Master of None creator and star Aziz Ansari presented the award in Outstanding TV Journalism Segment to advocate Jim Obergefell for his segment on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 at the 27th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at New York City's Waldorf Astoria on Saturday night.
Immediately following the June 2015 Supreme Court ruling making marriage equality a reality nationwide, Obergefell spoke to out journalist Anderson Cooper on the significance of this historic decision.
Obergefell, who sued the state of Ohio after it refused to list him as a spouse on his husband John Arthur’s death certificate, was the plaintiff in the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that paved the way for marriage equality nationwide.
The ruling came after years of fighting in the courts to have their marriage recognized by their state of Ohio. In 2013, the couple married in Maryland and filed a federal lawsuit for Ohio to recognize their marriage before Arthur, who was terminally ill, passed away. After Arthur died, Ohio attempted unsuccessfully to have the case dismissed, eventually making its way to the Supreme Court. On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered its landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which allowed Obergefell’s name to be listed on his husband’s death certificate, and resulted in marriage equality throughout the nation.
Jennifer Lawrence presented the Excellence in Media Award to Robert De Niro. Lee Daniels presented the Ally Award to Mariah Carey. Laverne Cox hosted the event. Bebe Rexha performed, as did actor and singer Alex Newell, and Fun Home’s Kally Duling and Emily Skeggs. Guests included: Aziz Ansari (Master of None); journalist Diane Sawyer; Connie Britton (Nashville); Andrew Rannells (Girls); Noah Galvin (The Real O’Neals); Tamron Hall (Today); Caitlyn Jenner; out transgender supermodel Andreja Pejić; Diane Kruger (Fathers and Daughters); Lea DeLaria, Jackie Cruz, Laura Gómez, Diane Guerrero, Selenis Leyva, Alysia Reiner (Orange Is The New Black); Carrie Preston (The Good Wife); CNN contributor Margaret Hoover; The Daily Beast editor-in-chief John Avlon; supermodel Josephine Skriver; Jason Biggs, Jenny Mollen (Amateur Night); out WWE superstar Darren Young; Alexandra Turshen, Eric Schaeffer (Boy Meets Girl); journalist Teresa Rodriguez (Aquí y Ahora); producer Darren Dean, Karren Karagulian (Tangerine); Apple Music & iTunes executive Bozoma Saint John; out country music artist Billy Gilman; out transgender advocate Daniella Carter; out writer and advocate Jacob Tobia; fashion designers Prabal Gurung, Brandon Maxwell, Shane Gabier, and Chris Peters; early transgender model Tracey Norman; actor and trans advocate Nicole Maines, her brother Jonas Maines, and their father Wayne Maines; and GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.
The Los Angeles GLAAD Media Awards were held on April 2 at the Beverly Hilton. For video, photos, and more, visit: http://glaad.org/mediaawards/recap. The 27th Annual GLAAD Media Awards are presented by Delta Air Lines, Hilton, Ketel One Vodka, and Wells Fargo.
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives. They also fund GLAAD's work to amplify stories from the LGBT community that build support for equality and acceptance.
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