ANDERSON COOPER HONOURED BY GAY MEDIA WATCHDOG
POP
star Madonna on Saturday presented CNN anchorman Anderson Cooper with a
gay media watchdog’s top honors in recognition of his stature and
accomplishment as an openly gay journalist. “Love thy neighbour as
thyself,” she said, decrying anti-gay bullying that sometimes has led to
suicide. “It’s an atrocity to me, and I don’t accept it,” she added to
enthusiastic applause. The annual Vito Russo Award is named after the
activist and film historian who was one of the founding member of media
watchdog group GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
“I am only here tonight because I’ve benefited from what they and so
many others have done,” said Cooper, who came out last summer, referring
to activists like Russo and Larry Kramer. The newsman said that “being
gay is certainly one of the greatest blessings” of his life, adding that
“it opened my head and heart in ways that I never could have
predicted.” Past winners have included Suze Orman, Rosie O’Donnell,
Elton John and Tom Ford. Film director Bret Ratner received the ignoble
Ally Award, a little over a year after he used a pejorative term for
gays at a news conference promoting his stint producing the Oscars. He
quickly stepped down, then worked with GLAAD on a pro-gay public service
announcement campaign. In other awards handed out at the 24th annual
ceremony, NBC’s Smash was named outstanding television drama, and the
film about 1980s AIDS activists, How to Survive a Plague won for
outstanding documentary. CBS’ The Amazing Race, which has been won by
gay couples during its long run, received the award for reality program,
while MSNBC’s Being Transgender in America and Good Morning America’s
report Obama Endorses Marriage Equality won awards for television
journalism. The Boston Globe, Rolling Stone magazine, City Pages’ Andy
Mannix, The New York Times’ Frank Bruni and The Advocate/Out were among
winners for print journalism. The Whale and From White Plains took the
theatre honours.
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