Photographs by the Drunken Photographer

Artists and corporate sponsors mingled with local celebrities—including stage legend Joel Grey, Mad Men’s Bryan Batt and soap star Scott Evans—at GLAAD’s eighth annual OUT Auction at the Metropolitan Pavilion on Sunday night. The lavish event auctioned off work by GLAAD-approved artists in order to raise money to continue GLAAD’s awareness and antihomophobia programs. (Disclosure: TONY was a media sponsor of the event.) During his speech, GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios referenced a national headline from last month about a Chicago high school student who reported a teacher for using the term black fag (and eventually got the teacher suspended) as a way to remind people why they were there, though it is questionable whether the loosened-up crowd, who required some shushing, got the message. The art collection as a whole was somewhat of a mixed bag, and it seemed GLAAD’s art-loving guests weren’t quite as enthusiastic as organizers were hoping. Jim Gillespie, one of the event’s cochairs, pleaded, “The space looks truly amazing, but what would make it look even better is if people started bidding!” We thought the most interesting item was a piece by Paul Richmond entitled “Noah’s Gay Wedding Cruise,” an oil painting of iconic gay and lesbian couples (Ellen and Portia, Elton and David, Bert and Ernie) alongside some not-so-iconic same-sex animal couples (a pair of giraffes in top hats, a pair of chimps in bow ties), all aboard a rainbow-flagged ark. Love it! Hip-hop singer Talia Coles certainly wasn’t interested in going home empty-handed; “I’d love a few pieces for my living room,” she admitted with a smile. “You know, so I can show off to guests.” The evening ended with a lively after-party in a spacious red-lit room, where DJ Xavier had guests dancing to Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus.