GLAAD Media Awards: February 2008 Archives

A beautiful young transwoman made the impossible possible last night by bringing together two of my faves into one magical TV hour: Oprah and America's Next Top Model.

But how? you ask.

The answer is: Angelika.

Angelika was a featured guest on the GLAAD Media Award-nominated episode of Oprah entitled "Born in the Wrong Body." In the hour, she candidly talks about her difficult childhood and confidently tells Oprah about how her life has changed for the better since her transition.

Last night's episode of Top Model involved a fashion shoot designed to highlight the problems facing homeless youth. The model hopefuls had to pose among young girls who have faced homelessness. And who should I spy, but the gorgeous Angelika, looking like a model herself!

Check her out in the picture above: she's the one on the far right, looking so totally fierce and definitely out-posing the girl we're supposed to look at.

Cycle 11 should be casting soon, Angie. How 'bout giving Top Model a try?

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.

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!

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.

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.