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'Grey's Anatomy' Star Isaiah Washington Makes Amends With Gay Community
By Yoji Cole
January 23, 2007
Members of the gay
community met with "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah
Washington Monday to discuss
the actor's public use of an anti-gay slur while on set and most recently
backstage at the Golden Globes awards show.
Besides discussing
why Washington used the anti-gay
slur, Neil G. Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD), and Kevin Jennings, founder and executive director of the
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), discussed with Washington
groundwork for an ongoing partnership to combat the prejudice and intolerance
faced by the LGBT community.
"We have to take a
stand with situations like this and we have try to make something positive
moving forward," said Giuliano. "We met with [Washington] because he offered to
be part of the solution rather than just the problem with his language and
behavior and we welcome that."
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From the Boy Scouts and the U.S. military to marriage and adoption, the gay
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Washington, while standing
among his costars backstage at the Golden Globes last week, was asked by a
reporter about an argument he had with costar Patrick Dempsey in October. During
that argument Washington called a third co-star, T.R. Knight, a "faggot." Knight
spoke about both incidents on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and
said that before Washington called him the slur in October, only his closest
friends knew he was gay. (See also:
'Grey's Anatomy' Star Uses
Anti-Gay Slur, Is Rebuked)
Backstage at the
Golden Globes Washington told reporters: "No, I did not call T.R. a
faggot."
Washington has since
admitted that it did happen, and to demonstrate his contrition, he released an
apology and agreed to work with GLAAD and GLSEN. GLSEN this week is launching
its fourth annual No Name Calling Week, which includes a student contest for
grades K-8 and a school-district contest. Entries depict through artistic
expression the theme of no name calling. For more details, see www.glsen.org.
"GLSEN's research shows that
name-calling is a significant barrier to learning, and this week is a
particularly appropriate time for new allies to join the effort," said Jennings
in a statement. "As a parent himself, Isaiah Washington seemed to particularly
appreciate the impact these words have on young people in schools and expressed
an interest in becoming an ally in GLSEN's effort to educate young people about
the negative impact of name calling and bullying."
Giuliano said that
Washington was sincerely
apologetic in their meeting.
"You could tell from
his voice and the way he presented himself that he knows he did a bad thing and
he knows that it's his actions that will be judged," said Giuliano.
Washington, however, did not
have an explanation for why he used the anti-gay slur.
"He said he didn't
have an explanation ... it was just rage and anger," said Giuliano.
How
Washington will be involved with the groups is still to be determined. The
meeting was the first opportunity to sit, have an open dialogue and begin to lay
groundwork.
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by
Abigail Garner, creator of FamiliesLikeMine.com
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Families Like Mine - Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is
What is it really like to grow up with gay parents? The author presents the gifts and challenges of being raised in GLBT families.
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Information
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