I'M PROBABLY THE ONLY GUY IN ISAIAH WASHINGTON'S CORNER
Besides the fact that I openly weep whenever I fall in love, or the weird affection that I have for Barbara Streisand, many people that I've come across over the past couple of decades have thought that I played for the pink team based on my stance on homosexuality. Don't get it twisted, my stance wasn't a bent-over one, a position that would have me walking funny for a week just because some insensitive asshole decided to use my prostate as a pinata - I'm talking about the way I've stuck up for gays over the years. There was that religious chick with the fat ass that I dated who thought I had a secret to share just because I didn't buy her very black-and-white "all gays are going to hell" theory. There was that time in college when I stopped two assholes from beating up a gay guy by damn near bludgeoning them half to death with a miniature bat I received at a local semi-pro ball game that I attended - but those selfless acts of kindness don't make up for some of the homophobia I've displayed over the years. Sure, I've made a few gay jokes in my day, made silly comments to gay co-workers that their rectums could double as crawl-spaces, askd a girlfriend's gay brother who lectured me on "How gross eggs were": "You let random dudes spunk in your mouth, and you are bitching about an omelet?" I even warned a gay cousin about eating indigestible foods before his dinner date because later on when he became "intimate" he wouldn't want his lover puling out and saying "What is this, corn?" I hope when my soul leaves this earth and I'm standing in front of St. Peter, and he's going over the laundry list of shit I've done in my life that could keep me out of the most exclusive club ever, I just hope he overlooks some of my verbal faux pas and considers what's exactly inside my heart.
That being said, a few months ago Isaiah Washington called one of his co-workers (T.R Knight) on the show "Grey's Anatomy" a "faggot" during a heated exchange, and he was properly taken to task for doing so by the media and the general public. I had no problem when some of his co-stars shunned him around that time period, and Mr. Washington didn't help matters when he denied that he ever said that hateful slur while backstage at the Golden Globes. I fully understand all of that. But for Christ's sake. After five months I have to say that I've never seen someone get so publicly crucified for a thirdhand conversation in my life. Move the fuck on already. Again, I find what Mr. Washington said to be blatantly wrong, but seeing T.R Knight go on what has become a safe-haven for gays and lesbians to vent their frustrations, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and implied that Washington's comment pretty much forced him out of the closet - I just found that quite chuckle-worthy. Not for nothing, being called a gay slur is indefensible, but as a casual fan of the show without any sort of "gaydar," it was pretty clear to me immediately that Mr. Knight was a good actor who was horrible at portraying a heterosexual.
Not to mention how Isaiah Washington has become AWOL from any of the show's advertisements, he had to do that PR rouse that is going to rehab, and hypocrites like "there's nothing worse than a gay slob with a horrible fashion sense" blogger Perez Hilton all of a sudden become a champion of gay rights even though he usually "outs" gay actors who don't want to be "outed". Lastly, the most despicable and lamest of them all, is the way one of his co-workers seems to come out publicly on a regular basis against Washington, as if they all get together on the weekends and draw straws for such duties. OK, I hear he's a prick otherwise, but if his detestable demeanor is the issue they have with the man, then they shouldn't hide behind this controversy to express their displeasure with him. Talk about cowardice. At least Washington apologized when he fucked up.
Maybe it's just me, but when Mel Gibson had his public-relations nightmare - one that was documented by a police report, by the way - as much as people predicted the imminent demise of his career, we all knew that there was no way you could stop the man who once played "Riggs." When Michael Richards said what he said - captured on tape, by the way - there was a certain amount of outrage out there, but black folks have real racism to deal with, not a failed comedian who we see in syndication while we're flipping channels late-night. I just feel, compared to the two cases that I've named, there seems to be some sort of effort by the media and his co-workers to ruin this guy's career for something that's not in his heart - according to Melissa Etheridge's lover Tammy Lynn Michaels, who seems to know the man personally.
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Comments
1.
huny says:
"Its pretty fascinating when gay people tend to think that their plight is rougher than African Americans. The mere thought that so called gay people can't get that through their collective heads, is pretty interesting..."
I doubt your average gay person thinks their plight is rougher then black people's. it has similarities, but I don't hear gay people trying to quantify it. and unless you're gay, you really don't know what gay people sit around talking or thinking about, therefore you're coming from a place of ignorance. never a good look.
will, get therapy.
04/02/2007 at 9:22 PM
2.
will says:
I see I got some feedback on what I said (Jake & Huny) about my thoughts of the article. First of all let me hit you with this, there is no such thing as "so-called", (I'm DEFINITELY a straight woman loving man) for what I had said is a joke, now if you read correctly, I'm not with the gay movement. But I also said that I'm not one to hurt anyone for believing in their sexuality!! Later for y'all Fudgepackers, also the DL brothers messing it up for those of us who really appreciate "WOMEN" and all the things they bring!!! If I touched a nerve, so what!!! I'm really trying to get over my homophobia, I am, but until that time, later for y'all SUCKERS!!! I'm not at all concerned of how a Fag, butt hugger, rump wrangler, or whatever you are, lives. I have bigger things in this world to worry about, like how to keep my children away from you "butt bandits" now what I'm trying to do is calm down before y'all make me get riled up here on this! So for all that feel offended by some of what I said later for y'all CHUMPS!! You know homo's and lesbian's are sick to want to lay with the same sex and perform a sexual act on someone with the same-like features like you, ewww.... I don't need to think of nothing you do, trust and believe that!!!! "THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THE SOFT TOUCH OF A WOMAN, NO MAN CAN TOUCH ANOTHER MAN AND HAVE IT FEEL AS SWEET AS ONLY A WOMAN CAN"
03/20/2007 at 1:39 PM
3.
Jake says:
"I love how so-called straight men like to always speak on what its like to be gay and what gay people do and think. the fascination is really interesting."
Its pretty fascinating when gay people tend to think that their plight is rougher than African Americans. The mere thought that so called gay people can't get that through their collective heads, is pretty interesting...
03/19/2007 at 10:54 PM
4.
huny says:
"Doesn't realy make you think at all, since gay folks have to visualize about being black in order to feel some real hardships.."
I love how so-called straight men like to always speak on what its like to be gay and what gay people do and think. the fascination is really interesting.
03/19/2007 at 8:26 PM
5.
BrotherOMi says:
its bugged . I wrote a piece about this a few weeks ago. even though he doesn't work with the directing GOD SPIKE LEE, i am still in his corner. but he should have stuck by his word like the brother uptop said.
but i never thought about it like this.
03/18/2007 at 3:40 PM
6.
Simplenigma says:
I have one problem with Isaiah, and it's the same problem I have with Jamaican dancehall artists: STAND BY YOUR WORD.
I'm not saying I agree with gay-bashing, but if you do it, stand by it dammit. Don't frickin' apologize and go to homophobia counseling (and WTF is that by the way). Say, "Yeah, I said it, what?"
Admitting you did something wrong - when in your heart of hearts you still have the same view - is hypocritical.
I don't understand the big deal..they call each other fags, why can't we? Oh right, that only works with the N word...LOL
03/16/2007 at 10:20 PM
7.
Jake says:
Doesn't realy make you think at all, since gay folks have to visualize about being black in order to feel some real hardships..
03/16/2007 at 8:43 PM
8.
haha says:
i love how the biggest gayhaters can visualize, in detail, what it would be like to be gay. ala dmx. makes you think, huh?
03/16/2007 at 7:01 PM
9.
Nik says:
Very well written article and excellent points made!
03/16/2007 at 4:46 PM
10.
will says:
First of all I'm not with the gay movement, I know gays and lesbians want to get in society like say black people in the 50's and 60's but why is it that gays and lesbians are coming out so frequently???? The "black community" alone is rising it seems by the day riddled with homosexuality, I don't believe in it, but I know I wouldn't try and hurt anyone because of their sexuality. Because I just can't imagine a hairy ass dude waking up beside me and say "good morning baby" with a hard d&^% poking me in my ass in the morning, that's nasty!! What happened to getting with that female and enjoying all of what a WOMAN has to offer??? Without WOMAN there would be no MAN!! Get it, Got it, Good!! So I'm an entertainer and I know that I will have to encounter homosexuality in the business but, I'M NOT WIT IT!! AS LONG AS A FAG OR DYKE OR WHOEVER AINT OF THE STRAIGHT, "I AINT GONE BE ABLE TO DO IT" MEANING SIT THERE AND ACT LIKE FAGISM IS OK OR SEEING A SISTER OBTAIN HER "LICKHER LICENSE" ON SOME BULL WE HAVE TO STOP THIS HORRIBLE SICKNESS NOW, AND MAKE SURE WE CAN GET BACK TO THE WAY LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE, DO WE SAY WOMAN OR WHOAMAN, CAUSE SOME OF THESE GUYS OUT HERE ARE STARTING TO TAKE HORMONES TO BRING OUT THE WOMANLY FEATURES, AND THAT IS CALLED BULL*^$#. So I said that to say this Where's all the Real Men at who Love the ladies and not RUMP WRANGLERS!!!!!!!!
03/16/2007 at 1:47 PM
11.
udi says:
I wonder why fags complain about being called faggots. What are they?
03/15/2007 at 11:06 PM
12.
huny says:
actually! as the sordid story goes, isaiah called patrick demsey a faggot, not TR knight. the word faggot was never used to describe good ole george. and for the record, I didn't have any clue the man was gay before he told america so.
but I agree with you...let's move on. I am a champion of gay rights but this was never a big enough deal to really even get riled up about. crucifying this man for a playground insult that he clearly regrets is a waste of time when there are still people in the world like ann coultier and her ilk.
03/15/2007 at 8:38 PM