|
Janet Jackson receives gay award
29 Apr 2008- Janet Jackson has been
honoured for her work in the gay community, receiving the Vanguard Award at the
19th Annual GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Award.
The ceremony, held in Los Angeles' Kodak
Theatre on Saturday, were presented by lesbian US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.
Upon receiving her award, Janet said: "I love
it. I never expected it in a million years so when I heard they wanted to honour
me, I was really taken aback. It's just for the work that I've done with AIDS
and acknowledging the gay and lesbian community through my music and so on. I'm
just very appreciative."
Janet has always been vocal about gay rights,
and even wrote her number one single Together Again as a tribute to a
close friend who died from AIDS.
She added: "Even when I was younger, when I
was growing up, my mother was very religious but there were a lot of kids who
were dancers that she brought into the home and now that I think about it, they
were gay.
"They all called her 'Mother' and she treated
every one of them like they were her children. And that's where it kind of
started, I suppose. I've been around the community all my life."
Other recipients of accolades included TV
shows Ugly Betty for Outstanding Comedy Series and Brothers and
Sisters for Outstanding Drama Series.
Musician Rufus Wainwright was presented with
the Stephen F. Kolzak Award by Sharon Stone, for being an openly homosexual
professional who has helped promote equal rights for gay, lesbian and bisexual
individuals.
Previous recipients of the Vanguard Award
include Charlize Theron, Antonio Banderas, Liza Minnelli and Whoopi Goldberg.
|
