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.