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Better GLAAD than never

Arena has rescheduled the GLAAD Media Awards, which recognises gay and lesbian representation in US television.

Hosted by Kathy Griffin, Arena originally scheduled the telecast for June 5, a date before the US TV audience would have seen it. It will now air at 8:30pm Thursday July 17.

Amongst the roll call are Sally Field, Rachel Griffiths, Matthew Rhys, and Ron Rifkin (Brothers and Sisters), The L Word’s Laurel Holloman and Jennifer Beals, Billy Baldwin and Candis Cayne (Dirty Sexy Money), Barbara Walters, Ellen deGeneres, Sharon Stone, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Alan Cumming, Portia de Rossi,Grey’s Anatomy’s T.R. Knight, Desperate Housewives’ creator Marc Cherry, Entourage’s Rex Lee, Janet Jackson and Rufus Wainwright.

Press Release:
Arena has secured the exclusive Australian rights for The 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards and will telecast the star-studded Los Angeles’ proceedings, hosted by Kathy Griffin, as a two hour special on Thursday, July 17, at 8.30pm AEST.

As well as hosting the Awards, Griffin won the prize for Most Outstanding Reality program for her series Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, which airs in Australia exclusively on Arena.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) established The GLAAD Media Awards in 1990 to recognize and honour U.S. media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives.

This year’s special Honourees at the ceremony at L.A.’s Kodak Theatre were singers Janet Jackson and Rufus Wainwright, and photographer Herb Ritts who was honoured posthumously.

Ellen DeGeneres presented Jackson with GLAAD’s Vanguard Award, honouring media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT).

Sharon Stone presented the Stephen F. Kolzak Award to Wainwright. The Stephen F. Kolzak Award is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the LGBT community.

Wainwright said: “I’d like to thank GLAAD so much for allowing the world to see us as we are – as human beings – and to fight for us when we are being defamed and maligned. And also to allow gay people, who think that everything’s fine, to actually realize that it’s not, and that there is a lot of work to do.”

Ritts was honoured with the Pioneer Award which is given to an individual, group, or media outlet that made a significant contribution to the development of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-inclusive media images, prior to the creation of the GLAAD Media Awards. Tom Ford presented the award which Cindy Crawford accepted on behalf of the Herb Ritts Foundation.

Crawford said: “Herb Ritts clearly understood the power and importance of positive LGBT images in the media. He once said, ‘The more the public can see examples of people of the same sex together, the more the barriers will be broken.’ I know how much it would have meant to Herb to be here himself to receive this honour from GLAAD, in his hometown, basking in the love and respect of his community.”

GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano said: “This year’s honourees have used the power of their words, their music, and their art to advocate on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. They are changing hearts and minds, and opening people’s eyes to the common, human experiences we share, and it is our privilege to honor them.”

In addition to the Los Angeles’ event, there were three further GLAAD Media Awards’ ceremonies across the U.S. to present all the awards (spanning 40 categories) and Arena’s coverage includes highlights of the New York show (hosted by Graham Norton).

The roll call of music, film and television stars who attended The 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards’ events as nominees, winners, presenters and guests included –

* Dirty Sexy Money’s Billy Baldwin and Candis Cayne who presented the award for Outstanding Reality Program to Kathy Griffin for Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.
* The View’s Barbara Walters accepted a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Journalism-Newsmagazine for the 20/20 piece “My Secret Self: A Story of Transgender Children.
* Sally Field, Rachel Griffiths, Matthew Rhys, and Ron Rifkin, from Brothers & Sisters.
* The L Word’s Laurel Holloman and Jennifer Beals.
* Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Alan Cumming, Portia de Rossi, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman, Grey’s Anatomy’s T.R. Knight, Desperate Housewives’ creator Marc Cherry, Entourage’s Rex Lee and America’s Next Top Model’s Jay Manuel.

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