Hutcherson at GLAAD Awards. (Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images)Whether you're Team Peeta or Team Gale, one thing is for sure: "The Hunger Games" has boosted the profiles of both Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. But while Hemsworth, who plays Gale in film, can't benefit from all the female attention he's now getting (he's been dating Miley Cyrus since 2009), single Hutcherson could … but he's not. "You know it's been a little crazy right now," the 19-year-old, who was linked to Vanessa Hudgens last year, told omg! at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles. "I haven't been out in the dating world all that much. It couldn't hurt I don't think, so that's good."
Over the weekend, Hutcherson became the youngest person to be honored with GLAAD's Vanguard Award for his work with Straight But Not Narrow, an LGBT ally organization he helped create. The accolade, which has also gone to Elizabeth Taylor and Charlize Theron, was "so important" to the young actor because he has two gay uncles who died of AIDS. "They literally passed away as I was being born unfortunately, so I never got a chance to meet them," adds Hutcherson. "They were such a huge influence on my mom's life, and my mom is such a huge influence in my life, so they're a big influence to me. It means a lot to take this award home and know it's in their honor and for everybody else who has lost somebody to AIDS or any other kind of disease."
Hutcherson onstage to accept his award. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for GLAAD)
Before the teen even made his way to the stage on Saturday night to accept his award — which was presented by actor Benicio del Toro — he was already receiving a standing ovation. "I can honestly say I've never been more proud in my life," Hutcherson began his speech. He then talked about his two uncles, a topic which clearly choked up the young actor, who played the son of two lesbians in "The Kids Are All Right," starring Annette Benning and Julianne Moore. "I'm so sick of saying the words 'gay' and 'lesbian,'" he continued. "We're just people. One day I want my son to come home from school and say 'I found this guy and I love him' and I'll say, 'Yes you do and that's OK.'" After giving a shout-out to the people who helped him form Straight But Not Narrow, Hutcherson concluded, "I'll make hopefully a million more movies, but this is what I want to do with my life: just changing the world and changing the way people think."
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