'Glee,' 'Modern Family' & Lady Gaga among nominees for 2012 GLAAD Media Awards

Now its GLAAD's turn. This past Thursday the The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation announced their nominees for its 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards.

The nominees cover a wide range of categories, including reality television, talk shows, daily dramas, news magazines, blogs, theater, comic books, newspapers, and magazines.

According to GLAAD, the awards "recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives."

"This year's nominees enlighten and entertain, while spotlighting the diversity of our community," said GLAAD's acting president Mike Thompson, in a statement.

"Audiences expect to see their own worlds reflected in media, and today more than ever, those include the lives of LGBT people. Viewers know that LGBT characters and stories are simply natural extensions of, and glimpses into, their own experiences from across America."

The Awards will be handed out in an unusual format: three different ceremonies in three different cities over the next few months. First up is New York City on March 24, then Los Angeles on April 21, followed by San Francisco on June 2.

Amongst the nominees are the gay-positive television dramedy "Glee," Clint Eastwood's biopic about J. Edgar Hoover ("J. Edgar"), and music superstar Lady Gaga.

A quick overview of the nominees suggested some interesting trends, such as the fact that Hollywood is still avoiding LGBT subject matters in major releases. There are but three films nominated in the Outstanding Film Wide Release category, two are independents: "Albert Nobbs," "Beginners" and "J. Edgar."

In the Outstanding Film Limited Release category, five films were honored: ''Circumstance," ''Gun Hill Road," "Pariah," "Tomboy" and "Weekend" - all worthy choices.

For Outstanding Drama Series, "Degrassi" (TeenNick), "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC), "Pretty Little Liars" (ABC Family), "Shameless" (Showtime), "Torchwood: Miracle Day" (Starz). Was anyone snubbed? Well, both "True Blood" and "American Horror Story" both have gay characters and themes, though they may not fit into GLAAD's criteria for an award.

In the comedy series category are "The Big C," "Exes and Ohs," "Glee," "Happy Endings" and "Modern Family." Chaz Bono got a nod in the Best Documentary category., while the "The Real L Word" (and not "The A-List" franchise) was chosen for Outstanding Reality Series.

Among television journalists, Rachel Maddow and Anderson Cooper received nominations, and Maureen Dowd got one for Newspaper Columnist. Her newspaper, the New York Times, was cited in a number of categories, including Outstanding Newspaper Overall Coverage. In that category the Grey Lady is up against The Boston Globe, The Oregonian, The Salt Lake Tribune ?and Pioneer Press.

In the magazine category the gay publication The Advocate/Out?is up against more establishment journals Entertainment Weekly, People, Time?and Us Weekly. Of blogs,
Towleroad competes against Mombian, The New Civil Rights Movement, Rod 2.0 and The Bilerico Project.

Lady Gaga is up for Outstanding Music Artist, competing against Beverly McClellan, Girl in a Coma, Hunx and His Punx and MEN.

A complete list of the nominees is below:

OUTSTANDING FILM WIDE RELEASE?
"Albert Nobbs"?
"Beginners?"
"J. Edgar"

OUTSTANDING FILM LIMITED RELEASE?
"Circumstance?"
"Gun Hill Road"?
"Pariah?"
"Tomboy?"
"Weekend"�

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES?
"Degrassi" (TeenNick)?
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)?
"Pretty Little Liars" (ABC Family)?
"Shameless" (Showtime)?
"Torchwood: Miracle Day" (Starz)

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES?
"The Big C" (Showtime)?
"Exes and Ohs" (Logo)?
"Glee" (Fox)?
"Happy Endings" (ABC)?
"Modern Family" (ABC)

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL EPISODE?
"Acceptance," Man Up! (ABC)?
"Beards," Hot in Cleveland (TV Land)?
"The Boy Has Style," Are We There Yet? (TBS)?
"Prom," Drop Dead Diva (Lifetime)?
"Recruited," NCIS� (CBS)

OUTSTANDING TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES?
"Cinema Verite" (HBO)

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY?
"Becoming Chaz" (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)?
"The Strange History of Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (HBO)?
"Two Spirits" (PBS) "?We Were Here" (Red Flag Releasing)?
"The World's Worst Place to be Gay?" (Logo)

OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM?
"Dancing with the Stars" (ABC)?
"Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys" (Sundance Channel)?
"The Glee Project" (Oxygen)?
"The Real L Word" (Showtime)?
"The Voice" (NBC)

OUTSTANDING TALK SHOW EPISODE?
"Chaz Bono," Late Show with David Letterman (CBS)?
"Children & Teens Caught in the Wrong Bodies" Anderson (syndicated)?
"Coming Out on the Oprah Show: 25 Years of Unforgettable Guests" The Oprah Winfrey Show (syndicated)?
"The Wedding of Scott Cronick & David Gorshein," Conan (TBS)?
"Zach Wahls," The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated)

OUTSTANDING DAILY DRAMA?
"All My Children" (ABC)?
"Days of Our Lives" (NBC)

OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM NEWSMAGAZINE?
"Day One," The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)?
"Finding Home," In the Life (PBS)?
"GLBT in Texas," Spotlight DFW (Dallas-Ft. Worth KXAS TV-5)?
"The 'Sissy Boy' Experiments," Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)?
"They Call it Corrective Rape," World's Untold Stories (CNN)

OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM SEGMENT?
"Battle Against Bullying," ABC World News with Diane Sawyer (ABC)?
"Children of LGBT Parents," MSNBC News Live (MSNBC)?
"Gay Dads Adopt 12 Kids," Good Morning America (ABC)?
"Kye Allums," Outside the Lines (ESPN)?
"Split by Potential Deportation," CNN Newsroom (CNN)

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER ARTICLE?
"AIDS @ 30? series, Windy City Times?
"Coming Out to America" by Melanie Asmar, Westword?
"Even on Religious Campuses, Students Fight for Gay Identity" by Erik Eckholm, The New York Times?
"Led by the Child Who Simply Knew" by Bella English, The Boston Globe?
"Local Lesbian Navigates Life's Daily Challenges as Parents" by Najla Amundson, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST?
Frank Bruni, The New York Times?
Alfred Doblin, The Record?
Maureen Dowd, The New York Times?
Peg McEntee, The Salt Lake Tribune?
Craig Wilson, USA Today

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER OVERALL COVERAGE
The Boston Globe?
The New York Times?
The Oregonian?
The Salt Lake Tribune?
Pioneer Press

OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE ARTICLE?
"15th Anniversary of the Passage of the Defense of Marriage Act" (series) by Chris Geidner, Metro Weekly?
"Black & Gay in Corporate America" by Carolyn M. Brown, Black Enterprise?
"Making It Work" by Rod McCullom, Ebony?
"The Secret I Don't Want to Keep Anymore" by Jane Mock as told to Kierna Mayo, Marie Claire?
"Transitions" by Eliza Gray, The New Republic

OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE OVERALL COVERAGE?
The Advocate/Out?
Entertainment Weekly?
People?
Time?
Us Weekly

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM ARTICLE?
"Adam and Pete: Love in a Time of War" by Max J. Rosenthal, HuffingtonPost.com?
"Black and Transgender: A Double Burden" by Kellee Terrell, TheRoot.com?
"The Rainbow Struggle" (series), GlobalPost.com?
"Soldier Leaves Legacy Much Larger Than 'He Was Gay'" by Wayne Drash, CNN.com?
"What are Little Boys Made Of" by Jim Burroway, BoxTurtleBulletin.com

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM MULTIMEDIA?
"Breaking Boundaries" by Eliza Gray and Margy Slattery, TheNewRepublic.com?
"Coming Out" by Sarah Kramer, NYTimes.com?
"Glamorous Gay Dance Scene a 'Family Affair'" by Brooke Sopelsa and Drew Katchen, MSNBC.com?
"Injustice at Every Turn," ITLMedia.org?
"Transgender: A Special Report" (series), TimesUnion.com

OUTSTANDING BLOG?
The Bilerico Project, bilerico.com?
Mombian, mombian.com?
The New Civil Rights Movement, thenewcivilrightsmovement.com?
Rod 2.0, rodonline.typepad.com?
Towleroad, towleroad.com

OUTSTANDING MUSIC ARTIST?
Beverly McClellan, "Fear Nothing"?
Girl in a Coma, "Exits & All the Rest"?
Hunx and His Punx, "Too Young to Be in Love?"
Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"?
MEN, "Talk About Body"

OUTSTANDING COMIC BOOK?
Avengers: The Children's Crusade by Allen Heinberg?
Batwoman by J.H. Williams and W. Haden Blackman?
Secret Six by Gail Simone?
Veronica Presents:
Kevin Keller by Dan Parent?
X-Factor by Peter David

OUSTANDING LOS ANGELES THEATER?
"Bonded" by Donald Jolly?
"House of the Rising Son" by Tom Jacobson?
"Killer Queen: The Story of Paco the Pink Pounder" by Peter Griggs?
"No Word in Guyanese for Me" by Wendy Graf?
"Who's Your Daddy?" by Johnny O'Callaghan

OUTSTANDING NEW YORK THEATER BROADWAY & OFF-BROADWAY?
"The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures" by Tony Kushner?
"Maple & Vine" by Jordan Harrison?
"Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical" by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott?
"Sons of the Prophet" by Stephen Karam?
"Unnatural Acts: Harvard's Secret Court of 1920" conceived by Tony Speciale

OUTSTANDING NEW YORK THEATER OFF-OFF BROADWAY?
"The Dog and Pony Show (Bring Your Own Pony)" by Holly Hughes?
"The Escape Artist" book by John Kelly, songs by John Kelly & Carol Lipnik?
"The Momentum" by Boo Killebrew, Geoffrey Decas O'Donnell & Jordan Seavey?
"She Kills Monsters" by Qui Nguyen?
"Southern Comfort" book and lyrics by Dan Collins, music by Julianne Wick Davis