Another Contestant Bids Farewell to American Idol

And then there were six. At the end of the two-hour-plus Idol Gives Back charity concert Wednesday night someone had to say farewell.

It was Tim Urban’s time to go. (Well it was about time. He may look great shirtless in his modeling pictures, but this guy surely cannot carry a tune. He should have been gone along time ago...like before Hollywood week!)

He had a better run than probably anyone — apart from friends and family — expected, largely because he always flashed an ingratiating smile, had better hair than most professional pop stars and was growing stronger as a performer week by week. But you may have sensed the end was near Tuesday night when Ellen compared him to a soup du jour that failed to please her that particular day.

Ellen’s light cleverness often gets to the essence of everything.

In an unexpected development, Casey James not only made his first trip to the bottom three (along with Tim and Aaron Kelly) but he also fell to the bottom two. Casey’s problem is turning out to be his jaunty, rock ’n’ roll consistency. He’s often better than Aaron or Siobhan Magnus, but their occasional lows make their highs seem all the more impressive.

A rocky mountain range is more striking than even the most fertile plain.

Meanwhile, the rest of the show went off in all sorts of directions, raising money and doing good with the participation of many celebrities. The best guest performer? Probably Annie Lennox, who taped a segment about an HIV-positive girl in Africa. She also sang from London. (All the Icelandic volcano smoke prevented her from catching a flight to the States).

And it was fun to see Mary J. Blige do “Stairway to Heaven” with Randy on guitar.

I also loved Joss Stone's performance, along with Carrie Underwood.

Of the comic guests, Wanda Sykes was far and away the funniest with a short but on-target monologue: She said she’d been wondering if Simon was bored this season. She also observed how cruel it is to force the losing contestant to sing each week. George Lopez's "elimination" segment was also very entertaining.

This week, Tim was spared that final performance since the show was running so late. He went out smiling like blazes, though.

Next week's mentor is Shania Twain and the six remaining contestants will be performing her songs.

'Glee' Among GLAAD Media Awards Winners

"Glee" has another reason to be happy.

The Fox musical comedy was among the winners at the 21st annual GLAAD Media Awards. The show's cast and creator Ryan Murphy received the trophy for outstanding comedy series at Saturday's glitzy ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Murphy, in particular, praised lesbian actress Jane Lynch and gay actor Chris Colfer for their contributions.

"We have a great responsibility with the show," Murphy beamed.

Murphy told the crowd that Colfer's character, outspoken gay soprano Kurt Hummel, would have a boyfriend next season, and the pair would become prom kings. Murphy also promised the crowd that Colfer's character "would never be the victim."

"Iron Chef" Cat Cora presented actress-director Drew Barrymore with the Vanguard Award, which honors efforts to increase visibility and understanding of the gay community. In a humorous video before accepting her trophy, Barrymore listed several of her inspirational gay colleagues, including her agent, lawyer, doctor, stylists and one of her dogs.

"The thing that means the most to me about an evening like this, and why I want to fight and be outspoken about this is because there are so many people who are in desperate need of families," Barrymore said.

Constance McMillen, the lesbian Mississippi teenager who challenged her school district's ban of same-sex prom dates, presented comedian-actress Wanda Sykes with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which is given by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to an openly gay member of the entertainment community for their work toward eliminating homophobia.

"I'm willing to give this award to you," Sykes teased McMillen, "but I'm not gonna do it. It means a lot to me."

Other winners included Logo's "RuPaul's Drag Race" for outstanding reality program and "A Single Man" for outstanding wide release film. "A Single Man" director Tom Ford wasn't on hand to receive his trophy. His partner Richard Buckley accepted the award on Ford's behalf because the filmmaker was stranded in London thanks to the volcanic cloud of ash.

Adam Lambert, the glam-rocking "American Idol" runner-up who raised eyebrows with his racy performance at last year's American Music Awards, capped off the ceremony hosted by transgender actress Candis Cayne and gay actor Wilson Cruz with a performance of his tunes "Music Again" and "Fever." He ended by pleading for diversity within the gay community.

The awards salute fair, accurate and inclusive representation of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives in the media. Other winners -- chosen from 152 nominees in 32 categories -- were awarded at a March ceremony in New York, while the remainder will be presented at a San Francisco ceremony in June.

Anna Paquin Comes Out as Bisexual

No one saw this coming! Anna Paquin, who plays a telepathic vampire lover on HBO's True Blood, has come out as bisexual.

Paquin, who's engaged to her True Blood costar Stephen Moyer, makes the announcement in a PSA video promoting the Give a Damn campaign, which features celebritiess speaking out for equality.

"I'm Anna Paquin. I'm bisexual and I give a damn," Paquin, 27, says on-camera during a private taping on Jan. 30 in Los Angeles. Sources said they were unaware beforehand that Paquin would make the announcement.

Others who were present at the taping included comedian Margaret Cho and singers Mya and Jason Mraz.

Paquin's PSA comes on behalf of the True Colors Fund, an organization dedicated to earning equal rights for people who are gay, straight, bisexual or transgendered. The organization's "Give a Damn" campaign launches Thursday, with Paquin's spot as the first of several to be unveiled on-line in coming months.

Other major names in the campaign include Kim Kardashian, Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, Cynthia Nixon, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, Judith Light, Clay Aiken and Wanda Sykes.

Drew Barrymore & Wanda Sykes to be Honored with Top Gay Media Awards

Drew Barrymore and Wanda Sykes are to be the recipients of this year's top gay honors at the 21st annual GLAAD Media Awards.

Officials at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation will bestow their Vanguard Award on Barrymore, while gay comedienne Wanda Sykes will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at a glitzy gala in Los Angeles on April 17th.

Barrymore's honor comes after she portrayed Robert De Niro's lesbian daughter in Everybody's Fine, which has also been nominated for Outstanding Film at the event.

She has become a big favorite of GLAAD in recent years for her activism towards gay rights and joined thousands of marriage equality advocates on the streets of West Hollywood when the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, which eliminated marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

The thrilled star says, "I was born, bred and raised among diversity, it has defined me and made me the person I am today. I'm honoured and humbled to be receiving this award."

Past recipients of The Vanguard Award include Charlize Theron, Antonio Banderas, Sharon Stone and Elizabeth Taylor.

Sykes' honor is annually presented to openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the gay community

OUT Magazine Introduces the Class of 2009

In it’s 16th annual Out 100 issue, Out magazine anoints Adam Lambert breakout star after the musician catapulted from Wicked chorus boy to American Idol cover boy earlier this year.

In an extended online interview, the star candidly discusses his sexuality, his newfound fame, and why he finds it hard to sustain a relationship: “Being in the gay community, we don’t grow up with any role models for that. We don’t know what we’re supposed to be.”

This year’s portfolio of 100 gay men, lesbians and transgender people, plus ally Cyndi Lauper, was shot entirely by award-winning photographer Jason Bell, and is the largest annual magazine portfolio in the world. Bell’s portraits draw inspiration from the classroom and the schoolyard as the unifying theme for this year’s portfolio. Actor Neil Patrick Harris smokes in the bleachers, director Pedro Almodovar sports a hickey, Top Gun icon Kelly McGillis stares moodily from a school bus, and playwright Tony Kushner coyly aims a slingshot at an unsuspecting target.

Here’s what Adam Lambert had to share with Out…

On Sexuality: “To some people, me being sexual is really offensive because I’m gay. They’re like, ‘He’s being really gay.’ And I’m like, actually, ‘No, I’m just being sexual.’ Male sexuality is frightening to America [but] female sexuality is all over the place.”

On Fame: “Fame doesn’t freak me out, and I can handle it. But sometimes out in public there are people that just are so rude.

“Like, people are really cool about it and they’ll come up to you and they’re just like, “Oh hey man, I really liked you.” It’s brief, it’s sweet, it’s genuine. But some people freak out. And I’m like, why are you freaking out? I don’t get that mentality. I’ve never felt like that about a celebrity before — except maybe Madonna.

“When I met Madonna my heart was racing. That’s my one experience being star-struck. And I told her, ‘I’m freaking out.’ And she said, ‘Why?’ And I said, ‘Because you’re f—ing Madonna.’”

Featured among the other major honorees:

Wanda Sykes: Entertainer of the Year
The comedian emceed Barack Obama’s first White House Correspondent’s dinner earlier this year, and landed her own nighttime talk show on Fox that premiered this month.

Cyndi Lauper: Ally of the Year
No pop diva has flexed her muscles for gay equality as much as Cyndi Lauper. Among her most laudable achievement is the True Colors Residence in Harlem—the first permanent supportive housing facility for LGBT youth in New York State. “Kids are coming out in greater numbers as they see themselves accepted and represented on TV and in movies,” says Lauper. “But they’re still being kicked out of their homes or running away and living on the streets. We need to make sure we’re taking care of them.”

Rob Marshall: Artist of the Year
The six-time Tony-nominated choreographer and director follows up his Oscar-winning Chicago with another movie musical, Nine, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, and Sophia Loren, among others.

Dan Choi: Newsmaker of the Year
After making waves in March when he appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show as a spokesperson for Knights Out, a group for gay West Point students and alumni, Choi was notified that he’d be investigated for breaching Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. In spite of a petition in his support, with some 162,000 signatures, Choi was discharged, and has since taken a leading role in the fight to end DADT.

Christopher Bailey: Stylemaker of the Year
The 38-year-old Creative Director of Burberry who draws inspiration from the such sources as cult gay British director Derek Jarman and artist David Hockney, has been responsible for turning the label into a multibillion-dollar powerhouse.

The latest edition of OUT goes on sale on November 24th. For the complete Out 100 go to www.out.com/Out100.

Star Quotes: Wanda Sykes is Proud

"I’m proud be a woman, I’m proud to be a black woman, and I’m proud to be gay. Let’s go get our damn equal rights."

—Wanda Sykes

Wanda Sykes heads to Fox

Fox is prepping a Saturday night gabber to be hosted by Wanda Sykes.

The Sykes show, which is expected to launch in the fall, would fill the void left by the recently canceled sketch series "MadTV."

The hour long show would air at 11 p.m. According to Broadcasting & Cable, which first broke the news, the Sykes ahow would look more like a panel series similar to Bill Maher's HBO show, as opposed to a regular talker.

Beyond the topical panel discussions, the series also will follow Sykes as she shoots field segments.

Show reps a reunion between Fox and Sykes, who starred in the laffer "Wanda at Large" for the network.

It's unclear how the Sykes show will affect the fate of Fox's other Saturday latenight series, "Talkshow With Spike Feresten." Feresten was recently given a trial run in the 11 p.m. slot.

Sykes currently stars on CBS' "The New Adventures of Old Christine," and will host the 2009 White House Correspondents Associatin dinner next month. She also has frequently appeared on "Curb Your Enthusiasm."