Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's Ninth Annual OUTAuction NYC Held Recently

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation raised $165,000 from the auction of works by the GLAAD Top 100 Artists at its Ninth Annual OUTAuction NYC held recently at Manhattan's Metropolitan Pavilion (125 West 18th Street) on Sunday November 21, 2010.

Jill Zarin (The Real Housewives of NYC) hosted the event and welcomed fellow cast members Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Countess LuAnn de Lesseps, and Sonja Morgan. Other special guests attending included:

VIP Ticket holders were entered in a raffle for a chance to win a dinner with host Jill Zarin, as well as products from her bedding line, among other prizes.

Zarin has been an important GLAAD ally for many years. She was recently seen participating in Spirit Day, remembering youth who committed suicide as a result of anti-LGBT bullying

Said Zarin, "I am proud to serve as host for this year's GLAAD OUTAuction event. I know that the media plays an important role in how we view others, and I'm proud to support GLAAD's work to share powerful stories about LGBT people with all Americans."

The Ninth Annual OUTAuction, presented by Bud Light and ROKK Vodka, featured a cocktail reception, live and silent auctions as well as a VIP after party. Proceeds from the event benefit GLAAD's work to amplify the voices of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community by sharing stories of LGBT people in news, entertainment and social media.

OUTAuction NYC also featured a live auction featuring:

Additional members of the honorary host committee who have lent their names in support of the event included:

Among the artists selected to show at the event are Brian Cyr, an openly gay artist who was discharged from the US Air Force under the now defunct "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy; Gina Garan, famous for her role in the reintroduction of the Blythe doll and her photobook This Is Blythe; Argentinean artist Mirta Kupferminc; filmmaker Jane Martin, and Manhattan-based author/photographer Alex Geana.

GLAAD's Arts Advisory Committee selected the 100 featured artists from a pool of over 350 submissions. This year's Arts Advisory Committee draws talent from leading voices in the industry, including Jaclyn Acker and Andy Fligel from Chelsea Frames, Brian English of the Herb Ritts Foundation, artist Amy Levin, Alexander and Bonin Gallery Director Oliver Newton, Wayne Snellen of The Leslie Lohman Gay Art Foundation, curator Irene Shum Allen and president of the Andy Warhol Foundation Joel Wachs.

for more info and future events go to: http://www.glaad.org/

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Ninth Annual OUTAuction NYC
Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street

New York, NY

GLAAD NYC Office
104 West 29th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10001
W: 212-629-3322
F: 212-629-3225