckers getting caught with the Male prostitute, Cooper said almost nothing.
So again, glad he is out, I think he is a great rep for the community, but ….Hero?…Award recipient?…..GLAAD and HRC need to get over their crush on the entertainment industry.
jstepp88
A hero can be in many forms. I would certainly say he was a hero. I recall a certain image of him grabbing a child and rushing it to safety in Haiti. That is certainly heroic. Also, being in a position such as his, where millions of people see and hear him on a daily basis gives him a platform unlike most. Being that he uses it for good, and spreads a positive message can make him a hero as well. Who don’t know, some young boy somewhere could have seen Cooper come out and realize that it is ok to be gay. Something as simple as him coming out in his position could have prevented somebody from killing themselves; we simply don’t know.
viveutvivas
Someone who was born with the silver spoon in his mouth and only came out once it was safe to do so, give me a break!
For a real gay hero, try Bradley Manning. Of course all the big gay rich white man organizations are ignoring him.
itsjustmejon
Bradley Manning won’t sell tickets to a fundraiser, Anderson Cooper will.
HKfCA
Anderson not a hero?!? Did you all homos forget how he risked his own life to save a kid from brutal mom violence in Haiti?