Golden and gay.

The Golden Globes often trump the Oscars for gay-friendliness, and they've already got a jump on this year

The Golden Globe is far more lavender, it turns out, than that golden boy Oscar. The hip showbiz insiders who vote on the Academy Awards may be notoriously homo-friendly, but they've honored few overtly queer films in the top categories. And the two most recent such winners--Tom Hanks for Philadelphia and Hilary Swank for Boys Don't Cry--both won Globes first.

Globe voters have honored many gay-and lesbian-themed films that lost out on Oscars. Bruce Davison took Best Supporting Actor honors for 1990 for a tear-choked bedside good-bye to his AIDS-ravaged lover in Longtime Companion. Whoopi Goldberg nabbed a Globe in 1985 (five years before her Ghost Oscar) for playing Margaret Avery's sometimes gal pal in The Color Purple. "Hattie McDaniel, here it is!" Goldberg roared, hailing the late Gone With the Wind star, the first African-American to claim an Oscar.

Cher too caused quite an uproar up at the podium when she struck Globe gold as Best Supporting Actress of 1983 for portraying Meryl Streep's lesbian roomie in Silkwood. She appeared surprised and giddy before the crowd, dressed in a black leather miniskirt with an upper-thigh slash. "Just look at my dress until I can think of something to say," she said demurely. She later let loose a cannon shot, blasting "all you moguls out there who wouldn't give me a job."

Tom Courtenay was honored that same year for portraying master thespian Albert Finney's backstage sycophant in The Dresser. And in 1969, Jon Voight won New Star of the Year as a gay-for-pay hustler in Midnight Cowboy; he lost the Oscar to John Wayne. Then there are the closeted gay actors who won Globes for straight roles, such as Sal Mineo (Best Supporting Actor, Exodus, 1960).

Globe winners can be a real drag too. Gender benders Tootsie and Mrs. Doubtfire bagged statuettes in the Best Picture-Musical or Comedy category, and Jack Lemmon (Some Like It Hot) and Julie Andrews (Victor/Victoria) claimed acting kudos for cross-dressing. If gay sensibility counts, then all hail the Globes for doing what the Oscars never did--giving competitive trophies to gay icons Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, Carol Channing, and Diana Ross.

Current nominees offer a host of gay moments. In addition to Best Picture nods to the queer-inclusive Billy Elliot and Wonder Boys (Drama) and Best in Show (Musical or Comedy), there's out screenwriter Doug Wright's mention for Quills and four prominent acting nominees in gay roles: Javier Bardem, and, in the TV division, Vanessa Redgrave, Eric McCormack, and Sean Hayes.

Macho Spanish star Bardem truly shines as gay Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas in Before Night Falls--camping it up with drag-clad Johnny Depp, defying the closet despite Castro's persecution of gays, and, in the grand finale, pulling off a bravura death scene. Redgrave was similarly impressive in HBO's If These Walls Could Talk 2. But while McCormack got a nod for being anchor to Will & Grace, no actor is more defiantly campy than Hayes, who's up for Best Supporting Actor for the show. Hayes recently nabbed Emmy gold; if he snags a Globe, TVs cracker Jack will have more than a bookend: Think earrings.

O'Neil is the author of Movie Awards: The Ultimate, Unofficial Guide to the Oscars, Golden Globes, Critics, Guild & Indie Honors, published by Berkley.