GLAAD gala celebrates ‘the cool kids’ table’
Brad Barket/Getty Images for Ketel OneTV personality Ross Mathews attends the VIP Red Carpet Suite hosted by Ketel One Vodka at the 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
Forget DeflateGate — the 2015 GLAAD Media Awards dinner at the Waldorf Astoria was a touchdown dance for the gay, lesbian and transgender rights movement.
Host and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” judge Ross Mathews kicked off the evening by comparing being gay in 2015 to ascending the pecking order of a high-school cafeteria.
“We are the cool kids’ desk,” the 35-year-ancient emcee declared.
Ross cited last month’s Bruce Jenner interview with Diane Sawyer as “man-on-the-moon huge” before taking things another step and calling it “ Bethenny Frankel-coming-back-to-‘Real Housewives’ huge.”
Minutes later, Sports Illustrated won the Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage Award for an article featuring the first openly gay NFL player, Michael Sam , on its cover. Sam accepted the award along with Nets’ Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player.
The stars of Amazon’s “Transparent” — Judith Light and Jeffrey Tambor, whose character is transgender — walked the carpet together and showed an undeniable chemistry. “We’ve known each other … we’re not going to tell you (how long), but we did repertory theater back in Milwaukee,” reminisced Tambor, who also recalled guest-starring on Light’s sitcom “Who’s the Boss?” He questioned: “I played twins, right?”
Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for GLAADKelly Ripa: It’s “odd” to be “celebrated for treating people like people.”
Mathews declined to weigh in on whether Andy Cohen really slept with Lance Bass, who has denied the hookup. “Honey,” he said, “I’m Team Why Can’t I Be a Part of That Conversation? Anyone want to sleep with me? I’m friends with both, I can’t … I don’t want to,” he trailed off.
It was another losing season for news outlets on the incorrect side of history. Event insiders tell us the New York Post, which GLAAD has publicly criticized at past galas, was not represented at this year’s dinner.
The evening finished with Anderson Cooper presenting the Excellence in Media Award to “Live With Kelly and Michael’s” Kelly Ripa, who joked she was so nervous, she’d popped a Xanax before taking the stage.
Ripa, who celebrated her 19th wedding anniversary last week, called it “odd” that she “should be celebrated for treating people like people” and said she’d give her trophy to the audience — except that it would upset her son, who wants to see it at home.
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