Lady Gaga and Jessie J lead Stonewall nominations
Gay-friendly singers Lady Gaga and Jessie J are in the running for Stonewall awards.
While newcomer Jessie is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Gaga is a contender for Hero of the Year.
Torchwood and Lip Service have been nominated for Broadcast of the Year, as has Scott Mills’ documentary on Uganda: The World’s Worst Place to be gay.
Jodi Picoult, Phillip Hensher and Alan Hollinghurst have all been nominated for Writer of the Year, while gay sports stars Anton Hysen and Steven Davies are listed for Sportsperson of the Year.
Those in the running for Politician of the Year include deputy speaker Nigel Evans, Labour MP Chris Bryant and Conservative MP Ruth Davidson, who is battling to become the party’s next Scottish leader.
The awards celebrate figures who have made a positive impact on the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the last year.
While some of the winners will be decided by a panel of judges, others, including Hero and Bigot of the Year, will be decided by Stonewall’s supporters.
Those in the running for Bigot of the Year include Daily Mail columnist Melanie Phillips who claimed gay charities were “brainwashing children” and MSP Bill Walker, who said gay relationships should not be “in any way equal” to straight ones.
Other contenders are Scottish entrepreneur and Section 28 backer Brian Souter, who was knighted this year; Christian Voice leader Stephen Green and the Rt Rev Arthur Roche, a previous nominee who has campaigned for adoption agencies to be allowed to bar gay people.
Nominees for Hero of the Year include Lady Gaga, veteran musician Joan Armatrading and actor and drag queen Bette Bourne.
Also nominated are Roger Crouch, who has been campaigning for gay rights since his 15-year-old son Dominic killed himself last year and Paul Martin, the chief executive of the Manchester-based Lesbian & Gay Foundation.
The award ceremony, presented by gay comedian Stephen K Amos, will take place on Thursday November 3rd at London’s V&A Museum.
