Cynthia Nixon and Joy Behar were
honored for their gay advocacy Saturday night at the 21st
annual GLAAD
Media Awards in New York.
Nixon, who plays Miranda on Sex and
the City, took home the Vito Russo Award, while Behar, host of
CNN Headline New's The Joy Behar Show, was presented with an
Excellence in Media Award.
The openly lesbian Nixon campaigned
heavily last year for passage of a gay marriage bill that ultimately
died in the New York Senate. She appeared often at rallies and
demonstrations with her fiancee, Christine Marinoni.
“Cynthia Nixon has been a vocal and
visible advocate who has transformed cultural attitudes about our
community,” Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian
Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), said in January. “She is a
perfect example of how sharing your personal story and speaking out
for marriage equality can inspire change among fair-minded Americans.
It is our privilege to honor her.”
ABC's Brothers & Sisters was
named outstanding drama series. The Sunday night staple features gay
couple Kevin and Scotty, who are attempting to become dads this
season.
Other winners include MSNBC's The
Rachel Maddow Show, the Lifetime network film Prayers for
Bobby, which stars Sigourney Weaver as a Christian mother coming
to terms with the death of her gay son, and NBC's Parks and
Recreation.
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize
positive portrayals of the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender people in 41 categories, including television, film, web
and print media. Additional awards will be presented in Los Angeles
on April 17 and in San Francisco on June 5.