In accepting an award on Saturday
night, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper called being gay a blessing, saying
it has “opened my heart.”
The 45-year-old Cooper came out gay
last year after ducking rumors for years.
He was presented with the Vito Russo
Award at the 24th annual Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards in New York City. In
presenting the award, Madonna called Cooper “brave” for
“promoting equality.”
(Related: Madonna
targets Boy Scouts over gay ban in presenting Anderson Cooper with
award.)
“I am only here tonight because I've
benefited from what they and so many others have done,” said
Cooper, referring to gay rights activists such as Russo.
Cooper, also the host of the daytime
talk show Anderson Live, said that “being gay is certainly
one of the greatest blessings” of his life. “[I]t opened my head
and heart in ways that I never could have predicted.” (The video
is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
Winners on Saturday included NBC's
Smash, which was named outstanding television drama, How to
Survive a Plague, the Oscar-nominated film about AIDS activists,
which took home the outstanding documentary prize, and CBS' The
Amazing Race, which was named outstanding reality program.
The last cycle of The Amazing
Race was won by a gay couple.
(Related: Josh
Kilmer-Purcell, Brent Ridge win Amazing
Race.)