Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, the
producers of the NBC series Smash, were honored Saturday night
at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media
Awards in New York City.
Glee co-stars Naya Rivera and
Cory Monteith hosted the
first installment of the awards recognizing positive portrayals
of the gay community in film, television, radio, music, newspapers
and the Internet.
Broadway diva Bernadette Peters
presented the Vito Russo Award to Zadan and Meron, whose projects
include the musicals Chicago and Hairspray.
In accepting the award, Zadan said that
being gay was “part of who I am, so it impacts the work that we
do.”
Michigan high school student Katy
Butler received a special award recognizing her advocacy against the
Motion Picture Association of America's (MPAA) decision to give the
documentary film Bully an R rating. Oscar-winning producer
Harvey Weinstein present Butler with the award.
(Related: Gay
teen Katy Butler protests film Bully's R rating.)
ABC's Dancing With The Stars won
outstanding reality TV program for featuring its first transgender
contestant, Chaz Bono.
The film Pariah, which premiered
at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, won outstanding film in limited
release. In the movie, Alike, an African-American teen, is living
with her conservative parents and sister in Brooklyn's Fort Greene
neighborhood as she begins to affirm her identity as a lesbian.
Alike is especially eager to find love.
Lady Gaga won outstanding music artist.
And an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show titled Coming Out
on the Oprah Show: 25 Years of Unforgettable Guests won best
talk-show episode.