Quaid, Streep among Outfest's Screen Idol winners

Outfest, the Los Angeles gay and lesbian film festival, has announced the winners of its third annual Screen Idol Awards, honoring performances in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender roles. As chosen by voters at the Outfest Web site, the winners were Meryl Streep in The Hours (Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role), Shane Meier in NBC's The Matthew Shepard Story (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role), Queen Latifah in Chicago (Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role), and Dennis Quaid in Far From Heaven (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role). "I am so pleased at the caliber and the scope of the actors who were both nominated and have won," said Outfest executive director Stephen Gutwillig in a statement. "The household names mingling with the up-and-coming performers attest to the remarkable visibility of gay and lesbian lives in today's mainstream media. We don't take that visibility for granted, though. Our Screen Idol Awards exist to encourage more projects about the gay and lesbian experience and the performers who will shine in those roles." The awards will be presented on opening night of Outfest, July 11.