Family Equality Council’s LA awards honor “Glee,” ‘Modern Family” and Houston’s lesbian mayor

The Family Equality Council’s awards dinner in Los Angeles has exploded in popularity in the past few years – so much so that it was moved to The Beverly Hilton for the first time.

It seemed like everyone was there for this stupendous event which raised $618,430 for the organization that has long worked for LGBT families to have legal equality.

The TV shows Modern Family and Glee were honored for outstanding efforts in portraying LGBTI relationships and families. The other honorees were Honey Maid for its progressive ads which feature same-sex couples and their children and Houston Mayor Annise Parker (pictured with Matt Bomer).

Bomer presented the first award of the night to Parker who he described as ‘a great mayor who just happens to be gay and a mom,’ someone who ‘doesn’t look for what’s best for her election but what’s in the best interests of the people she represents’ and finally as simply, ‘the smartest person in the room.’

Parker is serving her third and final term as mayor of the fourth largest city in the US and was recently named top mayor in the US by the City Mayors Foundation.

She thanked FEC ‘for fighting for families like mine every day.’

Ryan Murphy was on hand to accept the award for Glee but before he took to the stage, Sarah Paulson (pictured) and Darren Criss – who led the live auction for a walk on part on American Horror Story: Hotel – both indicated they would like to keep working with him.

Paulson, an American Horror Story vet who has not been confirmed for the upcoming season, AHS: Hotel, said: ‘Lady Gaga will be there. I feel like letting Ryan know that I am available if he wants me.’

Criss, who will star in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, chimed in saying he’s not doing Hedwig for the money and needs employment too.

‘I’m going to bid first because I could really use a walk on spot on an FX show,’ Criss said as he kicked off the bidding with $500.

Then things quickly ratcheted up higher egged on bu hilarious Sandra Bernhard, the evening’s hostess, who took aim at the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast members in the audience: ‘I’m looking at the Housewives! Pull (the money) out of your lips! Pull it out of your boobs! Spend it somewhere else.’

In the end, the AHS: Hotel walk-on roles went for $10,000 each to Real Housewives star Eileen Davidson (she’s a superb Emmy award winning actress so maybe her role will be expanded?) and super agent Kevin Huvane.

Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan joked while accepting his award: ‘I honestly don’t know why we’re discussing family equality tonight where there’s a much bigger debate raging: Is the dress blue and black? If you think it’s white and gold you’re a blind idiot! What we really should be talking about is the dress is ugly. I’m straight and I can see that!’

On a more serious note, Levitan said of Modern Family and it’s recently married gay couple Mitch and Cam: ‘We are very proud to be on the right side of history and to have played even a tiny role in the task of getting some closed-minded assholes to shut the fuck up.’

During his acceptance speech for Glee, Murphy recalled how when he was growing up, the only person he knew who was gay ‘was a center square – Paul Lynde (of Hollywood Squares).’

He noted that in the early days of Glee – which recently featured the double wedding of same-sex couples Kurt and Blaine and Santana and Brittany – he would get notes from Fox executives who asked him to tone down a scene or two.

‘All the executives who gave me those notes are no longer employed,’ he said to loud applause.

He added: ‘On Glee, we tried to make it easier for the next generation – to pave the way for them.’

The show is currently near the end of its sixth and final season.

After Murphy’s speech, Glee cast members Criss, Chord Overstreet, Harry Shum, Alex Newell, Jenna Ushkowitz and Becca Tobin who closed the show with three musical numbers including Don’t Stop Believin’.

Earlier performers were Maxine Nightingale who had the crowd dancing as she belted out a trio of dance tunes including her huge 1970s hit Right Back Where We Started From and Cheyenne Jackson who showed off his amazing range with the ballad A Change is Gonna Come.

Bernhard called it ‘a great, great night’ and pointed out it was a night that ‘had Lea Michele and Michelle Lee in the house.’

(Just as an aside, I spoke with Miss Lee on the arrivals carpet and we speculated about which Knots Landing character would be gay if the show were still on today. i suggested her TV daughter Diana Fairgate and she agreed saying: ‘Probably!’)

Anyway, before I go any further, let me just simply list the other celebrities who were in the house: presenters Bomer, Criss, Paulson, Andrew Rannells, Dan Bucatinksy and Dot-Marie Jones.

Others on hand: Ty Herndon, Lance Bass, Alec Mapa, Max Greenfield, Tuc Watkins, Wilson Cruz, Harry Hamlin, Beau Bridges and nearly the entire cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Lisa Vanderpump, Lisa Rinna, Kyle Richards (and former cast member Camille Grammer) and Davidson who appears in both Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives and now AHS: Hotel.

It must be noted that the great Patti LuPone was also present but I did not see her. If I had, I might have fainted.