MK was ThisClose to working the Red Carpet of the LA Gay Center's 40th Anniversary Gala Last Night, but had to Rush off and get to the next destination of his West Coast Tour, San Francisco. Thank God for my Colleague, Greg in Hollywood for getting the Dirt. Also look for Exclusive Photos and Video:
Neil Patrick Harris and
David Burtka were charming couple received the Rand Schrader Distinguished Achievement Award.
“We are so honored to be here on the 40th anniversary of this incredible and important institution,” Harris said before slipping into humor and adding: “It’s hard to believe that it’s been years since The Center first invented gays and lesbians. And we are so happy that they did.”
David, taking on the straight man role if you will, added: “More to the point, we are extraordinarily grateful that we are able to stand here today as a same-sex couple with children and not feel like we are some kind of freak show or some kind of government experiment gone awry.”
Neil then paid tribute to other famous gay parents before them like
Dan Savage and
Cynthia Nixon, BD Wong, Cat Kora. Ricky Martin, Sara Gilbert, Clay Aiken, Rosie O’Donnell, among others who he described as “courageous people who stood tall long before it became acceptable to do so.”
“The fact is, David and I don’t even consider ourselves true activists. There’s a lot of other people who do that heavy lifting. Sometimes we choose to raise our voices so that the world can hear us but other times we just, frankly, we just want to curl up at home and be a family together.”
Neil pointed out that that is part of the great change The Center has brought about in the last 40 years: “They, and all of you, are helping create a world where, for the first time, for gays and lesbians being married and being a parent doesn’t have to be about making a statement. Instead, it can just be about living our lives.”
