Just came back from the NYC Pride parade. Went with a former colleague who likes to impart life lessons. Carlos thinks I need to be less cranky and more attuned to the vagaries of popular culture; he was appalled I had no idea  one of the stars from Ugly Betty drove by us (never caught the actor’s name).

Anyway here are some pictures. There was stuff  that would make some  here shudder with disgust and other things that brought tears. For this crank it was the number of kids marching that was worthy of a hanky. Some staid and proud, others with attitude to match any diva. Kids unwilling to follow the lives us old heads did when we were the same age. Hard not to feel pride in that.

Ugly Betty is getting nods for portraying gay characters as part of mainstream media. Some Betty fans are thrilled that the writers have chosen to include a gay character in its main cast. Others worry that the stereotyped gay man who plays assistant to the shows’ evildoer only reinforces negative images of the gay community.

I’m not sure it’s a dispute that can be resolved. Ugly Betty is one of my guilty pleasures, and I have followed the portrayal of gay characters from close to the beginning. Some are truly realistic and heartfelt, but themes of extreme effemininity and chronic infidelity are present. The question is, should we care if the portrayal reinforces stereotypes as well as dispelling them?

If Ugly Betty is a show that both reinforces stereotypes and contradicts them, then perhaps they should receive an award simply for providing exposure for LGBT people. Harvey Milk insisted that coming out of the closet was an act of political defiance. If they know that we exist, if we are their teacher or family member or employee, homophobic individuals will be less likely to preach intolerance.

This may very well apply to television shows. If employing a gay man is normal on Ugly Betty, perhaps it becomes more normal in real life too. Maybe it doesn’t matter if the gay man is a cliched version of actual members of the LGBT community. Exposure on television might be some bastardized version of Milk’s vision.

That said, there is the possibility that negative stereotyping without a counterbalance will set back the LGBT struggle. Ugly Betty, though, is not that kind of show. I’m happy it is being recognized for its inclusion, even when the inclusion can be offensive.

The awards recognize fair and inclusive portrayals of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and issues affecting them.

“How our lives are portrayed in the media doesn’t make a bit of difference, it makes all the difference,” said GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano.

The organization announced its 185 nominees in 41 categories Tuesday.

For the second year, AfterElton.com, 365gay’s brother site, has been recognized with the nomination of James Hillis’s investigative report, Gays in Primetime (here’s Part II). Last year James was nominated (and won) with his piece Gay Newsmen: A Clearer Picture.

CBS earned four nominations and NBC nabbed two. Nominees for feature film in wide release include “Brideshead Revisited,” “Milk,” “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” “RocknRolla” and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

“The nominees this year prove that the stories of LGBT Americans are interesting, compelling and will touch not only LGBT audiences, but broader audiences as well,” Giuliano said.

Special prizes will be presented to Tyra Banks and Suze Orman. Banks will receive the Excellence in Media award, and Orman will receive the Vito Russo award.

The GLAAD Media Awards – which also recognize magazine and newspaper content, theater performances, advertising and Spanish programming – will be presented at three separate ceremonies: in New York on March 28, in Los Angeles on April 19 and in San Francisco on May 9.

For a complete list of the nominees as well as a video of the announcement, head on over to GLAAD’s website.