THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

San Francisco, Sunday, May 15, 2011 — Sara Ramirez, Mario Lopez, Louis Van Amstel, Nelsan Ellis and Dustin Lance Black were among the celebrities who joined the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) as it honored Kim Cattrall, author and technology expert Kara Swisher, AT&T and the best in film, documentaries and music last night at the 22nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco, hosted by Glee's Naya Rivera.

A full list of award recipients from New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco is available here: https://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/22/recipients.

Photographs from the 22nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco may be downloaded immediately at www.wireimage.com, or on Monday, May 16 at www.glaad.org/mediaawards. Videos will be available to view and embed at youtube.com/glaadmedia.

At the ceremony, Dr. Michael Bader presented the Golden Gate Award to Kim Cattrall, who has been outspoken in her support of full equality for the LGBT community. The Golden Gate Award is presented to media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Previous recipients include Megan Mullally, Jennifer Beals, Stockard Channing, Cybill Shepherd, Jennifer Tilly, James Schamus, and Brooke Shields.

Cattrall began her acceptance speech by saying, "My name is Kim Cattrall, and you may be asking yourself why I have been chosen to be the honoree at the [GLAAD Media Awards]? Well, as many of you know, I played a gay man on a very popular television show for six wonderful years!" Cattrall continued, "And more importantly, gays and lesbians have been my friends and supporters since the beginning of my career, and it has been an honor to stand up and give them my fullest support, both on-screen and off. And it is great to see Naya Rivera and many of the new generation of young performers doing the same…It is so meaningful to be here accepting this tribute from an organization that does such important work."

Also at the event, technology journalist Walt Mossberg presented the Local Hero Award to former Wall Street Journal columnist and co-executive editor of the All Things Digital Web site, Kara Swisher, who has also written about her life as a lesbian and her marriage to Google executive Megan Smith.

GLAAD also presented the Corporate Leader Award to AT&T. GLAAD recognized AT&T's LGBT-inclusive policies, including protection against discrimination, providing enhanced healthcare benefits access for legally recognized partners and transgender employees, providing enhanced retirement plans to allow legally recognized partners to qualify as survivors, and family and medical leave for gay and lesbian employees. Ken McNeely, president of AT&T California, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

Writer and director Lisa Cholodenko accepted the award for the film The Kids Are All Right, which received the nod for Outstanding Film — Wide Release. Academy Award-winner Dustin Lance Black was on hand to accept the award for Outstanding Documentary on behalf of 8: The Mormon Proposition, which he narrated. The award for Outstanding Spanish-Language Music Artist was accepted by openly gay Mexican pop star Christian Chávez, for his first solo album Almas transparentes.

"The media has a huge role in growing acceptance and understanding of gay and transgender people," said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. "When Americans see images and stories like those presented by this year's award recipients, more and more people side with equality for all."

Naya Rivera, who plays Santana on Fox's Glee, hosted the evening, and Cirque du Soleil performed an act from their show Zumanity for the capacity crowd. Following is a list of guests and presenters at the event: Sara Ramirez (Grey's Anatomy); Nelsan Ellis (True Blood); Dustin Lance Black (8: The Mormon Proposition); Louis Van Amstel (Dancing with the Stars); Mario Lopez (Extra); Gbenga Akinnagbe (Nurse Jackie); Tabatha Coffey (Tabatha Takes Over); Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right); Yigit Pura (Top Chef: Just Desserts); John Gidding (Designed to Sell); international rugby star Ben Cohen; openly gay Mexican pop star Christian Chávez; Fort Worth City Councilmember Joel Burns; and GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios.

This year, GLAAD expanded its Young Adults Program to San Francisco. Support from corporate partners like Bridgestone Americas and Cirque du Soleil, and GLAAD supporters Glenn Close, Alan Cumming, Tom Ford & Richard Buckley, Suze Orman, Bishop Gene Robinson, Barbara Walters, and the late Dame Elizabeth Taylor allowed GLAAD to offer free tickets to the event to over 80 young people from the greater San Francisco area. Students affiliated with GSA Network, COLAGE, and LYRIC enjoyed the show and a private pre-reception.

In 2011, the GLAAD Media Awards is celebrating GLAAD's 25th anniversary year, looking back at a quarter-century of work to build acceptance and advance equality through fair and accurate LGBT images in the media.

To receive the latest updates on the GLAAD Media Awards, follow @glaad on Twitter and use the hashtag #glaadawards. More information about the GLAAD Media Awards in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco may be found at http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards

Following is a complete list of 22nd Annual GLAAD Media Award recipients. The New York GLAAD Media Awards were held on March 19, and the Los Angeles event was held April 10.

* Vito Russo Award: Ricky Martin

* Excellence in Media Award: Russell Simmons

* Vanguard Award: Kristin Chenoweth

* Stephen F. Kolzak Award: NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt

* Golden Gate Award: Kim Cattrall

* Corporate Leader Award: AT&T

* Local Hero Award: Kara Swisher

* Special Recognition: Bianca "Nikki" Peet

* Outstanding Film — Wide Release: The Kids Are All Right (Focus Features)

* Outstanding Film-Limited Release: I Love You Phillip Morris (Roadside Attractions)

* Outstanding Drama Series: True Blood (HBO)

* Outstanding Comedy Series: TIE: Glee (Fox)and Modern Family (ABC)

* Outstanding Individual Episode (in a serious without a regular LGBT character): "Klaus & Greta" 30 Rock (NBC)

* Outstanding Documentary: 8: The Mormon Proposition (Red Flag Releasing)

* Outstanding Reality Program: Project Runway (Lifetime)

* Outstanding Talk Show Episode: "Ricky Martin Coming Out as a Gay Man and a New Dad" The Oprah Winfrey Show (syndicated)

* Outstanding TV Journalism — Newsmagazine: "Gay Teen Suicides" (series) Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)

* Outstanding TV Journalism Segment: "Fort Worth Speech" The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell (MSNBC)

* Outstanding Newspaper Article: "Rutgers Student Tyler Clementi's Suicide Spurs Action Across U.S." by Judy Peet (The Star-Ledger [Newark, N.J.])

* Outstanding Newspaper Columnist: Frank Rich (The New York Times)

* Outstanding Newspaper Overall Coverage: Denver Post

* Outstanding Magazine Article: "What Happens When You Find the One...And He's Nothing — Nothing — Like You Expected?" by Allison Cooper (O, The Oprah Magazine)

* Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage: The Advocate/Out

* Outstanding Digital Journalism Article: "View From Washington" (series) by Kerry Eleveld (Advocate.com )

* Outstanding Digital Journalism - Multimedia: "Bridal Bliss: Aisha and Danielle" by Bobbi Misick (Essence.com )

* Outstanding Blog: Joe. My. God. ( joemygod.blogspot.com/ )

* Outstanding Music Artist: Scissor Sisters, Night Work (Downtown Records)

* Outstanding Comic Book: X-Factor by Peter David (Marvel Comics)

* Outstanding Los Angeles Theater: Something Happened by L. Trey Wilson

* Outstanding New York Theater: Broadway & Off—Broadway: The Pride by Alexi Kaye Campbell

* Outstanding New York Theater: Off—Off Broadway: When Last We Flew by Harrison David Rivers

SPANISH-LANGUAGE CATEGORIES

* Outstanding Novela: ¿DÃ"nde está Elisa? (Telemundo)

* Outstanding Daytime Talk Show Episode: TIE: "Mamá vístete de hombre" Casos de Familia (Univision) and "La ProposiciÃ"n 8" Caso Cerrado (Telemundo)

* Outstanding Talk Show Interview: "Saliendo del closet después de los 30" El Show de Cristina (Univision)

* Outstanding TV Journalism — Newsmagazine: "En nombre del amor" Primer Impacto (Univision)

* Outstanding TV Journalism Segment: "Aumenta el hostigamiento" Despierta América (Univision)

* Outstanding Newspaper Article: "Acosados hasta el punto del suicidio" by Rubén Moreno (La OpiniÃ"n)

* Outstanding Magazine Article: "Estoy feliz de ser quien soy" by María Morales (People en Español)

* Outstanding Digital Journalism Article: "Fedro llegÃ" para quedarse" by Amy Linares (PadrisimoMagazine.com )

* Outstanding Spanish-Language Music Artist: Christian Chávez, Almas transparentes (EMI)

More than 100 corporate partners are showing their support, including National Presenting partner RÖKK Vodka, New York Presenting partners American Airlines and Prudential, Los Angeles Presenting partner Wells Fargo and San Francisco Presenting partner Southwest Airlines. GLAAD is also grateful to the 22nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards Platinum Underwriter corporate partners: Anheuser-Busch, Inc., NBCUniversal, The Walt Disney Company, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP and Time Warner, as well as Underwriter corporate partners: Allstate Insurance Company, AT&T, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Bunim-Murray Productions, Comcast, Delta Air Lines, DLA Piper, Caesar's Foundation, IBM, MillerCoors, New York City Marriott & Renaissance Hotels, PricewaterhouseCoopers, UBS and VPI Pet Insurance.

For a complete list of corporate partners and information on how to become a corporate partner for the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards, please visit www.glaad.org/mediaawards or contact Lane Hosmer at hosmer@glaad.org .

About GLAAD

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (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, please visit www.glaad.org . For the latest updates on our work, visit www.twitter.com/glaad and www.facebook.com/glaad.