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'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Dancing' & More Stars at GLSEN Red Carpet

by Michael Maloney, posted Oct 16th 2009 5:30PM

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HBO, 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Private Practice' creator Shonda Rhimes and philanthropist David Bohnett were honored Oct. 9 night by GLSEN at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The organization (which is pronounced "glisten") stands for Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and seeks to create safe school environments for all students by making them aware of how harmful comments like "that's so gay" are.

Television's primary goal is to entertain, but it can also educate, according to Michael Lombardo, president of HBO programming. "We've certainly seen TV shows that have gay characters, but they're usually playing comedic foils or certainly asexual," Lombardo said.

The cable network's series 'Six Feet Under' introduced one of TV's first non-stereotypical gay characters in policeman Keith Charles, played by Matthew St. Patrick. "I still reference 'Six Feet Under' as revolutionary," Lombardo added.

Broadcast TV hasn't fully embraced the idea of a masculine gay leading man character -- though 'Melrose Place's' gay, recurring publicist Caleb Brewe (Victor Webster) is a step in the right direction.

'Dancing With the Stars'' sentimental favorite Kelly Osbourne grew upset during her walk down the press line because outlets were more interested in asking her about her 'Dancing' journey rather than GLSEN's mission. "Going to school in L.A., people were more open-minded," the singer/reality star recalled. "It's sad to think about how much worse it could be in another part of the country."

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GLSEN Respect Awards

Sara Ramirez performs onstage at the 5th Annual GLSEN Respect Awards held at the Beverly Hills Hotel on October 9, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. 5th Annual GLSEN Respect Awards - Inside Beverly Hills Hotel Beverly Hills, CA United States October 9, 2009 Photo by FilmMagic Inc/FilmMagic.com To license this image (58603875), contact FilmMagic.com

FilmMagic Inc/FilmMagic.com

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 09: HBO's Michael Lombardo arrives at the 5th Annual GLSEN Respect Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel on October 9, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Lombardo

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BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 09: Actor Wilson Cruz arrives at the 5th Annual GLSEN Respect Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel on October 9, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Wilson Cruz

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BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 09: Actor Paul Adelstein arrives at the 5th Annual GLSEN Respect Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel on October 9, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Paul Adelstein

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BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 09: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa arrives at the 5th Annual GLSEN Respect Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel on October 9, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Antonio Villaraigosa

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BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 09: Dancer Cheryl Burke arrives at the 5th Annual GLSEN Respect Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel on October 9, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Cheryl Burke

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Does Osbourne think 'Dancing' might someday see a same-sex couple? "I don't think dancing is about whether it's a boy or a girl," Osbourne said. "It's about movement -- not about who you're dancing with."

Her partner, Louis Van Amstel, said (no pun intended), "Step by step, it will be eventually accepted. Growing up in Amsterdam, I never really had problems. I didn't have to 'come out.' I could just be myself."

'Grey's Anatomy' star Chandra Wilson applauded Rhimes for creating a diverse tapestry at Seattle Grace that has grown to include lesbian and bisexual characters. "She's always been that way, but when I read the show's pilot I thought, 'This is America,'" Wilson said.

More dish AOL TV got on the red carpet:
• 'Dancing' pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy revealed he's now ready for acting gigs. Couldn't you see him on 'CSI: Miami'? "Let's do it," he said. "I just don't want to be the corpse."
• Maks' former 'Dancing' partner Debi Mazar will bring her book agent role back to 'Castle' -- if the series is renewed.
• 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's' Michael Moloney has a dream celebrity guest: First Lady Michelle Obama. "She's all about volunteerism," Moloney said. "She's the best we could get." Moloney added that upcoming guest star Kellie Pickler ('American Idol') wasn't afraid to pick up a hammer. "She came from nothing, so to give back to another family was meaningful for her."
• 'Bored to Death' star Jason Schwartzman was still smiling over the renewal of his HBO freshman series about a writer turned private eye. "I called [co-star] Ted Danson immediately," Schwartzman said. "He's a comedic assassin."