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Brett Ratner Quits as Oscar Show Producer
Today 4:17 PM PST by MARC MALKIN

Brett Ratner is calling it quits.

In a stunning turn of events, the controversial director has resigned from producing the Academy Awards telecast…

READ: Movie Academy Scolds Brett Ratner for Gay Slur: “It Will Not Happen Again”

The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report Ratner’s resignation.

“He did the right thing for the Academy and for himself,” Academy president Tom Sherak said in a statement. “Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable. We all hope this will be an opportunity to raise awareness about the harm that is caused by reckless and insensitive remarks, regardless of the intent.”

Ratner came under fire from GLAAD this week for using a gay slur during a Tower Heist Q&A over the weekend. He’s also been blasted for a sexually crass chat he had during an appearance yesterday on Howard Stern‘s radio show.

It’s still unclear if Eddie Murphy will stay on as host. His rep didn’t not immediately comment for this story.

MORE: What Does Eddie Murphy Have to Do With Greg Grunberg and Brett Ratner’s Twitter Tiff?

In an open letter to Hollywood, Ratner once again apologized for his actions.

“So many artists and craftspeople in our business are members of the LGBT community, and it pains me deeply that I may have hurt them. I should have known this all along, but at least I know it now: words do matter,” he wrote, in part. “Having love in your heart doesn’t count for much if what comes out of your mouth is ugly and bigoted. With this in mind, and to all those who understandably feel that apologies are not enough, please know that I will be taking real action over the coming weeks and months in an effort to do everything I can both professionally and personally to help stamp out the kind of thoughtless bigotry I’ve so foolishly perpetuated.”

He also said that he resigned this morning. He wrote, “[A]s painful as this may be for me, it would be worse if my association with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy and the high ideals it represents.”

GLAAD applauded Ratner’s decision. “When we sat down with Brett today, he seemed very sincere in his desire to use this experience as a way to begin speaking out against anti-gay language in popular culture,” said Herndon Graddick, the media watchdog group’s Director of Programs and Communications. “We believe this resignation is just the first step and will be announcing a series of concrete actions in coming days and weeks with Brett.”

PHOTOS: 10 Best Things Ever Said at the Oscars

The post Gays Around The World Applaud As Brett Ratnor Steps Down As Producer Of Next Year’s Oscars first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

GLAAD Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Opinion by GLAAD
(3 Hours Ago) in Society / Gay Issues

LOS ANGELES — The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today marked 25 years of service to LGBT Americans.

To honor GLAAD’s 25th anniversary, Chaz Bono, Wilson Cruz, Amber Heard, Michael Kearns, Kathy Najimy, Holly Robinson Peete, Doris Roberts, Jean Smart, Bruce Vilanch, Steven Weber and more will join GLAAD’s founding members Jehan Agrama, David Bohnett, Dean Hansell and Michael Keegan in Los Angeles on December 3, 2010, for ‘GLAAD at 25,’ an event to recognize and celebrate the people and events that launched GLAAD’s work to amplify the voice of the LGBT community.

Jonathan Murray of Bunim/Murray Productions will receive the GLAAD Pioneer Award for his groundbreaking work to bring stories of LGBT people to Americans as Executive Producer on shows including The Real World, Road Rules and Project Runway. Richard Jennings, former President & Executive Director of GLAAD, will also receive the GLAAD Founders’ Award.
GLAAD will also celebrate this milestone with a series of blog posts at GLAADBlog.org that recognize 25 years of GLAAD’s culture changing work through the voices of former and current GLAAD staff members and volunteers.

“Since 1985, GLAAD has amplified stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people that build acceptance and advance equality through news, entertainment and today, on Facebook and social media outlets,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “Continuing to share these stories is moving the public to support our full legal equality and will lead to a nation where we are all accepted, respected and valued.”

GLAAD began in 1985 in New York City as a response to the New York Post ‘s sensational and dangerous coverage of the HIV/AIDS crisis. GLAAD’s media advocacy efforts quickly spread to Los Angeles, where GLAAD worked with film studios and television networks to stand up against stereotypical and defamatory images and increase LGBT-inclusive programming. GLAAD continues to serve as the leader in working with and through the media to achieve full equality for LGBT people.

Over the course of the coming year, GLAAD is also excited to announce additional events nationwide as well as a national campaign to amplify the voice of the LGBT community in celebration of GLAAD’s 25th anniversary.

For more information about GLAAD’s 25th Anniversary, visit www.glaad.org/25

The post Bruce Vilanch To Help GLAAD Celebrate 25th Anniversary! first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Chely Wright, Sam Sparro perform at San Francisco event presented by Southwest Airlines

Los Angeles, Sunday, June 6, 2010 –Bruce Vilanch, Nikki Blonsky, Wilson Cruz, Jai Rodriguez, Thea Gill, Michelle Clunie, Lynda and Jools Topp, Jan Wahl and Liam Mayclem were among the celebrities who joined the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) as it honored Cybill Shepherd, Lee Daniels, Robert Hanson and the best in documentaries and journalism last night at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented in San Francisco by Southwest Airlines.

The GLAAD Media Awards elevate and promote fair, accurate and inclusive stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, people and allies that have increased awareness, understanding and respect for the lives of LGBT people. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD’s work to amplify stories of LGBT people and issues that build support for equality.

At the ceremony, Clementine Ford and Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim presented the Golden Gate Award to their mother Cybill Shepherd, who has been outspoken in her support for full equality for LGBT people. The Golden Gate Award is presented to individuals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community in the media.

“We stand on the shoulders of our elders and I want to thank everyone who’s worked so hard to make this possible,” Shepherd said in her acceptance speech. “I’m very humbled and I don’t know that I could be more dedicated to this cause, but I could never thank you enough, GLAAD, for your education of me.”

Also at the event, actor Jensen Atwood presented the Davidson/Valentini Award to director Lee Daniels, who received an Academy Award® nomination for his 2009 film Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. The Davidson/Valentini Award is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the LGBT community in the media.

“I come from a world where I was beaten daily by my dad because of my gayness. I had bullies and I wanted to kill myself,” Daniels recounted while accepting the Award, noting how these experiences had strengthened his determination to succeed.

Robert Hanson, president of Levi Strauss Americas, received the San Francisco Local Hero Award for championing the company’s involvement in supporting full LGBT equality. Hanson was out of the country on business and unable to accept his award in person. Jeff Harlowe, Senior Vice President for Levi’s Latin America Commercial Operations, accepted the award on his behalf.

Writer and comedian Bruce Vilanch hosted the show. Country music artist Chely Wright performed with Rodney Crowell and Jeremy Lister, and pop artist Sam Sparro closed the show for the capacity audience at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. Other attendees included: Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer, Linda Perry who is dating Clementine Ford; Derrick Martin, a Georgia teenager who was thrown out of his home by his parents when he took his boyfriend to the prom; and Thomas Krever, executive director of the Hetrick-Martin Institute.

Following is a complete list of GLAAD Media Award recipients announced Saturday in San Francisco. Previous awards were presented in New York on March 13 and in Los Angeles on April 17. For a complete list of nominees and award recipients, please visit www.glaad.org/mediaawards.

Golden Gate Award: Cybill Shepherd (presented by her daughters, Clementine Ford and Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim)
Davidson/Valentini Award: Lee Daniels (presented by actor Jensen Atwood)
Outstanding Documentary: Ask Not (PBS) [Accepted by: director Johnny Symons]
Outstanding Digital Journalism – Multimedia: “The Stonewall Riots: 40 Years Later” (AARP.org) [Accepted by: producer David Singleton]
San Francisco Local Hero Award: Robert Hanson (President of Levi Strauss Americas) [Accepted on his behalf by: Jeff Harlowe, Senior Vice President for Levi’s Latin America Commercial Operations]
GLAAD also announced that Lady Gaga received the award for Outstanding Music Artist for her album, The Fame Monster (Interscope). The GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Artist is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) music artist who has increased visibility of the LGBT community and spoken out for equality via their music or media appearances. Lady Gaga has identified as bisexual in a number of interviews, spoke at last year’s National Equality March in Washington, D.C. and included LGBT images in her music videos.

GLAAD live tweeted from the GLAAD Media Awards red carpet and during the show. GLAAD’s tweets can be seen at http://twitter.com/glaad. If you tweet about the GLAAD Media Awards, please include the hashtag #GLAADMediaAwards in your tweets. Also, please follow @glaad on Twitter at http://twitter.com/glaad.

More than 100 corporate partners are showing their support, including New York Co-Presenting corporate partners IBM and Prudential, Los Angeles Presenting corporate partner ABSOLUT® Vodka and San Francisco Presenting corporate partner Southwest Airlines. GLAAD is also grateful to the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards Platinum Underwriter corporate partners: AT&T, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Time Warner, Lexus and University of Phoenix, as well as Underwriter corporate partners: Allstate Insurance Company, American Airlines, Comcast, Delta Air Lines, Fox Group, Harrah’s Foundation, Herb Ritts Foundation, Here Media, MTV Networks, MillerCoors, New York City Marriott & Renaissance Hotels, The Palette Fund, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Terry K. Watanabe Charitable Trust and UBS.

For a full list of corporate sponsors or information on how to become a corporate sponsor, please visit www.glaad.org/mediaawards.

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.
[6/7/2010]

The post Cybill Shepherd, Lee Daniels Honored At 21St Annual Glaad Media Awards first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

GLAAD honors social justice activists
By: Greg Archer
Special to The Examiner
May 30, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO — The City isnâ€t shy when it comes to honoring civil rights leaders, but the 21st annual GLAAD Media Awards may surpass expectations.

The gala, which honors LGBT advocates and spotlights the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamationâ€s mission to promote fair and inclusive stories of LGBT issues, is Saturday at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis.

This year, it has special star power with honors going to “Precious” director Lee Daniels, actress and civil rights activist Cybill Shepherd and The Cityâ€s own Robert Hanson, president of Levi Strauss Americas, who receives the San Francisco Local Hero Award.

Hanson, a tireless advocate for social justice, LGBT rights and marriage equality, championed the companyâ€s involvement as a leader in the Business Council for the “No on Prop. 8” campaign and other notables.

“Iâ€m very humbled by the honor,” he says. “GLAAD promotes the idea that we must show up every day with authenticity, vocally confronting oppression or misrepresentation with the simple truth about our community.”

Nikki Blonsky, Wilson Cruz, Jai Rodriguez, Clementine Ford and Jan Wahl are also slated to appear.

Comedy titan Bruce Vilanch hosts, and live entertainment arrives in the form of Sam Sparro and Chely Wright — the country singer — who told The Examiner that sheâ€s surprisingly “at peace” standing in the middle of a media hurricane sparked by her memoir, “Like Me,” in which she wrote about coming out.

Meanwhile, Daniels receives GLAADâ€s Davidson/Valentini Award, presented to an openly LGBT media professional championing equal rights through their work — “Precious” star Gabourey Sidibe is presenting it — and Shepherd gets the Golden Gate Award.

“Everything starts at home,” Shepherd notes of opening hearts and minds to LGBT culture and causes. “Our children arenâ€t sponges to soak up hate. We have such a huge responsibility as parents to fill those sponges with love and teach lessons that really kill prejudice off in ourselves.”

Hanson is even more candid about GLAADâ€s ripple effects.

“The only thing we can choose in life is how we show up each day,” he says. “Being gay is authentically one part of who I am. If I were to show up vaguely or closeted, I would be suppressing part of who I am; this would make it difficult to leverage all of my potential. In the end, I hope my being present and, when required, vocal, not only unleashes my full potential but helps pave the pathway for others.”

IF YOU GO

GLAAD Media Awards

Where: San Francisco Marriott Marquis, 55 Fourth St., San Francisco
When: 4:30 p.m. (reception); 6:30 p.m. (dinner); 8 p.m. (awards) Saturday
Tickets: $350
Contact: glaad.org/mediaawards/21/sf/tickets

The post Reminder: GLAAD honors social justice activists; Bruce hosts 6/5 first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced today that Cybill Shepherd will receive the Golden Gate Award and Lee Daniels will receive the Davidson/Valentini Award at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented in San Francisco by Southwest Airlines on June 5, 2010 at the Marriott Marquis.

The GLAAD Media Awards elevate and promote fair, accurate and inclusive stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, people and allies that have increased awareness, understanding and respect for the lives of LGBT people. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD’s work to amplify stories of LGBT people and issues that build support for equality.

Openly gay recording artist Sam Sparro will perform along with country music singer Chely Wright, who recently came out in People. Writer and comedian Bruce Vilanch will host the event. Jan Wahl, local television news for KRON, will join Actors Wilson Cruz and Jai Rodriguez at the event.

Cybill Shepard will receive the Golden Gate Award from her daughters Clementine Ford and recent Yale graduate Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim. The award is presented to media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community. In addition to being an actress, musician, author, producer and model, Shepard has also been a vocal advocate of LGBT equality. In the final three seasons of the Showtime original series The L Word, Shepherd starred as Phyllis Kroll, a married woman who comes out as a lesbian, divorces her husband, and falls in love with her divorce attorney (played by Jane Lynch). Shepherd has been an advocate for marriage equality and same-sex parental rights for decades, marching and speaking at the 1993 March on Washington and appearing on the cover of The Advocate to discuss her reaction to the march. Sheperd’s daughter Clementine Ford is an openly gay actress who currently portrays Mackenzie ‘Mac’ Browning on The Young & the Restless and Shepherd is ardently supportive of her daughter. Previous recipients include Megan Mullally, Jennifer Beals, Stockard Channing, Jennifer Tilly, James Schamus, and Brooke Shields.

Lee Daniels will receive the Davidson/Valentini Award which is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for our community. This year Daniels became the first openly gay African American man to be nominated for Achievement in Directing at the Academy Awards® for Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. Daniels also served as Producer of the film which was nominated for Outstanding Film -Wide Release at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards for its inclusion of the character “Ms. Rain,” an out lesbian teacher. Daniels also directed Shadowboxer, and produced The Woodsman and Monster’s Ball. The Davidson/Valentini Award is named after Craig Davidson, GLAAD’s first executive director, and his partner Michael Valentini. Previous recipients include Chad Allen, Ilene Chaiken, Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, Alec Mapa, Robert Gant, B.D. Wong, and Sandra Bernhard.

It was previously announced that Robert Hanson, president of Levi Strauss Americas, will receive the San Francisco Local Hero Award. As a strong advocate for social justice, LGBT rights and marriage equality, Hanson championed the company’s involvement as a leader in the Business Council for the “No on Prop 8” campaign. He also supported the company’s decision to sign on to the amicus brief to the California Supreme Court in support of the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. During a 6-year term on the Board of Directors for the Hetrick-Martin Institute in New York City, Hanson was instrumental in developing a partnership between the organization and the Levi’s brand to raise awareness and financial support for LGBT youth.

Awards scheduled to be presented onstage include the following categories: Outstanding Music Artist, Outstanding Documentary and Outstanding Digital Journalism – Multimedia. A complete list of this year’s nominees and award recipients from the GLAAD Media Awards in New York and Los Angeles are available at www.glaad.org/mediaawards.

Each year, the GLAAD Media Awards in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco bring together more than 4,000 supporters to raise funds for the organization’s work.

GLAAD will live tweet from the GLAAD Media Awards. GLAAD’s tweets can be seen at http://twitter.com/glaad. If you tweet about the GLAAD Media Awards, please include the hashtag #GLAADMediaAwards in your tweets. Also, please follow @glaad on Twitter at http://twitter.com/glaad.

More than 100 corporate partners are showing their support, including New York Co-Presenting corporate partners IBM and Prudential, Los Angeles Presenting corporate partner ABSOLUT® Vodka and San Francisco Presenting corporate partner Southwest Airlines. GLAAD is also grateful to the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards Platinum Underwriter corporate partners: AT&T, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Time Warner, Lexus and University of Phoenix, as well as Underwriter corporate partners: Allstate Insurance Company, American Airlines, Comcast, Delta Air Lines, Fox Group, Harrah’s Foundation, Herb Ritts Foundation, Here Media, MTV Networks, MillerCoors, New York City Marriott & Renaissance Hotels, The Palette Fund, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Terry K. Watanabe Charitable Trust and UBS.

General tickets for the San Francisco event are $350 and include entrance to the cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner, show, and after party. For a full list of corporate partners and information on how to become a corporate partner, or to become a table host, purchase tickets or place a tribute in the tribute book, please call (877) 519-7904 or visit www.glaad.org/mediaawards.

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, join us at www.facebook.com/glaad and www.twitter.com/glaad.

The post Save The Date: Bruce Vilanch To Host GLAAD Media Awards In San Fran 6/5 first appeared on We Got Bruce!.