GLAAD Wrap-Up

When my friend Chris told me he was on the host committee for the 2009 GLAAD Manhattan party, I immediately bought a ticket. (Who doesn't like to go to a big gala for a great cause?) But when Rich, the organization's director of pubic relations, offered me a prime spot on the red carpet, I knew it was going to be one of those borderline-ridiculous-kind-of-fun nights that required a partner in crime. Lucky for me, my college friend and rising star on the art scene Scooter LaForge was more than up to the task, first dressing me in one of his fab hand-painted Farrah Fawcett T-shirts -- the event was a Venice Beach theme, and no one embodied the California girl look better than the former Mrs. Majors! -- and then putting his photography skills to work while I pounced on every A-to-Z list celebrity who appeared before me. "Make Me a Supermodel" cutie Ronnie Kroell charmed the socks off both of us (has this guy somehow managed to get even more adorable?). He told me about some of the projects he was working on, including an interview he and his mom did on the GLAAD blog sharing his coming-out story and the importance of humanizing the process. What a doll! Then I immediately hit it off with Lisa Lampanelli, whose stand-up I am a huge fan of. I asked her if the oft-misguided gay PC patrol had ever come after her for her over-the-top jokes about gays and I was pleasantly surprised to hear her say never, perhaps an encouraging sign that people are starting to understand the difference between an attack and a sharp-tongued tease (if we can't laugh at ourselves, who can we laugh at?). The sound isn't great, but it is worth watching to see me do a "move" I never dreamed I was capable of! The biggest thrill of the night, however, was an unexpected one. While eagerly awaiting the arrival of the evening's true A-listers -- Lynda Carter and Jane Krakowski -- I suddenly looked up and saw Scott Evans, aka Oliver Fish, that really hot closet-case cop on "One Life to Live," and Brett Claywell, who plays his ex-boyfriend, Kyle, on the show. Scott reached my spot in the line first and was even more adorable than he is on the show, wearing a GE Miners shirt, shorts that revealed a BOSTON tattoo on his calf and flip-flops, and laughing and having fun. When I asked him if his real romances progressed as slowly as his television relationships, he grinned and said, "What relationships?" (I find that hard to believe, Scott!) After putting the meat in a Kyle and Oliver sandwich, the latest addition to the cast, Nicholas Rodriguez, who plays Kyle's newest love interest, joined the fun. (Watching my "stories" will never be the same!) Of course, honorary co-chairs Jill Zarin and Countess LuAnn de Lesseps were high on our list of "gets" -- Jill for Scooter, LuAnn for me. While LuAnn did not disappoint one bit (she's every bit as gorgeous in person and just a hoot to gab with), Jill left a bad taste in Scooter's mouth. ("I'm through with that show," he announced over dinner at Elmo afterward.) By the time we realized Lynda and Jane were never going to show (thanks a lot, ladies: consider yourself downgraded to the B-minus-list), we'd interviewed and photographed more than a dozen people, including Nick Adams, Pedro Andrade, Kathryn Erbe ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent"), Dominic Fumusa ("Nurse Jackie"), Milena Govich ("Rescue Me"), Cazwell and Kim Stolz ("America’s Next Top Model"). And then we still had a party to go to! The 20th Floor Rooftop Garden on Fifth Avenue is a spectacular venue, with breathtaking views from all angles. After getting a drink and admitting we were already pretty beat from "working," we did have a good time and ran into a few familiar faces, including my "host" Chris and his boyfriend, Brian. A Wayland-free Madame was making the rounds (Scooter HAD to have a pic), but I wasn't going to rest until we found Ronnie again, who'd told me he'd be stripping down to nothing but an Andrew Christian bathing suit later in the evening (he even showed me what it looked like on the red carpet). Once we spotted him -- and as you can see, his body is looking RIDICULOUSLY HOT -- Scooter and I decided we could leave happy and were ready to wrap it up. A big-thank you to GLAAD for putting on such a great event, and especially Rich for taking such great care of us.