Josh Hutcherson: GLAAD Vanguard Awardee

The second of three award shows held this spring by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to honor the most outstanding images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in the media will take place in Los Angeles on April 21.

Among those honored at the ceremony will be 19-year-old Josh Hutcherson who starred in 2010's "The Kids Are All Right" and can currently be seen in the massive hit "The Hunger Games." The actor will receive the 2012 GLAAD Vanguard Award which is presented to a member of the entertainment community who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people.

(Hot pictures after jump.)

Hutcherson is the youngest person to ever receive the award, which previously has been given to Charlize Theron, Kristin Chenoweth, and Elizabeth Taylor, among others.

Hutcherson is being honored for his work with the LGBT which includes the founding of Straight But Not Narrow, a campaign that "is primarily directed to the young, straight male by using comedy and their peers to positively influence their views on LGBT teens." The teen, who filmed a video for SBNN (click here) told SamaritanMag.com, "...[the campaign] hits close to home for me. I have a lot of gay friends in Los Angeles. My roommate’s gay and I lost two uncles when I was young to AIDS, so it’s an important cause in my family." --- Source: Huffington Post

Even though Josh Hutcherson never had the opportunity to meet his two gay uncles, who, as we reported, tragically passed away from AIDS before he was born, they clearly have inspired The Hunger Games star to step up and become a passionate advocate for the LGBT community, and work closely with the group Straight But Not Narrow!

Enough so to mark him as the youngest recipient of the Vanguard Award at the upcoming GLAAD Media Awards, and in light of the honor, he's speaking out for the first time about his late relatives!

He explains:

"They were in their early thirties, in great shape, but unfortunately they were taken away from us too soon. Both passed away at about the time I was born. My mom has always been a big advocate, especially in the gay, lesbian, transsexual and bisexual community so for me it's always been a part of my soul. This is what my family is most proud of and the same for me. Acting is one thing, but actually trying to change the world and the way people think to make people's lives better? That's the stuff I'm most proud of. I'm not a religious person…But at the same time I do believe in some sort of something, just not sure exactly. But yeah, I'd like to think that they [my uncles] see what I'm doing and that they're proud of me."

 Source: Perez Hilton Website


For more pictures, click here.