The toast of Hollywood came out to the Beverly Hills Hilton on Friday for The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Respect Awards, including Amy Adams, Oscar winner Octavia Spencer, out actors Jim Parsons and Matt Bomer, super-producer Brett Ratner The Weinstein Group’s Bob and Harvey Weinstein, DreamWorks honcho Jeffrey Katzenberg. Entertainment Tonight executive producer Linda Bell Blue, Entertainment Weekly senior writer Dave Karger, I Love You, Man producer Donald De Line, decorator David Phoenix, DreamWorks publicity head Chip Sullivan and Albert Nobbs producer Bonnie Curtis.
GLSEN honored Katzenberg and his wife, Marilyn, with Lifetime Achievement Awards, while White Collar star Bomer and partner Simon Halls received the Inspiration Award. Additional honors were presented to the Weinstein Brothers and Adam Fitzgerald, who won GLSEN’s “ThinkB4YouSpeak” PSA competition.
The GLSEN Student Advocate of the Year Award was presented to Texas teen Luis Veloz, now a freshman at Southern Methodist University. Having only come to the U.S. four years ago, Veloz founded his school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, became the youngest board member of GLSEN’s Dallas chapter, organized the city’s first Valentine’s dance for LGBT youth, interned at Lambda Legal and co-founded the Magdaleno Leadership Institute. “This young man’s potential knows no bounds,” said GLSEN Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard, “and I look forward to watching his career take off as he continues to serve others.”
Above: Amy Adams, Matt Bomer, Brett Ratner, Octavia Spencer and Jim Parsons.
Octavia Spencer presents the GLSEN 2012 Student Advocate of the Year award to Luis Veloz.
Matt Bomer and Amy Adams
GLSEN Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard delivering keynote address
Amy Adams and GLSEN Student Ambassador Brandon present the GLSEN Chairman’s Award to Bob and Harvey Weinstein
Producer Bob Weinstein accepts the GLSEN Chairman’s Award
Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA), who sponsored the Safe Schools Improvement Act
The Young and the Restless’ Greg Rikaart
Inspiration Award recipients Bomer (right) and partner Simon Halls
Jim Parsons and GLSEN Student Ambassador Carly present the GLSEN Lifetime Achievement Award to Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
GLSEN Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and former teacher Marilyn Katzenberg
GLSEN Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg
Dr. Eliza Byard with Political Animals’ Brittany Ishibashi and Kyle Fritz
Olivia Spencer
