In a feature segment on Friday, CNN reported on the recent surge of LGBT-inclusive advertising, taking special note of JC Penney's Father's Day ad featuring a Dallas-based gay couple and their two children. The ad is the latest in a string of LGBT-inclusive ads from the retail giant, which also featured gay moms in its Mother's Day catalogue earlier this year, and which also drew the ire of anti-gay hate groups like the so-called 'One Million Moms' after it chose openly gay talk show host Ellen DeGeneres as the company's new spokesperson.

GLAAD's President Herndon Graddick was featured in the segment, which highlights ads from inclusive companies like American Apparel, Marriott, Gap, Discover America, as well as Johnson and Johnson -- which recently teamed up with PFLAG and Walgreens to combat anti-LGBT bullying.

In the segment, CNN also spoke with LGBT advocate Mike Wilke, who notes that "Advertisers don't see as much of a risk today, as they would have years ago," citing the growing support for LGBT equality.

GLAAD's annual Amplifier Awards recognize and honor the best of the best in LGBT-inclusive advertising. Check out images from 2011 award recipients including American Airlines, Google and Wells Fargo here.