Kelly Ripa and MSNBC news anchor Thomas Roberts were among those honored at the 2015 GLAAD Media Awards in New York on Saturday.
Roberts, 42, who came out as gay in 2006, accepted the Vito Russo Award for promoting equality in the LGBT community. He
CNN host Anderson Cooper , who received the honor in 2013, presented Ripa with the Excellence in Media Award. She began her speech by congratulating "the supremely good-looking" Roberts.
"Or as my mom likes to refer to you, her boyfriend," she said, adding, "Because of people like you, there are people out there that look up to you that are able to be proud of who they are."
Lynda Carter, best known for playing Wonder Woman on TV, presented Roberts with his award, after which he gave a tearful speech.
"When I was 15, I almost killed myself," he said. "Thanks to my sister, I did not. I tried to keep my sexuality a secret to everyone and to myself and when I got older especially if I wanted to work in TV news Being out meant being a outcast and that's really sadly how my mind worked then."
The Live With Kelly and Michael co-host, who attended the event with her husband of 19 years, Mark Consuelos, was honored for making a difference in promoting equality.
"I feel that it's kind of odd in a way that I should be given an award based on the fact that I've been surrounded by, loved by and influenced by this community my entire life," she said. "Or, quite frankly, that I should be celebrated for treating people like people."
She also paid tribute to Anderson, who made his first major red carpet appearance with partner Benjamin Maisani at the event. They two have occasionally attended celebrity events together.
"On a personal note, I just want to thank you and Benjamin for being such extraordinary friends, exceptional friends," she said. "You're such a fine example for my family, my children in particular. I feel like my kids are better people because they have you and Benjamin in their lives. Seriously, I love you."
Check out more award recipients below. Previous 2015 GLAAD Media Award winners were announced in March (see list).
OUTSTANDING TALK SHOW EPISODE
"Issues Facing the Transgender Community" Katie (syndicated)
"Laverne Cox Discusses 'The T Word'" The View (ABC)
"Michael Sam" Oprah Prime (OWN)
"Pepe Julian Onziema" Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)
"Robin Roberts" The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated)
OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM SEGMENT
"Fired for Being Gay?" MSNBC Live (MSNBC) - winner
"Change is Coming to the South" Melissa Harris-Perry (MSNBC)
"License to Discriminate?" Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)
"A Model With a Mission" Alicia Menendez Tonight (Fusion)
"Transgender Tipping Point?" This Week (ABC)
OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM – NEWSMAGAZINE
"Coming Out" Nick News With Linda Ellerbee (Nickelodeon) - winner
"Gay and Muslim in America" America Tonight (Al Jazeera America)
"Gay Rodeo" This is Life with Lisa Ling (CNN)
"Infield & Out: Baseball for All" Morning Joe (MSNBC)
"Transgender Society" [series] Ronan Farrow Daily (MSNBC)
OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
"Longtime Utah LGBT Advocates Recount Brutal History" by Erin Alberty (Salt Lake City Tribune) - winner
"A Christian Family, a Gay Son and a Wichita Father's Change of Heart" by Roy Wenzl (The Wichita Eagle)
"For Transgender Service Members, Honesty Can End Career" by Ernesto Londoño (The Washington Post)
"An Identity to Call Their Own" [series] by Michael A. Fuoco & Mackenzie Carpenter (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
"When They Stopped Waiting" by Shaun McKinnon (The Arizona Republic)
OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM SEGMENT
"Transgender Tipping Point?" This Week (ABC) - winner
"Change is Coming to the South" Melissa Harris-Perry (MSNBC)
"Fired for Being Gay?" MSNBC Live (MSNBC)
"License to Discriminate?" Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)
"A Model With a Mission" Alicia Menendez Tonight (Fusion)
OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM– MULTIMEDIA
"Why Did the U.S. Lock Up These Women With Men?" by Cristina Costantini, Jorge Rivas, Kristofer Ríos (Fusion.net) - winner
"Left Behind: LGBT Homeless Youth Struggle to Survive on the Streets" by Miranda Leitsinger (NBCNews.com)
"With Technology I Didn't Have to Sell My Body" by Kerri Pang (MSNBC.com)
"Young and Gay: Jamaica's Gully Queens" by Adri Murguia, Christo Geoghegan (News.Vice.com)
"Young and Gay in Putin's Russia" by Milene Larsson (News.Vice.com)
OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE OVERALL COVERAGE
Sports Illustrated - winner
Essence
Glamour
Out
Time
OUTSTANDING FILM - LIMITED RELEASE
Lilting (Strand Releasing) - winner
Dear White People (Lionsgate)
Life Partners (Magnolia Pictures)
The Way He Looks (Strand Releasing)
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (Film Movement)
OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY
L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin (Showtime) - winner
The Case Against 8 (HBO)
Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word (Logo / MTV)
To Russia with Love (Epix)
True Trans With Laura Jane Grace (AOL Originals)
OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM
R&B Divas: Atlanta (TV One) - winner
Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce (Fuse)
B.O.R.N. to Style (FYI)
Make or Break: The Linda Perry Project (VH1)
Survivor: San Juan del Sur (CBS)
(E! and MSNBC are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
—Additional reporting by Jennifer Cooper