The 13 Dumbest Things Celebrities Have Said About LGBTQ People
For the most part, celebrities tend to be pro-LGBTQ, since they’re in a business where our community generally thrives. (And besides, many celebrities are members of the LGBTQ community.) But once in a while, a rotten poison-ality will pop up to spew vitriol in a most unglamorous and self-defeating way. Here are the unlucky 13 worst of the bunch. We’ll never forget.
Roseanne Barr
The sitcom star and provocateur was always a little rough, though she generally used to be way more accepting about diversity. And in the ‘90s, when she would slip and say something phobic, I’d correct her in my columns and she’d actually listen. (She once booked me to call in to her talk show and we developed a rapport.) But then the woman apparently lost her moral compass, along with any semblance of a career. For one thing, Roseanne Barr became obsessed with the idea that transgender females who have male genitals should not use ladies facilities. Tweeted Ro, “Women do not want your penises forced in their faces or in their private bathrooms. Respect that FACT.”
As if transgender women want to be in a bathroom with Roseanne!
James Woods
The has-been actor has become a big ball of hate, passing along memes and other baloney to paint gays as pedophiles, to name just one of his narrow viewpoints. When the intergenerational male love story Call Me By Your Name came out in 2017, James Woods tweeted, “As they quietly chip away at the last barriers of decency. #NAMBLA”. Responded the film’s costar Armie Hammer: “Didn’t you date a 19-year-old when you were 60?” Amber Tamblyn added fuel to the fire by chiming in that Woods tried to pick her up when she was all of 16. Tell us again how gays are creepy, James?
Donald Trump
Yes, Trump is the President—for now—but it’s easier to think of him as the reality-TV celebrity he’ll always be. Whatever he is, in his 2016 convention speech, the future leader vowed, “I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology.”
Inspiring, no? Well, no, not at all. This actually wasn’t so much dumb as shady, something designed to appeal to the dummies, as with so many of his slippery utterances. Though the statement became widely quoted by right-wing gays trying to prove that Trump was cool, it was later revealed that he only said this in a deal to get a delegate. What’s more, Trump didn’t say he’d protect us from our own hateful ideology—just from foreigners! And it was all bullshit, since he’s demonized us and tried to strip away LGBTQ rights ever since, particularly for trans people. Gee, thanks for the great protection, Prez!
Alec Baldwin
Usually quite the liberal, Alec Baldwin once called a reporter “a toxic little queen” and later labeled a cameraman “a cocksucking fag,” though Baldwin claimed he had actually said “fathead”. See you later, Alec/Hater? I don’t know. The guy is talented, he just needs to try way harder to manage that anger. Again.
Tracy Morgan
In a 2011 comedy show, the alleged funnyman said that if his son ever talked to him in a “gay voice,” he’d pull out a knife and stab him to death. As his career felt a potentially deadly blow, Tracy Morgan profoundly apologized. Charmed, I’m sure. And didn’t he like to do drag a lot on SNL?
Guns N' Roses
In 1988, the rock group’s “One in a Million” song featured the line, “Immigrants and faggots, they make no sense to me.” What’s more, the deranged ditty whined about black people (the song used the N word) and about f-words who “spread some fucking disease.” Lead singer Axl Rose tried to explain the lyrics, but the damage was done since we’d all heard correctly. Music mogul David Geffen put the group in an HIV/AIDS benefit to try and save face, but they were dropped, and the song was not included in their later boxed set. And I still wouldn’t touch this wilted Rose even with gloves on.
Isaiah Washington
In an on-set disruption over at Grey’s Anatomy in 2006, the actor ended up calling costar T.R. Knight the “f” word—not a good idea on a TV set, or anywhere, actually. Knight ended up coming out, Washington ended up apologizing for an “unfortunate use of words,” and the show ended up removing him from their anatomy.
Sebastian Bach
The Skid Row lead singer ill-advisedly wore an “AIDS Kills Fags Dead” T shirt in 1991. Years later, when he was on Broadway (appropriately enough in Jekyll & Hyde), I interviewed him and he was utterly repentant and obviously an okay guy who’d made a mistake. The shirt was a terrible joke and he copped to it, so I felt all noble as I gave him my blessing for a new chapter rather than relegate him to Skid Row. And he hasn’t slipped up again.
Denzel Washington
I first felt icky about the award winning actor when he advised Will Smith not to kiss a guy in the 1993 film Six Degrees of Separation. (Smith took his advice, at the expense of the film.) Years later, I was shocked when Denzel Washington said he felt that marriage under God should be between a man and a woman. Wait, isn’t he rumored to be a big cheater?
Kirk Cameron
The ex-sitcom star who was once relevant became a bible toting mess who feels homosexuality is destructive “to so many of the foundations of civilization.” Substitute “cheesy acting” for homosexuality and you’re getting warmer, Kirk. And while you’re at it, tell your sister to plug it up too.
Paris Hilton
In 2012, the well-accessorized socialite was caught saying terrible shit to a friend in a cab—not to mention the embarrassing fact that she wasn’t even in a limo! In a fit of verbal diarrhea, Paris Hilton blabbed that gays are promiscuous and “disgusting,” adding, “Most of them probably have AIDS.” But I’m sure she likes the way they do her hair. [Side note: Not so rapper Bow Wow, who in 2009, openly refused to let a gay barber go near him. You have to wonder what someone who is that afraid of being touched by a man is hiding. Dandruff?]
Eminem
The angsty rapper has long spewed anti-gay slurs. In 2001, Madonna came to his rescue, saying he was merely “provoking a discussion.” Yeah, the discussion being, “Isn’t Eminem gross and Madonna desperate?” Elton John defended him too and duetted with the punk at the 2001 Grammys in an attempted act of mass validation. But it was hard to prove that Eminem is not homophobic when he flared up again in 2013, using “faggot” and “gay looking” while claiming he didn’t necessarily mean gay. (That’s one of his familiar excuses, coupled with the explanation that he grew up hearing those epithets used for gays, so they stuck. Those are two contradictory alibis). And he screwed up again just this year. This Eminem long ago melted in my ears.
Kevin Hart
In early December, the comic/actor was named host of the next Academy Awards, upon which social networks swelled up with anger, remembering some of his old tweets like, “Yo if my son comes home & try’s 2 play with my daughters doll house I’m going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice ‘stop that’s gay’.” Yo, a “joke” involving both gay bashing and child abuse? Of your own child? Shades of Tracy Morgan!
As the controversy grew, the Oscars supposedly asked Kevin Hart to apologize or lose the job, but he refused, feeling he’s addressed the situation before and also had evolved. But after he stepped down, he did say he was sorry to the LGBTQ community for his remarks and he didn’t want to be a distraction to the awards. A very good move. Thank u, next.
Azealia Banks
The rapper/singer/whatever said...nah, who cares about her? Let’s leave it at 13.