It was such an emotional night as we heard from Jennifer Tyrell who got kicked out as den mom to her son’s scout troop because she is a lesbian.

We also heard from the family of Jamey Rodemayer who killed himself at the age of 14 but not before establishing a moving connection with Lady Gaga.

There was just a very real quality to the evening and GLAAD’s new president, Herndon Graddick, set the tone with his very personal remarks, outspokenness and determination to be more proactive than ever in the battle for LGBT equality.

‘I think that it’s time for our community to go on the offensive,’ Graddick told me before the start of the dinner. ‘We’re not going to be the punching bags any more. … That we’re no longer the silent sort of invisible presence in our community.’

‘My ambition is for gay people and transgender people to be treated fairly in the media just like anybody else,’ he added. ‘I think it’s finally time for us to grab our power and really use it and make sure that we’re not sort of treated as second-class citizens anymore. I intend to do that in this role at GLAAD.’

Go over to Gay Star News to read about Graddick’s outstanding speech at the dinner and more!

I’m going to have all kinds of coverage from last night’s GLAAD Media Awards in the coming days from red carpet interviews to speeches to photos I took to videos etc.

But I won’t get the chance to post most of it today except for this recap of the night’s main winners and their speeches. Stay tuned for more though!

The 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles were a star-studded affair on Saturday night with appearances by Ellen DeGeneres, Betty White, Milla Jovoich, Benicio del Toro, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Josh Hutcherson.

But no star shined brighter than Cher who shocked the audience when she walked onto the stage at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel to present her son, Chaz Bono, with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award.

The night’s other big award recipient was 19-year-old Josh Hutcherson, one of the stars of the box office phenomenon The Hunger Games. Hutcherson received GLAAD’s Vanguard Award for being one of the founders of the LGBT ally organization Straight But Not Narrow, a campaign working to positively impact the way teens view and treat their LGBT peers.

In accepting his award from Del Toro, Hutcherson spoke movingly of the influence his mother has had on his activism and of the two gay uncles he never knew who both died at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

‘They are very much a part of me and everything that I believe in,’ he said. ‘Being honored with this award goes to them 100 percent and it goes to my family and everything they raised me to believe in.’

Prior to the start of the show, Hutcherson spoke with me about being chosen to receive an award that in the past has gone to such icons as Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Whoopi Goldberg, Shirley MacLaine and Cher.

‘I don’t belong on that list I know that much,’ he said modestly. ‘It’s incredible to be honored at all. But to be honored at this young age, I think is awesome. I think it’s so important that young people are getting involved in organizations and trying to step up and make a change. It means a lot to me to honored with this.’

Bono returned to the stage later in the show with Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato to accept the outstanding documentary award for Becoming Chaz which chronicled his transition from female to male.

The film Beginners, which won Christopher Plummer the Academy Award for his performance as a gay man coming out late in life, won the award for outstanding wide release film.

In the television categories presented Saturday, Modern Family took home the GLAAD Award for the second year in a row. The Emmy winning show features gay couple Cam (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) as two of its core characters.

‘We’re always being called revolutionary and groundbreaking and I really look forward to the day when that won’t be the case and we’ll actually just be kind of mundane and normal,’ Ferguson said as he accepted the award.

The Lifetime network series Drop Dead Diva and the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland tied in the category of outstanding individual episode of a TV series without a regular LGBT character.

Hot In Cleveland star Betty White, 90, said while accepting the award with co-stars Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves: ‘When you see the four of us together, Valerie [Bertinelli], and Wendie and Jane and Betty, you’d swear we were all gay because we adore each other!’

DeGeneres opened the show with a comedy monologue and joked: ‘Betty White is here! I didn’t know you were gay. Welcome sister!’

She added on a serious note: ‘I wanted to be here because I’m so proud of the work that GLAAD does, it does amazing work. With their help, we’ve made a lot of progress this year. Gay marriage is now legal in six states. … We’re on TV more than ever, we’re on commercials, we’re in magazines, we’re all over the media – and that’s just my JC Penney campaign.’

She talked about how Chaz “meant the world” to his dad, the late Sonny Bono.

Then after a video presentation about Chaz, a woman with a wig Diana Ross might wear came onto the stage unannounced.

It was Cher.

The crowd inside the ballroom at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles went nuts.

“I don’t have anything prepared,” she said. “I am so nervous because my pronouns for my child just jump all over the f*cking place.”

Cher did indeed mix her pronouns up a few times calling the child who was the female Chastity to her for 40 years “she” on a few occasions then quickly catching herself.

“I think everyone knows how freaked out I was to find out he was gay,” Cher told the crowd. “This [transgender] is one step to go past. … And then you go, ‘Oh, those were the good old days.”

Getting serious, Cher said of her child: “I’m here because Chaz has the most courage of almost anyone I know.”

Chaz took the stage to accept the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality.

“This truly means so much to me,” Chaz said. “Of every organization out there, and there are a lot of them, I don’t think any of them do more to affect change on a cultural level than GLAAD.”

UPDATE: Cher tweeted after the show: So much fun at Glaad awards!I I really surprised Chaz! HE was adorable,Said wow mom i was so surprised i forgot what i was going 2say!

Look for my full report on the GLAAD Media Awards tomorrow!

It has also gone to people like Charlize Theron and Kristin Chenoweth who, at the peak of their fame and success, have spoken out loudly for LGBT equality.

It’s also gone to Jennifer Aniston. Not sure what that was about except that she fell in love with a gay guy in Object of My Affection.

Well, GLAAD has just announced the recipient of this year’s Vanguard Award which will be presented on Saturday night at the GLAAD Media Awards in LA.

I was ready to be skeptical because it’s going to a 19-year-old actor named Josh Hutcherson who is one of the stars of The Hunger Games and played the son of a lesbian couple in The Kids Are All Right.

Is this a case of Jennifer Aniston deja vu?

Not a chance.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to honor a young star who is using his fame as a platform for LGBT equality.

Read all about his efforts in my article posted over at Gay Star News. And below is a video Josh made for a campaign he co-founded called Straight But Not Narrow which is working to positively impact the way teens view and treat their LGBT peers.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has a new president: Herndon Graddick.

Graddick, who had been working as GLAAD’s vice president of programs and communications, was chosen after a nationwide search.

In a press release, GLAAD notes that under Graddick’s leadership, the organization has engaged in numerous highly visible campaigns including ‘Stand Up For Ellen,’ which prompted the group One Million Moms — a project of the American Family Association — to end its call for J.C. Penney to fire Ellen DeGeneres as its new spokesperson because she is gay. Herndon also oversaw GLAAD’s work on the Commentator Accountability Project,  an initiative launched last month to highlight the extreme rhetoric of anti-LGBT activists who currently appear in national news outlets.

“Right now GLAAD and our partners in the LGBT movement are making a significant difference at a time when a difference needs to be made,” Graddick said. “I look forward to working with our dedicated staff to create a culture where there is a welcoming and respected space for LGBT Americans. GLAAD’s work with the media to inspire Americans to speak out against anti-LGBT actions and support equality is needed today more than ever.”

It was last June that Jarrett Barrios submitted his resignation after 23 months on the job because of fallout over a statement he had released supporting the merger of telecom giants AT&T and T-Mobile. AT&T had donated $50,000 to the LGBT rights organization.

Mike Thompson, then GLAAD’s chief operating officer, was asked to take over as acting president after the departure of Barrios. In an interview with Greg In Hollywood in July, Thompson would not say whether he will be a candidate for the job.

GLAAD made the announcement this morning: Chaz has opened the door for countless others, reshaping the way Americans think about transgender people today,’ Acting GLAAD President Mike Thompson said. ‘His bold leadership in sharing his story as a transgender man, as well as his tireless work to secure equality for every American, embodies the values of GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award.’

Kolzak was a Los Angeles casting director who devoted the last part of his life to fighting homophobia and AIDS-phobia within the entertainment industry. The award named after him is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality.

‘I feel truly honored to be receiving GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak award this year, not only because of the work that I’ve done with the organization, but also because I fully believe in GLAAD’s mission,’ Bono said in a statement. ‘While I don’t feel like a role model, I hope that by sharing my story, which is just one in a very diverse community, I can help open hearts and minds on what it’s like to be a transgender person and the issues our community faces.’

Previous Stephen F. Kolzak honorees include Wanda Sykes, Rufus Wainwright, Melissa Etheridge, Bill Condon, Todd Haynes, Alan Ball, Ellen DeGeneres, Sir Ian McKellen and NBC Chairman of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt.

Much attention has been paid in recent weeks to Kirk Cameron’s anti-gay remarks.

So it’s nice to contrast that with the supportive comments of Tracey Gold who played Cameron’s sister on the long-running sitcom Growing Pains.

At Saturday night’s GLAAD Media Awards in New York City Gold said:

“When it comes to media, GLAAD is all over it.  My former Growing Pains co-star made some comments recently.  Kirk spoke his mind, but I want my voice of love and support to be louder.  I say, there is nothing wrong with being gay.  I was always taught that people should be loved and accepted for who they are.”

Bravo!!!

Not even for sweet charity am I going to shell out $5,000 to anybody!

But, if I had that kind of money to party with, John Stamos would certainly be near the top of my list!

At last night’s GLAAD Media Awards in New York City, a man bid $5,000 to smooch sexy Stamos.

“Come to daddy over here baby, come to Uncle Jesse!” Stamos said to the man as he took the stage.

People com reports: It all started when Naya Rivera, who was co-hosting the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York along with Cory Monteith, announced she would sell her “sweet lady kisses to the highest bidder” to help raise funds.

Monteith wasn’t going to let the offer go unchallenged, offering his own smooching services – complete with freshly applied ChapStick – to interested bidders.

A sporting Monteith told the audience, which was in attendance to support gay and lesbian issues, “I have kissed Naya and it is fricken’ awesome,” but Rivera had fighting words: “It’s officially a kiss-off,” she announced, between “my juicy lips and his thin ones.”

As the auction heated up and went into the thousands of dollars, a surprise suitor popped up: Stamos, bid for Monteith’s services. As the crowd whooped and cheered, the bidding for a kiss with Monteith went higher, until Stamos had an even better idea: He decided to jump on stage and offer himself up for bidding. All three stars quickly drew a price of $5,000 each.

Damn! I would’ve loved to see a Stamos-Monteith kiss!

Bernadette Peters, Dakota Fanning, John Stamos, Harvey Weinstein, Megan Hilty, Russell Simmons, Kim Wayans, Carson Kressley, Padma Lakshmi, Vinny Guadagnino, and Tracey Gold were among the special guests.

At the ceremony, Broadway legend Bernadette Peters and actor John Stamos presented the Vito Russo Award to producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

The Vito Russo Award is presented to openly LGBT media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equality for the LGBT community.

“I want to thank GLAAD for selecting us to be honored, and for their extraordinary work every single day,” Zadan said in his acceptance speech. “When we did The Reagans, we had death threats for telling the truth about that President’s outright refusal to acknowledge the growing AIDS crisis in America. We would not have survived that ordeal, I must point out, without the help of GLAAD. They got us through the political firestorm leveled against us by the Republican National Committee. So we got to see first hand what GLAAD’s capable of accomplishing when they mobilize the troops, and thank God for them.”

Zadan finished his acceptance by thanking his late friend and GLAAD’s founder, Vito Russo, “Some people become your heroes and they don’t even know it. [Vito Russo] was mine. And the lucky thing for me was I got to tell him while he was here. I want to thank…my guru and inspirational life-force Vito Russo, who is responsible for every aspect of my social consciousness that brought me to this stage tonight to get this award that bears his glorious name. Thank you so much.”

Meron accepted the award by saying, “I just love being gay. [It's] part of who I am, so it impacts the work that we do, and I love the work that we do. So it’s great.” Pointing to the youth in the balcony, Meron continued, “It’s great for you guys to understand that it’s really great to be gay. I really thank GLAAD for this wonderful honor and it’s very, very meaningful to me.”

Also at the event, The Weinstein Company Co-Chairman and outspoken anti-bullying advocate Harvey Weinstein presented a Special Recognition award to openly gay high school student Katy Butler.

Butler launched a Change.org campaign last month to advocate that the ‘R’ rating of the upcoming documentary Bully be changed to ‘PG-13.’ Her Change.org petition has nearly 500,000 signatures.

Accepting the award from Weinstein, Butler said, “This award belongs to every student like me, who has been bullied and beaten just for being who they are. Please know that we’re working hard to make it better. And judging from what we’ve already seen tonight, I’m thankful that we have groups like GLAAD on our side. Stay strong.” She continued, “A few weeks ago, I started a petition on Change.org urging the Motion Picture Association of America to change the rating of Bully from R to PG-13 – so students across America can see this life-changing film. I want to personally thank each and every one of the nearly half a million people who have signed my petition on Change.org. Your signatures, stories, and ongoing support have inspired a national dialogue on our nation’s bullying epidemic and have given hope to struggling students everywhere.”

Zach Wahls, who appeared in a GLAAD Media Award-nominated episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show this year, received a standing ovation as he spoke to the crowd about the impact of his 2011 speech to the Iowa senate in which he spoke about his lesbian moms. The viral video has received over 18 million views on YouTube.

Pariah stars Adepero Oduye and Kim Wayans with the film’s producer Nekisa Cooper accepted the award for Outstanding Film – Limited Release.

Carson Kressley, who with Chaz Bono appeared on the GLAAD Media Award-nominated season of Dancing with the Stars, picked up the statuette on behalf of the show which receive the award for Outstanding Reality Program.

The award for Outstanding TV Journalism Segment was accepted by ABC News Correspondent Josh Elliott for his report “Battle Against Bullying,” which aired on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer. In his acceptance speech, Elliott thanked his father, who came out as a gay man when Elliott was 13 years old.

Openly gay journalists Carolyn M. Brown and Chris Geidner shared the award for Outstanding Magazine Article for their stories in Black Enterprise and Metro Weekly respectively. Brown’s article “Black & Gay in Corporate America,” explored the increasing presence of openly gay African American employees in the workplace. Geidner received the award for his four-part series looking back at the passage of the Defense of Marrage Act (DOMA) during the Clinton administration.

Other guests and presenters at the event included: Dakota Fanning (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn); hip hop icon Russell Simmons; Megan Hilty (Smash); Padma Lakshmi (Top Chef); MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts; Cheyenne Jackson (30 Rock); La La Anthony (La La’s Full Court Life); Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir and his husband Victor Voronov; Vinny Guadagnino (Jersey Shore); Ted Allen (Chopped); Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (Becoming Chaz, Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys); Alex Newell, Emily Vasquez, Marissa Von Bleicken (The Glee Project); Tracey Gold (Starving Secrets with Tracey Gold); Wendy Williams (The Wendy Williams Show); Laverne Cox (Musical Chairs); Jay Manuel, Isis King (America’s Next Top Model); the cast of Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys; Janet Mock (People.com); Emil Wilbekin (Essence); Jamie Clayton (Hung); Stephen Karam, Charles Socarides (Sons of the Prophet); Robin Skye (Southern Comfort); Mega TV’s Javier Ceriani (Paparazzi Magazine); and GLAAD Acting President Mike Thompson. Attendees enjoyed performances by recording artist Todd Alsup and The Rockettes.

When I think of some of my favorite television shows, movies and musicals, many of them have one thing in common: the extraordinary producing team of Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Their most recent television success is NBC’s Smash which I am just crazy about and love it all the more because it actually has gay characters featured prominently.

Anyway, it has just been announced that Mr. Zadan and Mr. Meron will receive the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Awards in New York City on March 24.

The award is named after one of GLAAD’s founders and is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting LGBT equality.

In a career spanning over two decades, Zadan and Meron’s productions have garnered six Academy Awards, five Golden Globes, 11 Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, two Tony Awards and a Grammy Award.

In addition to producing iconic films such as the Academy Award-winning Chicago, The Bucket List, Hairspray and Footloose, two of their television movies have received GLAAD Media Awards, Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story in 1996 and What Makes a Family in 2002.

They also received GLAAD Media Awards nominations in 2004 and 2007 for It’s all Relative and Wedding Wars.

Their current hit TV series Drop Dead Diva this year received its second nomination in the Outstanding Individual Episode category.

Through many of their projects, Zadan and Meron have been trailblazers in telling the stories of the LGBT community.

In 1995, their film Serving in Silence, which aired on NBC, recounted the legal battle of Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer, who challenged “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” following her involuntary discharge under the law.

In the 2001 Lifetime movie What Makes a Family, Zadan and Meron recounted the story of a woman who had to fight for the custody of the child she shared with her deceased partner, and in their 2006 Wedding Wars (A&E), they told the story of a gay man who speaks out in favor of marriage equality when he discovers his straight brother, whose wedding he was planning, is behind an anti-gay speech.

In 2010, the duo returned to their theater roots with the Tony winning Broadway revival of Promises, Promises starring openly gay actor Sean Hayes and GLAAD Vanguard Award-recipient Kristin Chenoweth.

Zadan and Meron’s Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying starred outspoken LGBT equality advocate Daniel Radcliffe.

Their current hit series Smash on NBC features a prominent gay character whose dating life is an important part of the show.

Previous Vito Russo Award honorees include Ricky Martin, Cynthia Nixon, Suze Orman, Rosie O’Donnell, Alan Cumming, Nathan Lane, Elton John, Liz Smith, k.d. lang, David LaChapelle, Brian Graden, and Tom Ford.

Kirk Cameron’s

Cameron said of homosexuality: “I think that it’s – it’s – it’s unnatural. I think that it’s – it’s detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization.”

Of gay marriage: “Marriage is almost as old as dirt, and it was defined in the garden between Adam and Eve. One man, one woman for life till death do you part. So I would never attempt to try to redefine marriage. And I don’t think anyone else should either. So do I support the idea of gay marriage? No, I don’t.”

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has slammed the actor/evangelist.

“In this interview, Kirk Cameron sounds even more dated than his 1980s TV character,” said Herndon Graddick, Senior Director of Programs at GLAAD. “Cameron is out of step with a growing majority of Americans, particularly people of faith who believe that their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters should be loved and accepted based on their character and not condemned because of their sexual orientation.”

Added Graddick: “With an increasing number of states recognizing marriage equality, Americans are seeing that marriage is about committed couples who want to make a lifelong promise to take care of and be responsible for each other and that gay and lesbian couples need equal security and legal protections. That’s not ‘redefining’ anything.”

GLAAD has launched an online action for people to sign up to tell him that he’s no longer your idol. Here is the link: www.glaad.org/wherearetheynow

Brett Ratner, director of the recent film Tower Heist, was supposed to be in the final stages of preparing for this year’s Academy Awards which he had been hired to produce.

But Ratner resigned, under pressure, from the Oscars gig last November due to the fallout from a gay slur he made during a film screening in Hollywood. He had been asked whether he rehearses with his actors before shooting a scene and replied, ‘Rehearsing is for faggots.’

Ratner apologized and began working with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

On Wednesday , Ratner and GLAAD announced a video series called “Come Out for Equality.’ It will feature a diverse group of Hollywood celebrities, athletes, musicians and politicians ‘coming out of the closet’ as supporters of equality.

To read more about the project, see my story over at Gay Star News.

It’s a stark contrast to American Idol where gay contestants like Adam Lambert did not come out until after the competition was over.

‘It just seems crazy not to,’ Burnett told me during the TV Critics Association Winter Press Tour last week.

Levine also weighed in for me: ‘I think we always supported and nurtured all the amazingly talented people who have been in the show regardless of what they do in their private time.’

The show earned a GLAAD Media Award this morning. To read more, see my story posted over at Gay Star News.

The Academy Award nominations will be announced next week but far more meaningful to many in the LGBT community are the GLAAD Media Awards which unveiled their nominations today.

Among those earning nods from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation are Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, the films J. Edgar and Albert Nobbs and the television shows Modern Family and Glee.

Martin, nominated for his Spanish language album Musica + Alma + Sexo reacted to his nomination via Twitter: :”YEAH! I just got nominated 4a GLAAD MEDIA AWARD!I’m honored!Thanx 2every1 who made this prestigious nomination possible!”

J. Edgar and Albert Nobbs will face off in the Outstanding Film (wide release) category with Beginners. In the outstanding film (limited release) category, the nominees are Pariah, Weekend, Gun Hill Road, Tomboy and Circumstance.

ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, which featured the wedding between lesbian character Callie and Arizona, was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. It’s competitors are Degrassi, Pretty Little Liars, Shameless and Torchwood: Miracle Day.

In the comedy series category, Glee and Modern Family will once again square off in a field that also includes The Big C, Happy Endings and Exes and Ohs.

Series that don’t have a regular gay character are recognized in the outstanding individual episode category. Those nominees are Hot in Cleveland, Drop Dead Diva, NCIS, Are We There Yet and Man Up!

Chaz Bono figures into two of the GLAAD nominations in separate categories. His documentary, Becoming Chaz, was nominated for best documentary along with We Were Here, Two Spirits, The World’s Worst Place to Be Gay and The Strange History of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Bono’s appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman was nominated in the outstanding talk show episode category along with The Oprah Winfrey Show’s 25 years of coming out episode, Anderson Cooper’s syndicated Anderson show for its Children and Teens Caught in the Wrong Bodies show, Conan! for the wedding of Scott Cronick and David Gorshein and The Ellen DeGeneres Show with guest Zach Wahls, the Iowa teen who stood before the state legislature to defend his two moms.

Other television categories:

Reality show: The Glee Project, The Real L Word, Dancing With the Stars, The Voice and Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys.

The awards recognize outstanding images of the LGBT community in news coverage and entertainment media.  The awards also complement and fund GLAAD’s work to share the stories of LGBT people through the media. The Awards will be held in New York City on March 24, Los Angeles on April 21 and in San Francisco on June 2.

Here is a LINK to the full list of nominees.

Also, here is a nice video GLAAD has made of the major film and television nominees:

So it was a bit surprising recently when Kelly used anti-transgender words during a recent interview with Glamour UK.

In a post published on GLAAD’s blog and The Transadvocate, Kelly apologizes for her the anti-transgender slurs and writes: “As a lifelong LGBT ally and friend, I feel it is my duty to not only apologize for my wrong but to also correct it. The word “tr*nny” is a derogatory and hurtful word. I was completely ignorant to this and soon came to realize most of my peers and LGBT friends are too. This is a word I will no longer use or allow.

She added: “Transgender people are some of the bravest people on Earth and among the LGBT community. I cannot imagine the courage it takes to live your life openly and honestly, reflecting who you truly are, or the hurt that comes from having to hide who you are because others may not support and accept you.”

Mike Thompson, Acting President of GLAAD, had this to say about Kelly’s apology: “Kelly is taking the right step by using this as an opportunity to express her support of the transgender community and educate her fans about the hardships that they face for being who they are. We hope she inspires more allies of the LGBT community to speak out and have their own voices heard.”

Marti Abernathey of The Transadvocate also weighed in: “With this post Kelly has proven she is a responsible ally to the transgender community. She made a mistake that was borne of ignorance, not malice. This post is will go far in healing that mistake. It will also serve to educate and inform others within the LGBT community and beyond about transgender people’s lives. As I said to Kelly on Twitter, “You get to speak about it [the mistake], and trans people are seen as people and not things. Besides hatred, who’s the loser in this?” I’m grateful to Kelly for taking the time to learn and educate others. In the process she’s turned a mistake into a teachable moment. That is what an ally does. Thank you Kelly!”

In the post, Osbourne also urged people to observe Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, writing that “it is a day to remember those who have lost their lives due to anti-transgender violence and speak out against the fact that transgender people face disproportionate amounts of discrimination and harassment every day. The lack of knowledge about transgender people contributes to the unparalleled number of violent acts against them every day.”

Brett Ratner’s public redemption tour has already begun.

The Tower Heist director announced his resignation as producer of the Academy Awards earlier today due to a storm of controversy over a gay slur he made at a screening last weekend.

Like Tracy Morgan and Isaiah Washington before him, Ratner has began a “dialogue” with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

“I am grateful to GLAAD for engaging me in a dialogue about what we can do together to increase awareness of the important and troubling issues this episode has raised and I look forward to working with them,” Ratner said in a statement. “I am incredibly lucky to have a career in this business that I love with all of my heart and to be able to work alongside so many of my heroes. I deeply regret my actions and I am determined to learn from this experience.”

GLAAD, the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, announced plans for a series of public discussions on LGBT images in Hollywood following Ratner’s resignation as a producer of the 84^th Annual Academy Awards.

During a question and answer session about his film ‘Tower Heist,’ Ratner was asked whether he rehearses with his actors before shooting a scene. He replied, “Rehearsing is for f*gs,” according to New York Magazine‘s Vulture blog.

GLAAD and Ratner are working to convene public discussions featuring leaders in the entertainment industry about promoting fair and accurate inclusions of LGBT people and stories. The discussions will address anti-LGBT jokes and slurs in films and on television today as well as their trickle-down effect into popular culture.

The first event will take place in coming weeks with additional discussions to take place over the next three years. Additional details to follow.

“When we sat down with Brett today, he seemed very sincere in his desire to use this experience as a way to begin speaking out against anti-gay language in popular culture,” said Herndon Graddick, Senior Director of Programs and Communications at GLAAD. “We believe his resignation is just the first step and will be announcing a series of concrete actions with Brett in coming days and weeks.”

Added GLAAD Acting President Mike Thompson: “Hollywood has the power and responsibility to grow acceptance of all communities. We look forward to working with Brett and the industry in promoting positive, culture-changing images of our community and sending a message that such slurs, used to belittle gay and lesbian youth and adults every day, have no place in mainstream popular culture or the industry that creates it.”

GLAAD released the 16^th Annual Where We Are on TV report earlier today and the results are mixed when it comes to LGBT visibility on television.

After a significant increase last year, the number of regular lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendee characters on broadcast networks experienced a decrease while the overall LGBT character count remains steady on cable television.

“While the number of LGBT characters is down, some of the most popular shows with critics and viewers, such as Glee, True Blood and The Good Wife, weave storylines about gay and lesbian characters into the fabric of the show,” said GLAAD Acting President Mike Thompson. “Whether it’s the growing household of  Mitchell and Cameron on Modern Family or the recent wedding of Callie and Arizona on Grey’s Anatomy, Americans expect to see the diversity of our country represented in their favorite programs and that includes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.”

The report shows that LGBT characters still account for 2.9% of scripted series regulars in the 2011-2012 broadcast television schedule, up from 1.1% in 2007 and 2.6% in 2008, but down from 3% in 2009 and 3.9% in 2010. The number of scripted LGBT series regulars found on mainstream cable networks has also fallen slightly, from 40 in 2007, 32 in 2008, 25 in 2009, 35 in 2010 to 29 in the upcoming season.  GLAAD counted 25 additional recurring characters on cable.

Fox, the network that airs Glee, is now the most inclusive broadcast television network based on these criteria, with 6.8% of regular characters being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. In 2007, the Where We Are on TV report found zero LGBT series regulars on the network.

From research and information provided by the five broadcast networks, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and The CW, GLAAD’s “Where We Are On TV” study reviewed 91 scripted television programs scheduled to air this upcoming season, and it counted a total of 647 series regular characters, 19 of which are LGBT. In addition, GLAAD counted 14 recurring LGBT characters on scripted primetime broadcast television this season.

Among the other findings:

- There is only one scripted transgender character on television – Adam a transgender teenager on TeenNick’s Degrassi

- Not one character on prime-time network TV will be a black LGBT character.

- NBC’s Playboy Club features a gay man and a lesbian who are married in the 1960s and in the closet. But NBC is in decline for the third year in a row, and it will feature three (1.9%) regular LGBT characters out of 154.

- The programs True Blood and Shameless have the highest number of LGBT regular characters. For the second year in a row, HBO features the greatest number of LGBT characters on cable with 11; seven of these are series regulars. Also making a significant contribution to the count are Showtime with ten characters, ABC Family, FX and TeenNick with four characters each, and TNT and BBC America with three.

- Teen networks ABC Family and Teen Nick both have four LGBT characters each.

- ABC is not in the lead for the first time in six years, and the network has significantly dropped in its percentage of regular LGBT characters, from 7.2% in 2010 to 3.4% for the upcoming season.

Complete results and report are available here: www.glaad.org/tvreport11.

On his podcast last week, Adam Carolla made some anti-gay remarks that became widely reported earlier today and he has been strongly condemned by GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) who accused him of “gross intolerence.”

Carolla said LGBT people need to “shut up” because by speaking out about equality, they are “ruining his life” and said that members the LGBT community should stop using the letters “LGBT” to describe themselves, and should instead use “YUCK.” Regarding transgender people, Carolla at one point asked: “When did we start giving a sh-t about these people?”

Carolla released this statement today: “I’m sorry my comments were hurtful. I’m a comedian, not a politician.”

These are not his first anti-gay remarks. Two years ago, on the syndicated radio program ‘Loveline,’ Carolla said that “all things being equal” – gay parents are “not as good as” straight parents.

Herndon Graddick, senior director of programs at GLAAD, said in a statement: “Given his history of anti-gay and racist comments, networks and advertisers should know what their money is supporting if they choose to hire Adam Carolla. The gross intolerance that he tries to pass off as comedy should not have a place on our airwaves.”

LINK WITH CAROLLA’S HISTORY AND LATEST AUDIO: http://www.glaad.org/adamcarolla.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation today released its fifth annual Network Responsibility Index, a report that maps the quantity, quality and diversity of images of LGBT people on television. Primetime programming on the five broadcast networks was evaluated as well as original primetime programming on 10 major cable networks.

The full report can be downloaded here: www.glaad.org/nri.

ABC Family became the second network in the NRI’s history to earn an “Excellent” rating from GLAAD.  Of its 103 hours of original primetime programming, 55% included LGBT-inclusive images which also reflected the ethnic and racial diversity of the LGBT community. It is notable that both ABC Family and MTV, which in 2010 received the first-ever “Excellent” rating from GLAAD, are both youth-oriented networks.

“As television audiences get to know our community and the common ground that we all share on the screen and in their own lives, acceptance is growing,” said Mike Thompson, Acting President of GLAAD. “Inclusive programming is a hit with critics and audiences alike who cheered for Kurt and Blaine’s romance on Glee or watched the wedding of Callie and Arizona on Grey’s Anatomy.”

“Programs like Pretty Little Liars and Greek have woven gay, lesbian, and bisexual characters into their stories in a way that mirrors the diversity of our community and the experiences of younger generations,” said Herndon Graddick, Senior Director of Programs at GLAAD. “Viewers expect to see television environments that accurately reflect what it’s like to be a young adult, and today that includes young adults who happen to be gay.”

Broadcast Networks:

-       The CW remains the top broadcast network with 33% of its primetime programming hours being LGBT-inclusive. Fox came in second at 29%, and both networks received a “Good” rating this year.

-       ABC remained in third place in terms of its percentage of LGBT-inclusive programming hours (23%). ABC received a “Good” rating because of the strong quality of its LGBT images, and the network broadcast the greatest total number of LGBT-inclusive hours (253).

-       CBS remained in last place with 10% LGBT-inclusive hours of primetime programming.  After receiving their second “Failing” score in a row last year, however, they improved enough to receive an “Adequate” score this year.

“CBS showed the most improvement of any broadcast network, however we continue to urge them to address the problems and deficiencies in their representation of our community, and hope their forward momentum will soon have them catching up with the other broadcast networks,” Graddick said.

Cable Networks:

-       In addition to ABC Family’s “Excellent” rating, Showtime (37%), TNT (33%), HBO (31%), Lifetime (31%), AMC (29%), and Syfy (22%) all received “Good” ratings for the quantity and quality of their LGBT-inclusive original programming.

-       USA increased their LGBT-inclusive hours from 4% to 18%, which improved their score from “Failing” to “Adequate.”

-       For the fourth year in a row, A&E (5%) and TBS (5%) both received “Failing” ratings for their lack of LGBT-inclusive images.

One area in which all networks continue to struggle is the underrepresentation or misrepresentation of the transgender community.  There were no regular or recurring transgender characters on any networks tracked in this year’s NRI.  And while there were several one-episode stories that included transgender characters, almost none were ideal representations.

“Fairly and accurately depicting the transgender community should be seen not just as a responsibility for networks, but as an opportunity,” said Mike Thompson. “There are rich characters and stories yet to be written that would also help networks reflect the full spectrum of the LGBT community.”

One example can be found on the TeenNick show Degrassi, which features the continuing storyline of a transgender teen named Adam. GLAAD worked with Degrassi on the scripts of several episodes, including Adam’s introduction in “My Body is a Cage,” which received a Peabody Award and was recently nominated for an Emmy® Award.

The 16th Annual GLAAD Where We Are On TV report on diversity will be issued in September 2011. This analysis will examine LGBT inclusion as well as the gender and race/ethnicity of all scripted characters scheduled to appear during the 2011-2012 season.