GLSEN honors Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel and Zachary Quinto
The event: Onstage at the 2015 GLSEN Respect Awards, Justin Timberlake thanked organizers “for allowing Mommy and Daddy to have a rare date night out together.” Friday’s celebration of the organization’s 25 years not only heaped honors on new parents Timberlake and Jessica Biel, but also bestowed awards on Zachary Quinto, YouTube and student advocate Mars Hallman.
“Look around. This is what adults look like,” Timberlake said to Biel, adding in a stage whisper, “They do exist. They don’t smell like poopy diapers,” before playfully adding, “Some of you do — you know who you are.”
The scene: A jubilant mood prevailed in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel’s ballroom as VIPs such as Julia Roberts congenially posed for selfies with fellow guests.
GLSEN — the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network — endeavors to ensure a safe and affirming school environment for all students, regardless of sexual orientation, and throughout the program, students stepped up to the podium to tell their success stories.
The crowd: Among the crowd were honorary co-chairs Roberts, Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak; DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, Marilyn Katzenberg and NBC Entertainment chair Bob Greenblatt; actors Jessica Capshaw, Dana Delany, Sasha Alexander and Kirsten Vangsness; “Star Trek” director J.J. Abrams, CAA’s Kevin Huvane, TV personality George Kotsiopoulos, YouTubers Gigi Gorgeous and Connor Franta and style editor Joe Zee. Jim Fielding, Dave Karger and Chip Sullivan served as event chairs.
Quotes of note: In presenting Quinto’s award, Abrams ticked off as the actor’s positive attributes, including his wearing of “pointy rubber ears” (as Spock in “Star Trek”),” but then explained everything away as good DNA and sheer luck, before saying, “To know Zachary Quinto and see the choices he makes and the way he chooses to live his life is to respect him and to love him.”
For his part, Quinto looked to the future. “With issues of integration and marriage equality behind us, how can we all — young people, old people — turn our attention to other parts of the world as well, where oppression and violence against our brothers and sisters still threaten lives every single day. … Let us all be champions for those who still face the darkness with no hope of light.”
“Even with all the trouble in our world today, this movement clearly is winning,” said Timberlake, “and it’s going to keep on winning.”
Biel ended her remarks by quoting Oscar Wilde: “Always forgive your enemies. Nothing annoys them so much.”
The numbers: Tickets for the more than 600 guests began at $1,000, while sponsorship tables were priced up to $150,000. Organizers reported proceeds as having already topped $1 million, with more coming in from additional guest donations and a still-active online auction.
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