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Thank you for participating. The polls have closed and over 12,000 votes have been counted. We’re bursting with excitement to announce the winners of the 2010 TLA GAYBIES! We love to know what kind of books and films our customers enjoy the most and these awards give us great insight. We’re thrilled to announce your top picks in each category below!

Congratulations to all of our winners and nominees.

• Best Openly Gay Actor in a Film or TV Series

  

  Jane Lynch on Glee

  Even though she's one of the most prolific actresses working today, when Jane Lynch pops up on screen (big or small) it always feels like a special treat. I can watch Best in Show over and over and her deadpan delivery never gets less funny. We loved her in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Julie & Julia. And, of course, we can't get enough of Sue on Glee. She's either hysterically funny or a warm, energetic presence in all of her projects. She is also one of the sweetest, most down-to-earth celebrities you'll ever meet. We're tickled pink that you voted her "Best Openly Gay Actor in a Film or TV Series." We hereby crown her Queen of the Gaybies!

• Best Gay Drama

  

  Milk

  I can't even think about Milk without feeling empowered. Gus Van Sant's tribute to the legendary San Francisco City Supervisor could not have come at a better time. Just after the oppressive outcome of the 2008 election in California, Milk served as a sterling reminder of the hard-won battles fought by our community in the past and how important it is to keep fighting for our future. This is an iconic, expertly-crafted film that will be watched and remembered fondly for a long, long time to come. I can't imagine a better cinematic package that could carry on Harvey Milk's message of hope to future generations.

• Best Gay Musical or Comedy

  

  Were the World Mine

  The "Best Gay Musical or Comedy" Gaybie award is just one more on the pile for Were the World Mine. Tom Gustafson's delightful musical comedy won the Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature at both the the Florida Film Festival and the Turin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival - as well as the "Best Music in a Narrative Film" award at the Nashville Film Festival, the "Best LGBT Feature Film" award at the Nashville Film Festival and many, many more. There is good reason that it has garnered so many awards. The visual composition is like candy for the eyes, the musical numbers are over-the-top in the best way possible, the actors - especially Tanner Cohen and Wendy Robie - are flawlessly charming and, most importantly, it's endlessly fun to watch a town full of straight people turn gay under the power of love. Were the World Mine has us under its spell and we're happy to be there.

• Best Gay Foreign Film

  

  Little Ashes

  I have to admit that we were very surprised to see that Little Ashes won the "Best Gay Foreign Film" award (by a pretty big margin, in fact, over Almodovar's Broken Embraces). I think we all know why this film accrued so many votes: Robert "Edward Cullen" Pattinson. It’s always nice to see a straight (as far as we know) actor take on a gay role with complete confidence. I think Pattinson made a serious statement by agreeing to appear in this film. Not only does it further his own career by showing that he's capable of more artistic ambitions, but it sets a great example that the top matinee idol of the moment – a man who's pasty visage is plastered over the bedroom walls of pre-pubescent girls and gay boys everywhere – isn't afraid that examining and exploring a homosexual character might threaten his still-developing image. Way to go, Pattinson! We salute you!

• Best Gay Documentary

  

  Outrage

  Examining politicians such as Larry Craig, Charlie Crist, Ed Schrock, Jim McCrery, David Drier and, of course, Ed Koch, Outrage opens the closet door on repressed conservatives who pass anti-gay legislation in a desperate, traitorous attempt to hide their own sexuality. Director Kirby Dick has crafted a brazen, completely enthralling (while unavoidably infuriating) documentary which shines a big, bright spotlight on institutionalized homophobia in both government and the media.

• Best Lesbian Film

  

  I Can’t Think Straight

  Fresh off last year's successful romantic period piece The World Unseen, drop-dead gorgeous Lisa Ray and stunningly beautiful Sheetal Sheth return as two women on conventional life paths who meet and cannot ignore their instant attraction and fast friendship in the bold and charming romance I Can't Think Straight. Director Shamim Sarif's contemporary lesbian storytelling is entertaining, beautiful and incredibly intimate. Watching I Can't Think Straight reminded us what it feels like to fall in love and what true loving relationships are all about.

• Best TV Series Featuring Gay Characters

  

  Glee

  One of the most popular new television shows for the 2009 – 2010 Season, "Glee" has mesmerized us with their astounding pop song covers, gripping storylines, and engaging characters, invalidating the allegations that a Musical TV Show would never work. Who can pass up watching the endearing Kurt (Chris Colfer) shaking his hips and waggling his finger to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)?" Or the scantily clad football jocks in the frequent locker room scenes? And let us not forget the malicious Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) and her endeavor to undermine the Glee Club. Yes, the dramatic narrative and comedic undertones earn "Glee" its spot right here as winner of the "Best Television Series featuring a Gay Character!"

• Best Gay Character in a Mainstream Movie

  

  Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in Milk

  This one was a no brainer. As far as important gay film characters go, how can you get any better than Harvey Milk? Sean Penn never steps in front of a camera without bringing his "A" game, but his portrayal of Harvey is particularly tender and loving. And that is all due to the fact that Harvey Milk was such a tender and loving figure who cared so deeply about the community that he was appointed to represent. Politicians of every persuasion can learn a lot from Milk's all-to-short time in office and his tireless, largely selfless dedication to making, not just San Francisco, but the entire world a better place for the people he cared about.

• Best Gay Character on a Mainstream TV Series

  

  Chris Colfer as Kurt on Glee

  How friggin' adorable is Chris Colfer? Seriously! We love him. I doubt that there are many gay men alive that can think back to their high school days and not find a way to relate to his chatacter on Glee. Kurt is easily one of our favorite characters on the show. Believe it or not, were it not for Mr. Colfer's audition, Kurt may not have existed at all. Chris originally auditioned for the role of Artie, which eventually went to Kevin McHale. Thankfully, the producers were so impressed with his performance that they created Kurt especially for him. We're glad. As far as we're concerned, he's the "Best Gay Character on a Mainstream TV Series!"

• Best Openly Gay Filmmaker

  

  Gus Van Sant for Milk

  Since 1985's Mala Noche, Gus Van Sant has dealt with gay subject matter unflinchingly and has become one of the most heralded openly-gay filmmakers of all time - for good reason. He has veered from the avant-garde with indie classics like My Own Private Idaho to mainstream megaplexes with Oscar-winners like Good Will Hunting. After a long stint working on hypnotic, experimentally minimalist projects like Elephant and Last Days, he tackled the story of Harvey Milk and presented one of his most important films to date.

• Best LGBT Blog

  AfterElton.com

  What website can you visit to get constant updates on EVERYTHING related to gay and bisexual men in the entertainment world (aside from the Twitter profiles of your most pop-culture obsessed friends, of course)? AfterElton.com is your best bet. Their posts are well-written and endlessly entertaining. You can get lost on their site for hours if you're not careful. We listed many, many vastly different sites in the "Best LGBT Blog" category this year and we're proud of every one of them for the way that they express their individual voices and support the larger community.

• Best LGBT Film Festival

  Outfest: Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

  Outfest's stated ambition of "protecting our past, showcasing our present and nurturing our future by fostering artistic expression of gender, sexuality and LGBTQ culture and its transformative social impact on the world" PERFECTLY sums up everything that a gay and lesbian film organization should be about. Founded in 1982, Outfest has been presenting the gay arts to the Los Angeles community and seeing to the preservation of LGBT films for nearly three decades - and they're are still as strong as they ever were. In that time, they established The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Fusion: The Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival, the Legacy Project for LGBT Film Preservation, their regular Wednesdays Screening Series and Access LA, which coaches young filmmakers and allows them access to the Outfest Screenwriting Lab to perfect their projects. If you live in the Los Angeles area or you're just visiting, Outfest has something wonderful to offer. We're thrilled to award them "Best LGBT Film Festival."

• Best Photo Book

  

  The Big Penis Book

  When we heard that legendary editor Dian Hanson at Taschen was putting together a book featuring big penises our heart just went pitter-patter. And what a book it is that she created. This is certainly the finest collection of cock images ever gathered in one place. Wouldn't it be amazing to have a travelling gallery show curated with art from this book?

• Best Gay Comic

  

  The Initiation #2: Higher Sex Education

  For their sophmore year, the pledges of Zeta Mega Phallus have to have as much gay sex as possible with their oversized units. Class Comics never disappoints us with their sexually over-the-top art and storylines that would make Stan Lee cringe, blush and gasp like one of his defeated villians.

• Best Gay Erotica

  

  Eight Inches, Sean Wolfe

  Very quickly Sean Wolfe has become a leader in the world of smart erotica. We hesitate to use the over-used "literotica" -- Sean's work will give you a hard-on by sending messages from your brain to your cock.

• Best Gay Fiction

  

  Divas Las Vegas, Rob Rosen

  Author Rob Rosen has contributed to many erotica collections and written several novels, but this is his first murder mystery - and what a mystery it is! There's drag queens, blackjack and ""Antiques Roadshow".

• Best Gay Mystery

  

  Straight Lies, Rob Byrnes

  Rob Byrnes' "Straight Lies" is charming from beginning to end. While these characters are scoundrels, they're criminals we totally enjoyed hanging out with while we were reading this fun book and miss now that it's over! Maybe Rob will bring them back for another botched caper.

• Best Gay Non-Fiction

  

  The Meaning of Matthew, Judy Shepard

  With the space of over 20 years now, mother Judy Shepard now tells the world her story and how the death of her son Matthew has changed the world for the better.