Britney Spears, Jim Parsons Receive Honors At 29th GLAAD Media Awards
Actor Jim Parsons and singer Britney Spears, who are among the honorees at this year's GLAAD Awards, are outspoken advocates for gay rights.
The Best And Brightest
GLAAD Awards, in their 29th year, recognized and honored media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representation.
This year, This Is Us, which took home the Outstanding Drama Series gong, was among the honorees.
Celebrities graced the event which took place on Friday at the Beverly Hilton. Wanda Sykes, an iconic comedian, actress, and proud lesbian, hosted this year's awarding ceremony.
She also had more than enough jokes for those in attendance.
"Halle Berry is here...thanks for making everyone look ugly," she quipped in reference to the Oscar-winning actress.
Then, she turned her attention to TV producer Ryan Murphy, whose current show, The Assassination of Gianni Versace, deals with murderous gay man Andrew Cunanan.
"If you need to borrow money, he's your man," she said.
A Long List Of Winners
Winners included Master Of None, the Thanksgiving episode of which guest-starred the legendary Angela Bassett as a mother struggling to deal with her daughter's sexuality. The episode, scripted by Lena Waithe, was the recipient of the Outstanding Individual Episode award.
Also honored on the night was Oscar-winning Chilean film A Fantastic Woman, which stars transgender actress Daniela Vega as a woman facing the discrimination of her deceased boyfriend's family. The flick took home the award for Outstanding Film in the Limited Release category.
Attendees at the GLAAD Awards 2018 include Halle Berry, Ryan Murphy, Olympian Adam Rippon, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Anthony Rapp, the actor who first accused Kevin Spacey of sexual harassment.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which stars Andre Braugher as an openly gay police chief, received the award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Jay-Z's song and video for "Smile," where his mother declared she is a lesbian, was also honored.
A Message Of Hope
Ricky Martin presented the Vanguard Award to Britney Spears, who praised the LGBTQ community for helping get her to the level she's at now.
Big Bang Theory actor Jim Parsons, accepting the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, gave a moving speech about his journey to fame as a gay actor.
The ceremony typically champions the LGBTQ community and its allies. This year's event was particularly notable given the ongoing public discussion about LGBTQ in the media.
The shroud of darkness caused by the current political administration also makes the event extra special.
The show kicked off with news footage about the marginalization and oppression of the LGBTQ community. However, a message of tolerance and hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds persisted throughout.
Celebrities including Moretz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Stephanie Beatriz, and This Is Us actor Dennis O'Hare all sported GLAAD's ampersand pin on the red carpet. The pin signifies the organization's "Together Movement.".
