[SOURCE: http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/ ]

OUT magazine is slowly rolling out its honorees for the prestigious OUT 100. Filmmaker Lee Daniels, director of the critically-acclaimed Precious, makes this year's list:

"If Daniels wins best director at this year’s Oscars for the devastatingly beautiful Precious—as he almost certainly will—he will be the first gay African-American to take the honor. The producer of not-so-lightweight films like Monster’s Ball and The Woodsman, Daniels is on his way to collecting a trophy case full of awards (the film has already won top prizes at the Sundance and Toronto film festivals) and securing himself a spot alongside directors like Alexander Payne and Ang Lee as a distinctive voice of his generation."

On a related note, Lee Daniels talks to the Chicago Free Press about the challenge of being an openly gay black director in Hollywood.

For me, I think the gay part is not an issue. But more the black gay part is a bigger issue. As a gay man, gay men, there so many of them in Hollywood and (they’re) decision makers and it’s a cult, I think. I don’t have to worry about prejudices right now, anymore. I fought so long all my life—prejudices about being gay, about being victimized because I was gay, being victimized because I was black, being victimized because I was gay and black. I’m so happy at 50 years old, that I’m being embraced for my spirit and for me. And it’s so overwhelming. It’s just so beautiful that people can accept me for me and being open. I don’t have to lie.

Precious, which is executive produced by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, opened Friday in limited release and earned some $1.8 million at the box office. The film is showing at only 18 theaters nationwide. Its $100,000 per screen average is an industry record.