Kelly Ripa, Thomas Roberts, John Oliver Receive 2015 GLAAD Media Awards
Celebrity

The 'Live! with Kelly and Michael' co-host takes home Excellence in Media Award while MSNBC news anchor Thomas Roberts gets Vito Russo Award.

AceShowbiz - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation group held a second ceremony for the 26th annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City on Saturday, May 9. "Live! with Kelly and Michael" co-host Kelly Ripa, MSNBC news anchor Thomas Roberts, and John Oliver's HBO show were among the honorees at the event.

Ripa received Excellence in Media Award from Anderson Cooper. "I feel it's kind of odd in a way, I should be given an award based on the fact that I've had the privilege of being surrounded by and influenced by this community [LGBT] my entire life," she said. "And that I should be celebrated for treating people like people."

Roberts was presented Vito Russo Award by Lynda Carter during the gathering taking place at the Waldorf Astoria. "It was liberating, and frightening as hell," he recalled when he came out as gay in 2006. "People like me were considered immoral at best, a joke." Although people had become more accepting, he said, "we have a long way to go."

"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" won Outstanding Talk Show Episode, openly-gay athletes Michael Sam and Jason Collins accepted Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage prize for Sport Illustrated, "Lilting" was named Outstanding Film - Limited Release, Showtime's "L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin" was chosen as Outstanding Documentary, and TV One's "R&B Divas: Atlanta" was Outstanding Reality TV Show.

"Orange Is the new Black" star Laverne Cox also took the stage. Speaking for "all communitites, from Baltimore to Ferguson," she said, "Although trans people are more visible than ever, visibility is only one part of the equation. We must still fight for LGBTQ rights in the workplace ... and for protection from violence that devastates LGBTQ people and trans women, particularly trans women of color in horrific numbers."

Other winners were presented at a Los Angeles ceremony last month. "The Imitation Game", "Transparent", "How to Get Away with Murder", "The Normal Heart", and "Days of Our Lives" were among the honorees at The Beverly Hilton.

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