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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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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