GLAAD LIFTS BAN ON LGBT FILMS AND TV

Well, well, well. I was at the GLAAD Summer Party yesterday, and the big announcement was that GLAAD is now going to allow tv shows and films produced by LGBT media outlets to be considered for nominations. This is huge news, probably urged by the boycot from here! tv which motivated a barrage of negative media last March. More on that cat fight below, after event photos.

But first, let's all pause and look at this photo of me and my girlfriend.


I still can't believe Hillary was at our little gay watering hole, The Abbey.

So 300 people turned out on a hot, LA afternoon to Hancock Park to attend the GLAAD Summer Party, sponsored by Absolut.

Executive Director Neil Giuliano auctions off a date... I mean, "lunch" with Eduardo Xol, from Extreme Make Over.

Chad Allen (seen here with SAVE ME costar Jeremy Glazer) started the bidding.


Some of my favorite peeps, Wilson Cruz, Guy B and LK Avelar... with GLAAD staffer Janielle.


I'm glad the lesbian visibility is becoming more diverse. I mean, there are all different kinds of lesbians, folks. For example there are "lesbian moms" then there are "cougars".


Okay. We're not cougars. I just learned what that term meant and I wanted to throw it around like I was all hip and knew how the kids are talking today. "Cougar" is a term for over 40 lesbians that prey on young, unsuspecting lesbians. There I am with DINAH DIVA Mariah Hanson (have you gotten your tickets yet? www.thedinah.com), and we were discussing the finer aspects of now being in the Mrs. Robinson category. I told her I was more like a manatee than a cougar.

No, the manatee was not at the event. Although they had a little pond full of coi, who are really cute but did scare some of the people. Coi freak me out a bit too. I'm from Miami and I actually have swum with manatee and they are truly one of my favorite animals on earth. (go here to save the manatee: http://www.savethemanatee.org/)

Anyway, back to the big gay event.

Here's Trip, the owner of East/West (my favorite WeHo watering hole) with Francesco and one of my favorite actors the hunky Brett Chuckerman (Eating Out 2 and The Curiosity of Chance)

Here's Frank, Devon, Doug and Alexen. We were dishing politics BIG TIME in the VIP room. We actually cleared out the place faster than if a lesbian had said IN VITRO FERTILISATION.

In the most brilliant move in LGBT marketing I've seen in a while, they had a line of hot models behind the Executive Director when he gave his speech. If they had played a Dreamgirls song, it woulda been the perfect ploy to attract gay eyes.
Let's take a closer look at those hot male models (they were part of a Neiman Marcus fashion show. I bought the outfit seen here on the left to wear to the next event, so look for that photo in upcoming blog postings)

Do you think if I wear the boots too, it'll be too much?

Actually, Wes made a joke about lesbian fashion on the stage. He said 75 gay men called him before the event to ask what "casual chique" meant. And no lesbians called. I woulda been offended, but dude... we are trying to be as hip as you gay boys!!!
I think we are truly chique here. Jennifer works for GLAAD and people thought the little gray vest was the new GLAAD uniform. We are just trying to set a trend!


After the live auction, I sashayed over to Jai Rodriguez, who I think is absolutely adorable. I had just seen him the week before -- okay, maybe I should preface this -- I was at my favorite lesbian night at ELEVEN NIGHTCLUB last week, when I got a text from one of my favorite gay actors summoning me next door to EAST/WEST to sing a duet of SUDDENLY SEYMOUR during Kenny's Gay Karoake night there. Of course, I had to DRAG myself.

When I got there, Jai was actually on stage singing a song and my god - I mean, seriously folks - MY GOD this man can sing.
I told him this story right before this picture. He said, "Yes, well I studied and I've been on Broadway a few times - the show was just a side thing."
Those of you that know me know that I am a musical theatre queen and trust me,to my lesbian ear his talents go way beyond having a queer eye.

Speaking of lesbians and queer eyes, here is fashion Diva Honey Labrador (from Queer Eye for the Straight Girl)with Dinah Diva Mariah Hanson.

The live auction for the Eduardo Xo was won by Sheri Fults (pictured right)for $1300. Chad Allen put up a valiant fight to win, and hopefully was a good sport and didn't tackle her in the alley for that envelope.

Are you a cougar if the 20somethings throw themselves at you?

Okay, from the "pretty funny and ironic" files, my favorite part of this event was the tie in between the two major sponsors, Absolut vodka and Lexus. They had a series of cars there for you to test drive, so it was like, "Hey, have a martini then get into one of our Lexuses and drive around the block!!!"

Anyway, here's the back story on the big gay news today:

From the GLAAD press release today:

"The second change enacted at the Board’s June 2007 meeting is the decision that LGBT media images appearing in media created by and for the LGBT community are now eligible to compete for nomination in the existing categories.

“With the expansion of cable channels and niche programming, LGBT created and consumed media is more readily available than ever before,” stated Giuliano. “Our Board has decided to incorporate LGBT media submissions into the existing competitive categories. We welcome the opportunity for LGBT media to submit their journalism and programming for consideration.” "

Here's a little background: An excerp from The Seatle Gay News:

"On the eve of GLAAD's big show, here! Networks exec Steven F. Macias released a blistering letter explaining the TV channel was dumping its sponsorship of the GLAAD Awards because the Gay media isn't eligible to compete.

Macias castigated GLAAD for failing to notice that "media has changed dramatically over the years because of the blood, sweat and tears of brave LGBT activists," who apparently Macias thinks were fighting for a place for Gays on cable channel lists. He argued that with here!, Logo and other Gay media outlets producing higher quality content, GLAAD should longer considered Gay media outside "the mainstream."

"Gay networks are raising the bar around what mainstream media should consider fair, accurate, and inclusive work," wrote Macias. "No longer is the LGBT community beholden to 'mainstream' media as the only place where we might catch a glimpse of ourselves."

He pointed out that work like "Noah's Arc," cable competitor Logo's ground-breaking series about a group of black Gay and Bisexual men, is pointing the way toward a broader and more diverse characterization of Gays generally. So with Gay media out in the lead in portraying Gays fairly, visibly and accurately, argued Macias, why shouldn't they be recognized and encouraged by GLAAD for their good work?

Despite here! TV's well-timed complaint, the GLAAD policy to exclude Gay media from its award categories isn't new, and applies not only to entertainment but to print and broadcast journalism as well. For years, the Gay press has also done important and pioneering work covering Gay lives and issues, only to see mainstream newspaper reporters and TV news celebrities get all the credit for following our lead. "

It also made the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabriel-rotello/the-glaad-media-awards-g_b_60250.html