19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards: NEW YORK!

Last night, the good people of New York were treated to a star-studded event at the Marriot Marquis. The 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards honored so many deserving media professionals, like MTV President Brian Graden, journalist Barbara Walters, the boys from As the World Turns (Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann, pictured) and many many more. For a complete list of recipients, please click here, and be sure to check out ticket information for upcoming galas in South Florida (April 12), Los Angeles (April 26) and San Francisco (May 10). See you there!

ROAD TO THE MEDIA AWARDS: Judge David Young

Judge David Young will be presenting at the South Florida GLAAD Media Awards on April 12th.  

He recently did a Q & A with Ramon Johnson over at the Gay Life section of About.com, offering insight into his experience of the courtroom -- plus his tip on how he's managed a 13-year relationship with his partner!  Enjoy the interview excerpt below, then head over to About.com for the full text.

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You’re an openly gay judge on national television. What does that mean to you?
     Having a voice and being a role model for GLBT youth and their parents is crucial. It’s the only way we’re going to demystify the stereotype that we’re all a bunch of leather queens or that we ride in gay pride floats wearing boas with our rear ends sticking out. Some of us do that and God bless them for doing it, but there are others of us who are lawyers and doctors and hold positions of power in all spheres of government and business.
     I think it’s a wonderful opportunity if GLBT kids can watch me on a daily basis and say, “Hey I can do this. I will do this. Look at Judge David. His sexual orientation has never been an obstacle for him.”  We need role models. Anything is possible if you work hard for it. One’s sexual orientation should not be an impediment to success.

ROAD TO THE MEDIA AWARDS: Ilene Chaiken

The end has come for the women of The L Word. Showtime has announced it will renew one of its longest-running dramas for what will be its sixth and final season. Set in Los Angeles, the series follows a group of lesbian and bisexual women as they navigate romance, friendships, family and careers.

"The L Word has been a truly groundbreaking series, setting new standards for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender visibility on television through its portrayal of a unique and compelling group of women," says GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. "We applaud the cast and creative team for the sense of fun and drama that they bring every season in their depictions of both the day-to-day lives of LGBT people and the challenges and struggles faced by our community."

"It has been a privilege to do this series and tell these stories and have these characters in my life and to share them with the show's passionate fans," Ilene Chaiken, creator and executive producer of The L Word said in a statement. "I am thrilled that Showtime has given us this final opportunity to conclude this journey we have all taken together."

Chaiken is being honored at the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco on May 10 with the Davidson/Valentini Award, an honor given to an openly gay media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the LGBT community.

Hot on the heels of Showtime's hit gay series Queer as Folk, the network debuted The L Word in 2004, making it primetime's first lesbian drama on television. It has garnered four GLAAD Media Award nominations and one win, for Outstanding Television Drama. Showtime has ordered eight final episodes, set to go into production in early summer for a 2009 premiere.

The Season Five finale airs March 23, 2008 at 9 PM ET/PT on Showtime.

Road to the Media Awards: Sarah Silverman, GREEK, and Kyle XY

Spring programs at the Paley Center have been announced, and GLAAD Media Award nominees are among those featured!

The cast and creative team behind GLAAD Media Award-nominated The Sarah Silverman Program (Outstanding Comedy Series) will be on hand to discuss the show April 21 at 7 PM. For details, click here.

GLAAD Media Award-nominated programs GREEK (Outstanding Drama Series) and Kyle XY (Outstanding Individual Episode in a series w/o a regular LGBT character) will also get their own dedicated panels. Hear the cast and creators of GREEK at 7 PM on April 28 and the cast and writers of Kyle XY at 7 PM on April 7. For details on either of those two events, click here.

Tickets may be purchased in series subscription packets for a pre-selected grouping of three events (for instance, The Sarah Silverman Program is featured in a comedy series which also includes events for George Carlin and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) for $65 starting March 8 at noon, or tickets to individual events may be purchased for $25 starting March 14 at noon. If you are a member (or choose to become a member!) of the Paley Center, you will get a reduction in ticket cost and will be able to access tickets earlier than the general public.

Once tickets go on sale, you can obtain them by visiting paleycenter.org or by calling 310.786.1091 from 12:00 to 5:00 pm daily. Tickets will also be available at the front desk, Weds to Sun, 12:00 to 5:00 pm. The Paley Center for Media is located in Los Angeles, at 465 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills.

ROAD TO THE MEDIA AWARDS: As the World Turns

The Bay Area Reporter gave a great Valentine's gift to its readers by recapping the love story of Luke and Noah — or "Nuke" as As the World Turns fans know the couple.

Supercouple is more like it, a brand designation reserved for soap pairings that have viewers rooting for more. Ratings for the 52-year-old soap have even turned around with new viewers tuning in to see Nuke (or checking them out on YouTube). The inclusive storyline garnered As the World Turns its second GLAAD Media Award nomination in as many years.

Of course, the road to being a supercouple is riddled with potholes, detours and roadblocks, and Nuke is no different. The couple is the first gay male relationship portrayed on daytime and they are the first to share an onscreen kiss. The duo locked lips for the cameras twice in 2007, and have had other kisses which have been implied but not shown, infuriating some fans who are demanding Nuke be treated the same as other couples in the fictional city of Oakdale.

Networks know their daytime audience is predominantly female and they have always geared their stories to this demo, staying away from gay male romances. With Nuke, CBS and As the World Turns have expanded the kind of stories daytime can tell and they've expanded their audience, but along with this may be some growing pains. Viewers want to see this couple portrayed as realistically as all other couples are on daytime, and that's a good thing. Problem is, getting the show to catch up with what viewers are begging and ready for.

The daytime genre is six decades old and it's taken this long to feature a male couple. All My Children broke new ground last year with daytime's first transgender story, also garnering it a GLAAD Media Award nomination. While tremendous strides have been made in the past year alone on soaps, it's clear that we're not at a place where LGBT people are treated the same on daytime as they are on primetime or cable.

But the needle continues to move ever so slightly.

ROAD TO THE MEDIA AWARDS: Rufus Wainwright

AfterElton.com announced the winners of its Gay People’s Choice Awards this week, and Rufus Wainwright got the nod for favorite male musical artist.

It is par for the course for this outstanding performer, whose albums have all been nominated for GLAAD Media Awards, and who will be honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the Los Angeles GLAAD Media Awards on April 26.

Congratulations, Rufus!

ROAD TO THE MEDIA AWARDS: Janet Jackson II

Before interviewing Janet Jackson, Gay.com allowed its readers to suggest questions to ask the star. Among the top five selected was a question about what it means to her to receive the Vanguard Award at the upcoming 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on April 26.

Her response: “Oh my God, so much to me. It really does.” She continued on to say she “felt so honored” to find out she had been selected, and also acknowledged the gay community as being “so, so supportive.”

Visit here for the full Q & A.

ROAD TO THE MEDIA AWARDS: Janet Jackson

With the Los Angeles GLAAD Media Awards just around the corner on April 26, special honoree Janet Jackson appears on the cover of this week's Parade magazine.

Okay, she also has a new CD, Discipline, out on Feb. 24.

PlanetOut.com's Jenny Stewart just chatted with Ms. Jackson and will soon have some scoop for us about the new album, her gay fans -- and what Janet thinks of her honor from GLAAD.

GLAAD Media Awards Nominations Announced at Queer Lounge

Check out this red carpet interview with out filmmakers Maurice Jamal (Dirty Laundry) and Cheryl Dunye (The Watermelon Woman). Dirty Laundry went on to receive a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Film, Limited Release.

And this interview with "Pariah" stars Pernell Walker and Adepero Aduye: