On Saturday night, Madonna presented the Vito Russo Award to journalist, author and talk show host Anderson Cooper at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. She wore a Boy Scout's uniform to the event after GLAAD's campaign for the Boy Scouts of America to end its ban on gay scouts and scout leaders. Watch her speak below!
Other award recipients at Saturday's event included:
Outstanding Drama Series: SMASH (NBC) Outstanding Documentary: How to Survive a Plague (Sundance Selects) Outstanding Reality Program: The Amazing Race (CBS) Ally Award: Brett Ratner (presented by Russell Simmons)For a full list of award recipients, click HERE.
GLAAD, the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, hosted the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at the New York ceremony on Saturday, March 16, 2013 at the New York Marriot Marquis. For additional information about the GLAAD Media Awards, visit http://glaad.org/mediaawards.
The Vito Russo Award is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality. The Award is named for Vito Russo, a founder of GLAAD and celebrated activist with ACT UP, who chronicled the early images of LGBT people in film and in his book The Celluloid Closet. Previous Vito Russo honorees include Ricky Martin, Rosie O'Donnell, Alan Cumming, Cynthia Nixon, Nathan Lane, Cherry Jones, Elton John, k.d. lang, Brian Graden, and Tom Ford.
The anchors of Good Morning America, Lara Spencer, Josh Elliott and Sam Champion hosted the evening. Special guests included NFL players Brendon Ayanbadejo and Chris Kluwe, director Brett Ratner, Ellen Barkin, MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry and Thomas Roberts, and John Leguizamo.Nominees for the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards were announced in January and are available here: http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/nominees. The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT Community and the issues that affect their lives. They also fund GLAAD's work to amplify stories from the LGBT Community that build support for equality. Each year, the GLAAD Media Awards in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco bring together more than 5,000 advocates and allies to raise critical funds for the organization's work.GLAAD amplifies The Voice of the LGBT Community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.