ABC's comedy hit Modern Family
was honored Friday night at the sixth annual Gay, Lesbian, and
Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Respect Awards held in Los
Angeles. GLSEN
works to combat anti-gay behavior and bias in schools.
The Emmy-winning sitcom, which features
a gay couple, played by Eric Stonestreet and openly gay Jesse Tyler
Ferguson, raising their adoptive daughter, was recognized for its
portrayal of a “diverse American family.”
Stars attending the event spoke out on
anti-gay bullying.
“As a mother, you can relate to how
difficult it should be for a mother to have a kid that has
experienced the situations with bullying. You know gay, or lesbian,
or for ethnicity,” Modern Family star Sofia Vergara told
reporters. “As human beings, we have to respect each other, and
tolerate everything.”
Rob Reiner, who has played a critical
role in a lawsuit challenging California's gay marriage ban,
Proposition 8, hosted the event.
“We feel that this is the last piece
of the civil rights puzzle that needs to be put in place,” Reiner
said. “There's one group of people in our country that's still
discriminated against, legally, and we want to support groups like
GLSEN who raise awareness about how gays and lesbians are treated.”
Other celebrities in attendance
included actresses Chloe Sevigny, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Ginnifer
Goodwin from the HBO drama Big Love.