The stage set at last year's awards
Photo: Courtesy of Glaad
For its 19th annual media awards this Saturday, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (Glaad) will introduce a new postshow party in the first-floor lobby of the Kodak Theatre, but the nonprofit isn’t seeking to lure its high-profile celebrity guests to the new satellite event. Instead, the after-party is part of Glaad’s efforts to increase outreach to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth.
“The [recent] increase in bullying and violence focused attention on the continuing challenges faced by LGBT youth and motivated our volunteers to outreach to even more schools and allowed us to bring in a record number of underwriters,” Glaad director of special events and sponsorship Diana Rodriguez told us in an email.For the past three years, the organization has turned to sponsors to underwrite the award-show ticket costs so that kids can attend for free. This year the organization expects to attract 300 more young people than it did last year, thanks to help from donor companies like the David Geffen Foundation, Cirque du Soleil, and local radio station KIIS-FM, which is sending an on-air DJ and street team to entertain teens during the after-party. A replacement for American Idol castoff David Hernandez, who was scheduled to perform but had to cancel, is also in the works.
The organization has also taken teen guests into consideration when selecting presenters at the award show, tapping young actors Paul James, Gabrielle Christian, and Adamo Ruggiero (who play gay characters on television shows) to present a reel on Glaad’s mission and work with the media.
“The [recent] increase in bullying and violence focused attention on the continuing challenges faced by LGBT youth and motivated our volunteers to outreach to even more schools and allowed us to bring in a record number of underwriters,” Glaad director of special events and sponsorship Diana Rodriguez told us in an email.For the past three years, the organization has turned to sponsors to underwrite the award-show ticket costs so that kids can attend for free. This year the organization expects to attract 300 more young people than it did last year, thanks to help from donor companies like the David Geffen Foundation, Cirque du Soleil, and local radio station KIIS-FM, which is sending an on-air DJ and street team to entertain teens during the after-party. A replacement for American Idol castoff David Hernandez, who was scheduled to perform but had to cancel, is also in the works.
The organization has also taken teen guests into consideration when selecting presenters at the award show, tapping young actors Paul James, Gabrielle Christian, and Adamo Ruggiero (who play gay characters on television shows) to present a reel on Glaad’s mission and work with the media.
