Cybill Sheperd, Lee Daniels to be honored at GLAAD Awards in San Francisco; Chely Wright to perform

Today, GLAAD announced honorees and special guests for the final event of the 21^st Annual GLAAD Media Awards which will be held in San Francisco on June 5, 2010.

Cybill Shepherd will receive the Golden Gate Award from her daughter, out actress Clementine Ford.

The award is presented to media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community. In addition to being an actress, musician, author, producer and model, Shepard has also been a vocal advocate of LGBT equality.

In the final three seasons of the Showtime original series The L Word, Shepherd starred as Phyllis Kroll, a married woman who comes out as a lesbian, divorces her husband, and falls in love with her divorce attorney (played by Jane Lynch).

The star of such films as The Last Picture Show and Heartbreak Kid and the hit TV series Moonlighting and Cybill has long been an advocate for marriage equality and same-sex parental rights for decades, marching and speaking at the 1993 March on Washington and appearing on the cover of The Advocate to discuss her reaction to the march.

Sheperd’s daughter Clementine Ford is an openly gay actress who currently portrays Mackenzie ‘Mac’ Browning on The Young & the Restless and Shepherd is ardently supportive of her daughter. Previous recipients include Megan Mullally, Jennifer Beals, Stockard Channing, Jennifer Tilly, James Schamus, and Brooke Shields.

The Oscar-nominated director of Precious, Lee Daniels, will receive the Davidson/Valentini Award which is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for our community.

This year Daniels became the first openly gay African American man to be nominated for Achievement in Directing at the Academy Awards® for Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. Daniels also served as Producer of the film which was nominated for Outstanding Film -Wide Release at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards for its inclusion of the character “Ms. Rain,” an out lesbian teacher. Daniels also directed Shadowboxer, and produced The Woodsman and Monster’s Ball.

The Davidson/Valentini Award is named after Craig Davidson, GLAAD’s first executive director, and his partner Michael Valentini. Previous recipients include Chad Allen, Ilene Chaiken, Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, Alec Mapa, Robert Gant, B.D. Wong, and Sandra Bernhard.

Newly out country music singer Chely Wright will perform at the show. She has been widely seen in recent weeks promoting her autobiography and new album. Sam Sparro will also perform.

The San Francisco awards show is shaping up to be quite star studded. The recipient for Outstanding Music Artist will be announced with Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert among nominees. Bruce Vilanch will host.