Video: Triumph for gay actors and characters at the Emmy Awards

Jane Lynch won an Outstanding Supporting Actress Emmy award last night for her performance in the US television series Glee.

Lynch, who married her partner Dr Lara Embry in May this year, was presented with the award for her turn as fearsome sports coach, Sue Sylvester, at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

In her acceptance speech Ms Lynch said: "I want to thank my parents on the South Side of Chicago for raising us to the sounds of musical theater and being so unintentionally hilarious. I love being an actor. I love being an ensemble."

She added: "[actors] have no choice or any marketable skills. I have to thank my lord and creator [Glee originator] Ryan Murphy for creating this role of a lifetime and the cast who are so young and fresh-faced, and when I'm not seething with jealousy, I'm so proud of you. And I love you my wife Laura and my little girl, Haden."

Ryan Murphy also received an award for Best Direction of a Comedy. The award for Outstanding Supporting Actor went to Eric Stonestreet for playing a gay dad in ABC hit, Modern Family. To see Lynch's acceptance speech, scroll down.