Betty White, Chaz Bono, Josh Hutcherson Attend the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards Red carpet arrivals in LA
April 21, 2012 by News Desk
Filed under Award Shows, Breaking News, Celebrities, Diversity, Entertainment News, FEATURES, International News, Media, People
Legendary TV Personality and Actress Betty White, Ellen DeGeneres, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Joshua Jackson, Kim Wayans, Sara Gilbert and Jason Mraz joined the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) as it honored advocate and author Chaz Bono, actor Josh Hutcherson and the best in television and film last night at the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles held on Saturday, April 21, 2012 from 4:30 pm at Westin Bonaventure located at 404 S. Figueroa Street in Los Angeles, CA 90071.
Cher and Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) presented the Stephen F. Kolzak Award to Chaz Bono, and Benicio Del Toro presented the Vanguard Award to Josh Hutcherson.
Also at the event, Jennifer Tyrrell, a mother from Ohio who was ousted last week as a scout leader from the Boy Scouts of America, spoke onstage with her partner, Alicia, and their four children. Celebrities and special guests signed Tyrrell’s Change.org petition calling on the Boy Scouts of America to end its ban on LGBT scouts and scout leaders. In only five days, the petition has received over 110,000 signatures.
Cher surprised her son, Chaz Bono, by joining Bono’s stepmother, Rep. Mary Bono Mack, in presenting him with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award. The Stephen F. Kolzak Award is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality.
In her remarks, Cher praised her son, “I’m here because Chaz has the most courage of almost anyone I know. The other day I was having a big meltdown (like you do) and Chaz said, ‘Are you going to come to the [GLAAD event],’ and I went ‘Chaz, you know, I’m not doing well right now’ and…he texted me and said ‘I turned into a very understanding, smart man and you can call on me.’ And it made me feel so good, like I could lean on someone. It touched my heart.” Addressing Bono directly, Cher said, “You are the most courageous person I know and you really deserve this award, so come up and get this award!”
In his acceptance speech, Bono discussed the role GLAAD has played in his life. “This truly means so much to me, because not only did I work at GLAAD, I think I learned everything that I value and that I do now as an activist from the time I spent at GLAAD. I learned here to use the greatest activist tool that we have at our disposal, and that is the media.” Bono continued, “For my personal journey since I transitioned, GLAAD has been there for me every step of the way. From when it first came out that I was transitioning, GLAAD was right there, out front in the media. And really everything that I’ve done since then, they have been a partner for me to be able to go to when Million Moms is coming out against me or Keith Ablow is telling people that me being on Dancing with the Stars is somehow going to be damaging to children. They have really been a partner for me all the way.”
Also at the event, actor and director Benicio del Toro presented the Vanguard Award to actor Josh Hutcherson. Del Toro directed Hutcherson in the short film 7 Days in Havana. The Vanguard Award is presented to media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Accepting his award, Hutcherson thanked his friends from the Straight But Not Narrow campaign with which Hutcherson is actively involved, “I want to thank my best friends Avan Jogia, Andre Pochon and Heather Wilk for starting Straight but not Narrow. It’s an amazing organization. We wanted to create a place where straight people felt safe coming out and saying ‘It’s okay to be gay.’ And I didn’t know one, so we decided we were going to make one and we have. It’s gaining momentum and it means the world to me.” Hutcherson continued, “I want to thank GLAAD and everybody tonight who shared their story with us, and really showed us that the work that we’re doing makes a difference. That’s why I’m up here. I’ll make hopefully a million more movies but this is what I want to do with my life, just changing the world and hopefully changing what people think. So, this is to everybody who’s ever had a struggle in life being yourself. I think that the most beautiful thing a human being can do is just be who you are inside. So please, everybody, just be yourselves and encourage everyone else to do the same. Thank you.”
Tim and Tracy Rodemeyer, along with their daughter Alyssa, spoke onstage to the over 400 young adults in attendance, in memory of their 14-year-old son Jamey who died by suicide in the fall of 2011 after posting an It Gets Better video on YouTube.
Other special guests include: Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves (Hot in Cleveland); Ellen DeGeneres (The Ellen DeGeneres Show); Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family); Max Adler, Grant Gustin (Glee); Joshua Jackson (Fringe); Mark Deklin, Miriam Shor (GCB); Sara Gilbert (The Talk) and musician Linda Perry; Kim Wayans (Pariah); Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries); singer Jason Mraz;Molly Shannon (Casa de mi Padre); Trevor Donovan (90210); LGBT advocate and writer Perez Hilton;Brooke Elliott, Josh Berman (Drop Dead Diva); Gilles Marini (Switched at Birth); Guillermo Diaz (Scandal);Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter (Resident Evil); Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills); Marissa Jaret Winokur (Retired at 35); Tabatha Coffey (Tabatha Takes Over); Laura San Giacomo (Saving Grace); Travis Wall (So You Think You Can Dance); Peter Marc Jacobson (Happily Divorced); writer LZ Granderson; Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato (Becoming Chaz, Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys); Freddie Smith (Days of Our Lives); Michelle Paradise, Angela Featherstone (Exes & Ohs); Lady Bunny, Raven (RuPaul’s Drag U); Reza Farahan (Shahs of Sunset); Jamie Clayton (Hung);Madison Hildebrand (Million Dollar Listing); Washington State Rep. Maureen Walsh; decorated Air Force veteran Lt. Col Victor Fehrenbach; and GLAAD President Herndon Graddick.
Following is a complete list of GLAAD Media Award recipients announced Saturday in Los Angeles.
- Stephen F. Kolzak Award: Chaz Bono (presented by Cher and Rep. Mary Bono Mack)
- Vanguard Award: Josh Hutcherson (presented by Benicio Del Toro)
- Outstanding Film – Wide Release: Beginners (Focus Features)
- Outstanding Documentary: Becoming Chaz (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) [accepted by: directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, and Chaz Bono]
- Outstanding Comedy Series: Modern Family (ABC) [accepted by: Jesse Tyler Ferguson]
- Outstanding Individual Episode: TIE: “Prom” Drop Dead Diva (Lifetime) [accepted by: producer Josh Berman and Brooke Elliott] and “Beards” Hot in Cleveland (TV Land) [accepted by: Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, Betty White and episode guest stars Gilles Marini and Laura San Giacomo]
This year, over 500 youth from Southern California were able to attend the event at no cost through GLAAD’s Young Adults @ the GLAAD Media Awards initiative.
Additional awards were presented in New York on March 24, and the final awards will be presented in San Francisco on June 2 at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. Glee‘s Dianna Agron will host the June event, and it will feature a special performance by Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère. A complete list of award recipients announced at the New York event may be found here: www.glaad.org/mediaawards/
About The GLAAD Media Awards:
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD’s work to amplify stories of LGBT people and issues that build support for equality.
About GLAAD:
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit http://glaad.org or connect with GLAAD athttp://glaad.org/connect.
Sources: BWR Public Relations & GLAAD.
Videos credit to: http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards
Photos credit to: Rodrigo Vaz for Diversity News Magazine and Diversity News Publications. For photos licensing contact: Steven Escobar at editor@diversitynews
Editor’s Note: Even thought we only received media credentials to cover the red carpet arrivals, we still providing you some information courtesy of GLAAD and BWR Public Relations of what happen during Dinner and Show.
About News Desk
About Diversity News Magazine: Diversity News Magazine is an independent multi-media outlet own by Minority-Owned Business who works with everyone and it is published by Diversity News Publications. Diversity News Magazine executive editor-in-chief is Esteban Escobar aka Steven Escobar an award winning honored and respected Journalist. Diversity News Magazine is a consumer news magazine covering news, entertainment, features, awards, sports, events and much more. DiversityNewsMagazine.com, an online & special print consumer news magazine that is visited by more than two million visitors a month, it is another venue for advertisers to showcase their products, brands or services on the classified and display pages. The purpose of the magazine is to educate and inform the diverse community worldwide. It focuses on local, national and international news, entertainment, features, sports and more importantly, newsworthy items that would be of interest to our diverse cultures. For more information visit Diversity News Magazine at http://www.diversitynewsmagazine.com/
Josh Hutcherson to receive the Vanguard Award at 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards Presented by Ketel One & Wells Fargo
April 16, 2012 by News Desk
Filed under Entertainment, Events, LGBT News, People
Grammy Award-winning musician Jason Mraz to perform; Chaz Bono to receive Stephen F. Kolzak Award; Ellen DeGeneres, Betty White, Wendie Malick, Joshua Jackson, and Kim Wayans among special guests.
On Monday, April 16, 2012 The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, announced it will honor LGBT equality advocate and actor Josh Hutcherson at the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented nationally by Ketel One and Wells Fargo. Hutcherson will receive the Vanguard Award at the Los Angeles ceremony on April 21, 2012 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, presented locally by Delta Air Lines. As previously announced, advocate, author and speaker Chaz Bono will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award.
GLAAD also announced that Jason Mraz, longtime LGBT advocate and Grammy Award winner, will perform at the ceremony. Mraz recently filmed a PSA for the Human Rights Campaign’s “Americans for Marriage Equality” initiative.
A live stream of the red carpet is available at http://glaad.org/live. Please visit http://glaad.org/mediaawards for a full list of nominees.
GLAAD Media Awards will be presented onstage in the following categories: Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Documentary Outstanding Film- Wide Release, and Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBT character).
On Saturday, April 14, 2012, GLAAD’s Board of Directors elected media veteran Herndon Graddick as GLAAD’s new President. He will speak at the GLAAD Media Awards. Herndon is a media veteran who has worked as a Supervising Producer at E! Networks, the day-of-air news division director at Current TV, and a producer at CNN. He currently serves as GLAAD’s Vice President of Programs & Communications. For more information visit http://glaad.org/meetherndon.
Ellen DeGeneres will open the event on April 21. Other special guests include: Betty White, Wendie Malick, Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves (Hot in Cleveland); Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family); Joshua Jackson (Fringe); Mark Deklin, Miriam Shor (GCB); Tori Spelling (Tori & Dean: Home SweetHollywood); Kim Wayans (Pariah); Molly Shannon (Casa de mi Padre); LGBT advocate and writer Perez Hilton; singer and Vampire Diaries star Kat Graham; Trevor Donovan (90210); Brooke Elliott, Josh Berman (Drop Dead Diva); Gilles Marini (Switched at Birth); Fran Drescher (Happily Divorced); Guillermo Diaz (Scandal); Kelly Osbourne (So Undercover); Milla Jovovich (Faces in the Crowd); Ali Larter (The Asset); Travis Wall (All the Right Moves); Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato (Becoming Chaz); Mike Mills (Beginners); and decorated Air Force veteran Lt. Col Victor Fehrenbach. Additional guests for the April 21 Los Angeles event to be announced.
Josh Hutcherson will receive the Vanguard Award, which is presented to media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Nineteen-year-old actor and advocate Josh Hutcherson leads the next generation in the movement for LGBT equality. In 2010, Hutcherson starred as the son of a lesbian couple in the critically acclaimed film The Kids Are All Right, which received a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film Wide Release, two Golden Globe Awards, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Hutcherson currently stars as Peeta Mellark in the blockbuster film The Hunger Games. Hutcherson is one of the founders of the LGBT ally organization Straight But Not Narrow (SBNN), and has remained outspoken about why equality for LGBT people is important.
In an interview withSamaritanMag.com, Hutcherson said, “We just launched [SBNN], and it’s a very exciting time for us and it hits close to home for me. I have a lot of gay friends in Los Angeles. My roommate’s gay and I lost two uncles when I was young to AIDS, so it’s an important cause in my family.” Earlier this year, Hutcherson and fellow SBNN co-founder, actor Avan Jogia, met with Gay-Straight Alliance leaders at the GSA Network to film a video discussing the importance of GSA clubs in schools. In March, Hutcherson made a surprise appearance at a high school in Los Angeles where he spoke to GSA members about about the importance of being an ally for LGBT young people. “Emerging as a leader in a new generation of equality advocates, Josh Hutcherson has consistently used his platform to help young people understand that no one should face discrimination simply because of who they are,” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. “Josh’s commitment to achieving equality for every American is a message he carries in his work both on screen and off, earning him the honor of being GLAAD’s youngest-ever Vanguard Award recipient.”
Nominees for the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards were announced in January and are available here: http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/nominees.
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives. The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies will be held in Los Angeles on April 21, 2012 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites; and in San Francisco on June 2 at San Francisco Marriott Marquis. Glee’s Dianna Agron will host the show in San Francisco, with a special performance by Cirque du Soleil’sMystère. Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal) will receive the Golden Gate Award.
Facebook and Wells Fargo will receive special awards at the event. To receive the latest updates on the GLAAD Media Awards, follow @glaad on Twitter and use the hashtag #glaadawards. The GLAAD Media Awards fund GLAAD’s work to bring stories of LGBT people and issues to Americans. Each year, the GLAAD Media Awards in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco bring together more than 5,000 advocates and allies to raise nearly $3.5 million for the organization’s work. 
About GLAAD: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD at www.glaad.org/connect.
Source: www.glaad.org
Photo credit to: Wikipedia
Graphic logo credit to: www.glaad.org
Editor’s Note: Congratulations to Josh Hutcherson for his award recognition. Also Diversity News Magazine & Diversity News TV representatives Daniela Hubbard, Rodrigo Vaz and Esteban Escobar aka Steven Escobar have been approved by GLAAD & BWR Public Relations and they will be covering the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on April 21, 2012.
About News Desk
About Diversity News Magazine: Diversity News Magazine is an independent multi-media outlet own by Minority-Owned Business who works with everyone and it is published by Diversity News Publications. Diversity News Magazine executive editor-in-chief is Esteban Escobar aka Steven Escobar an award winning honored and respected Journalist. Diversity News Magazine is a consumer news magazine covering news, entertainment, features, awards, sports, events and much more. DiversityNewsMagazine.com, an online & special print consumer news magazine that is visited by more than two million visitors a month, it is another venue for advertisers to showcase their products, brands or services on the classified and display pages. The purpose of the magazine is to educate and inform the diverse community worldwide. It focuses on local, national and international news, entertainment, features, sports and more importantly, newsworthy items that would be of interest to our diverse cultures. For more information visit Diversity News Magazine at http://www.diversitynewsmagazine.com/
Chaz Bono to receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards Presented by Ketel One & Wells Fargo
April 10, 2012 by News Desk
Filed under Award Shows, Awards, Breaking News, Celebrities, Entertainment News, Events, FEATURES, People
Ellen DeGeneres, Josh Hutcherson, Betty White, Wendie Malick, Joshua Jackson, Kim Wayans and Kate Beckinsale among special guests, with performance by Jason Mraz.
On Tuesday, April 10, 2012 GLAAD, the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today announced it will honor LGBT equality advocate, author and speaker Chaz Bono at the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented nationally by Ketel One and Wells Fargo. Bono will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the Los Angeles Ceremony on April 21, 2012 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, presented locally by Delta Air Lines.
Ellen DeGeneres will open the show and guests will enjoy a performance by Grammy Award-winning singer and LGBT equality advocate, Jason Mraz. Other special guests include: Betty White, Wendie Malick, Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves (Hot in Cleveland); Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games); Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family); Joshua Jackson (Fringe); Kate Beckinsale (Underworld: Awakening); Kim Wayans (Pariah); Molly Shannon (Casa de mi Padre); Trevor Donovan (90210); Fran Drescher (Happily Divorced); Brooke Elliott, Josh Berman (Drop Dead Diva); Gilles Marini (Switched at Birth); Ali Larter (The Asset); Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato (Becoming Chaz); Mike Mills (Beginners); and decorated Air Force veteran Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach. Additional honorees and guests for the April 21 Los Angeles event to be announced.
Chaz Bono will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality.
Chaz Bono has consistently advocated for LGBT equality. In 2009, Bono revealed that he is transgender, and in 2011 he shared his life in the documentary Becoming Chaz, which was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award and three Emmy Awards. Also in 2011, Bono competed on the thirteenth season of ABC’s hit show, Dancing With The Stars. Bono has written three books including Transition, which is his groundbreaking account of his transition from female to male. In 1996, Bono became the Human Rights Campaign’s National Coming Out Day spokesperson, and later served as GLAAD’s Entertainment Media Director where he tackled several high-profile campaigns around LGBT issues in Hollywood. He has contributed as a writer-at-large to The Advocate and has spoken at dozens of universities and LGBT events. He continues to promote change by creating awareness and discussions about fairness and equality for the LGBT community. Previous Stephen F. Kolzak honorees include Wanda Sykes, Rufus Wainwright, Melissa Etheridge, Bill Condon, Todd Haynes, Alan Ball, Ellen DeGeneres, Sir Ian McKellen and NBC Chairman of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt.
“Chaz has opened the door for countless others, reshaping the way Americans think about transgender people today,” said Mike Thompson, Acting President of GLAAD. “His bold leadership in sharing his story as a transgender man, as well as his tireless work to secure equality for every American, embodies the values of GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award.”
Nominees for the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards were announced in January and are available here: http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/nominees. The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives.
The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies will be held in Los Angeles on April 21, 2012 at the Westin Bonaventure; and in San Francisco on June 2 at San Francisco Marriott Marquis. Glee‘s Dianna Agron will host the show in San Francisco, with a special performance by Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère. Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal) will receive the Golden Gate Award. Facebook and Wells Fargo will receive special awards at the event.
The GLAAD Media Awards fund GLAAD’s work to bring stories of LGBT people and issues to Americans. Each year, the GLAAD Media Awards in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco bring together more than 5,000 advocates and allies to raise nearly $3.5 million for the organization’s work.
To receive the latest updates on the GLAAD Media Awards, follow @glaad on Twitter and use the hashtag #glaadawards.
About GLAAD:
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD at www.glaad.org/connect.
Source: GLAAD
2011 Photos credit to: Rodrigo Vaz and Daniela Hubbard for Diversity News Magazine.
About News Desk
About Diversity News Magazine: Diversity News Magazine is an independent multi-media outlet own by Minority-Owned Business who works with everyone and it is published by Diversity News Publications. Diversity News Magazine executive editor-in-chief is Esteban Escobar aka Steven Escobar an award winning honored and respected Journalist. Diversity News Magazine is a consumer news magazine covering news, entertainment, features, awards, sports, events and much more. DiversityNewsMagazine.com, an online & special print consumer news magazine that is visited by more than two million visitors a month, it is another venue for advertisers to showcase their products, brands or services on the classified and display pages. The purpose of the magazine is to educate and inform the diverse community worldwide. It focuses on local, national and international news, entertainment, features, sports and more importantly, newsworthy items that would be of interest to our diverse cultures. For more information visit Diversity News Magazine at http://www.diversitynewsmagazine.com/
