04/11/2007
Roseanne Apologizes for Her Comments About Gay People
Roseanne Barr issued a series of apologies yesterday for comments she made on a radio show which she regularly co-hosts. In her comments, which you can read here, Barr called politically active gays "narcissistic," saying that, like Evangelicals, gays and lesbians only care about themselves, particularly on a political level.
On her blog under a post entitled "My Bad", Barr said she was sorry for the comments, and urged folks to call into her radio show and "let [her] have it":
"I deeply regret that I have offended gay people. I said things that I do not really mean, before I had thought them through... I was wrong and I seriously apologize! Call me up today and let me have it! I will apologize and try to make clear what I really meant to say... which was that everybody needs to unite right now, and step outside of their own neighborhoods, groups, races and classes to stop Bush's war on our country and our people. I love gays and I hate division. I am just a big idiot with a big mouth sometimes. I will learn to be more careful! Please forgive me, I am so sorry!!!! Call (909) 888 - 5222 between 5 - 6 pacific time to give me your two cents."
Later, she clarified her apology with a second note of contrition and a call to action:
"The leaders of gay groups need to align with the leaders of Acorn, and other groups of poor and desperate Americans and fight against those who oppress all of us! I have met too many gays who are Republicans, and I cannot understand how they could choose that! Let's all leave our own bedrooms, kitchens, neighborhoods and groups and meet each other to form a diverse army that stands for Democracy and Economic Justice!!!! (Again I apologize for any pain or hurt I have caused those whom I have always loved and befriended)."
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 9:20 AM EST by Andy in Evangelicals, Gay Rights, News, Radio, Roseanne Barr | Permalink
Comments
Wow, a real apology, not one of the pseudo apologies like "I'm sorry if my words have been misconstrued and caused offense" like actors and politicians always say. My opinion of her just went up a notch. Everybody says things they regret. It takes a big person to admit it without reservation.
Posted by: sam | Apr 11, 2007 9:29:45 AM
Translation: "My publicist pointed out that gay men may represent the last real audience for me, so I need to do some serious groveling." I didn't have a problem with what she said. Most gay men do seem to be single-issue voters.
Posted by: Steve | Apr 11, 2007 9:37:29 AM
All those explanation points convinced me.
Posted by: John T | Apr 11, 2007 9:40:43 AM
I appreciate the apology, but she really should have known better. What Barr fails to realize is that we are indeed engaged in the good fight, working for equality and freedom for ALL Americans.
I was honestly most offended by Barr's comparison of the gay community and Fundamentalists/Evangelicals and insinuating that we are cut from the same cloth. Last time I checked, Rosie, we were fighting for freedom and fairness, while they are fighting for theocracy and discrimination. Moreover, who do you think actually watched 'Roseanne' when it was on the air? I know I watched my fair share, but doubt very much that Falwell, Robertson and Dobson caught so much as a single episode.
Thanks for apologizing Rosie, but damn girl, you should'a known better!
Posted by: Jonathon | Apr 11, 2007 9:43:56 AM
Apology accepted here and I can see why Roseanne thought we were only concerned about gay issues as we seem to be attacked on a daily basis on the issue that we're gay.
Posted by: Marco | Apr 11, 2007 9:44:26 AM
Oops, I meant exclamation points (note to self: do not post before drinking coffee).
Posted by: John T | Apr 11, 2007 9:48:57 AM
Someone who has so thoroughly enjoyed the rights of marriage isn't in a position to be criticizing others for wanting that same right, even if it is in lieu of fighting for other causes.
Posted by: Scott | Apr 11, 2007 9:50:22 AM
Is there a reason why we care about what some "entertainer" says? Boring comment and silly apology.
Posted by: James | Apr 11, 2007 9:57:01 AM
...I don't necessarily think she should have apologized. Her comments created a very intriguing dialog...I found it quite interesting how visceral many a gay man got when responding to Roseanne's comments. Perhaps she cut a little to close to the bone?
Posted by: midnight lounge | Apr 11, 2007 9:58:27 AM
Good for her. I knew it was just a case of her mouth racing with her brain and winning.
I do believe she's right, we need to focus, all of us, to get rid of the Shrub. And how the fuck can any self respecting gay person be a republican?
We need our people concentrating on our issues, but we can also help with other issues relevant to all Americans.
Posted by: Bobby | Apr 11, 2007 10:02:22 AM
I appreciate her policy but do not find it necessary. I think she was pretty dead on in her comments, unfortunately.
Posted by: Ken | Apr 11, 2007 10:07:09 AM
I wonder hpw she would have reacted if someone had said " politicaly active jews are so narcissitic, they only care about themselves."
People accidently bump into people , burp in public, rais their voice in a discussion.....but NOPE!!! words are not accidental. Her words were her words and at the very least a freudian subconscious TRUE reaction/opinion of hers if not fully conscious opinion.
To think I used to like her.
Posted by: pacificoceanboy | Apr 11, 2007 10:08:02 AM
Amen, Bobby. I mean, she mouthed off stupidly, but she was right about SOME gay people. We look ridiculous and self-absorbed when we let gay issues rule every single decision we make. I'm concerned about other issues as well, like many other gay men.
Posted by: Martin | Apr 11, 2007 10:08:20 AM
i don't know why she is apologizing, she was 100% right, ok maybe she said it harshly, but she was right. i said the same thing during that isaiah washington incident and the black face racist gay shiley q. the groups were supporting their own, while the ones like me in the middle were looking confused.
Posted by: johnosahon | Apr 11, 2007 10:18:30 AM
i don't understand gay republicans, BUT i think they are only focused on gay issies that's why they are still republicans.
Posted by: johnosahon | Apr 11, 2007 10:21:26 AM
Why apologize? She's right. And why are we offended?
We should apologize for setting our basic human rights above others who already have those rights? It's called prioritization and it'd be foolhardy to do otherwise.
Posted by: Tom | Apr 11, 2007 10:21:30 AM
i meant NOT ONLY
Posted by: johnosahon | Apr 11, 2007 10:22:18 AM
I find both extremes in this argument ludicrous.
Those who say she was "100% right": painting all politically active gays/lesbians with one brush is just foolish. We aren't *all* anything, and we're certainly not all narcissistic single-issue activists.
Those who say what she did is unforgiveable: please, she's proven to be an ally time and again. One comment made in pique or annoyance does not a homophobe or enemy make. We all say stupid things sometimes. The measure of a person is how they respond after they say the stupid thing; I think Roseanne did all right.
Posted by: Dan E | Apr 11, 2007 10:26:22 AM
I applaud her. She has thought about comments that she made that offended some people, and she has decided to rethink what she said. She has created a dialogue that is interesting and important.
Posted by: John | Apr 11, 2007 10:38:36 AM
Dan E is right. She's always had a big mouth and poor self-regulation skills... it was only a matter of time before she said something that bit the hands that fed her.
No one should care what Roseanne thinks, but the fact is she has a platform from which to express her thoughts in a very public and influential way. Her comments were correct in that GLBT people should be supportive of a variety of progressive endeavors that may or may not be exclusively gay-centric... but painting glbt people with the same brush is silly and untrue.
Her apology appeared heartfelt and sincere... no "i'm sorry you were offended" crap.
Posted by: Brian | Apr 11, 2007 10:41:14 AM
Roseanne was NOT right. Though there are many self-absorbed gay people who do not even care about their lesbian sisters, let alone the issues many heterosexuals face, it by no means represents 100% of the gay population.
Roseanne IS right in apologizing and allowing people to confront her directly on her previous broadly-stereotyped statement.
Roseanne doesn't get a free pass with me, but of all the celebrities, she comes closest to it. And her quick reaction and the fact that she owned up to her stupid statements makes me feel that she's deserving of forgiveness.
Sometimes our closest allies can say things that hurt the most, but it's usually because of that intimacy and shared experience that makes people like that so comfortable in opening up and saying what's on their mind - even if they haven't given their brain time to process those thoughts prior to opening their big yap.
Thank you, Roseanne. Thank you for continuing to make people think and talk (and hopefully in that order).
Posted by: Rey | Apr 11, 2007 10:46:55 AM
In your heart, you know she's right.
Posted by: Becks07 | Apr 11, 2007 10:49:42 AM
Equality means hearing your share of opinions you don't like, even from your friends. Let's pick our battles here.
Posted by: Dave | Apr 11, 2007 10:51:45 AM
I guess I am just shocked at how people continue to react so strongly when people say things that are considered politically incorrect. If that is what she thinks, and I believe it is, she has every right to say it. It might be dumb, but I consider all the hand wringing and apologies even dumber. We have become a culture concerned about appearances. How dare someone say something about "my people" or say something I don't agree with. Howard Stern can have a woman riding a fucking machine on his radio show and rap music can be filled with explicit, violent, misogynistic lyrics but how dare an entertainer or radio host say a group is narcissistic or even "nappy headed"(Imus). The world, in my opinion, would be much better off if we were more concerned with matters of substance rather than superficial appearances or political correctness.
Posted by: Chad | Apr 11, 2007 10:52:29 AM
Now that's something I agree with. Liberal advocacy groups have been killing our entire progressive movement because they're all selfish sons o' bitches.
We need to work together in unison on all our issues if we want collective success. Rosainne was wrong yesterday when she made it sound as if gay people didn't care about other issues, but she wouldn't be wrong saying that organizations like HRC ought to be working in allegiance with potential allies.
Posted by: Ryan | Apr 11, 2007 10:57:00 AM
That's an astute observation, Ryan.
I remember many years ago thinking how funny if was that the inappropriately-named Human Rights Campaign was only concerned about gays and lesbians - not even transgenders - while the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, with their much narrower title, actually did civil rights work for all people, not just gay and lesbian folks.
The HRC is just LAME.
Posted by: Rey | Apr 11, 2007 11:14:36 AM
she's just like simon cowell. she said what other people would have been afraid to say in a manner that was altogether tactful. i think it's a clear indication that someone hasn't really thought things through when they make sweeping generalizations, but the point she was trying to make was clear and i don't think untrue.
Posted by: buzz | Apr 11, 2007 11:27:18 AM
I'm confused, we need to all unite together, except for those awful gay Republicans? And how exactly are gay Republicans concerned only about their sexuality? I thought we hated them because they were concerned about larger political issues that they felt were more important than their sexuality? I just need to clarify why we hate gay Republicans so much, because I think it's so important that we have a group like that to really focus our hatred on.
Posted by: Aatom | Apr 11, 2007 11:56:46 AM
Damn, who knew there were so many gay republicans that read towleroad.
The only gays that I have ever met who spout the nonsense about gay= one issue have all been conservative/republican gays using it as some sort of justification for their supporting a party that wants less pay for equal work for women, illegalizing abortion, blacks back on the plantations, mexicans weaving rugs in mexico to sell to american tourists, a bible in every schoolroom, corporate welfare, war with anyone darker than an italian, etc
Many many many politicaly active gays also march for abortion rights, anti war, etc.
like I said before, what if someone said "politicaly active jews are narcissitic, they only care about one issue= israel." It is nonsense. Just like rosane's statement was nonsense.
Stop covering for her. not a one of you who is defending her would recieve a glass of water from her if you were thirsty.
Posted by: pacificoceanboy | Apr 11, 2007 12:06:54 PM
If she said it, she certainly felt that way when she did. Reaction made her comeback and beg forgiveness, so to speak.
Frankly, her initial comments (gays being narcisstic, etc.) were true, though not applicable to all. Hence, she could back-pedal on this to some degree and she chose to do that.
Famous people, et. al. should think 90% of the time and speak 10% before they make an ass out of themselves on topics they don't know enough about but go ahead and make knee-jerk reactions/comments nonetheless.
Posted by: Stephen | Apr 11, 2007 12:14:32 PM
I happened to have seen Rosanne recently perform on an Atlantis gay cruise for about 2,000 gay men and spent most of the week on the ship with her and her gay brother and his boyfriend. John Goodman is a long rumored closet case and a few other cast members from her old show were gay or eventually "came out" as gay. Just like Margaret Cho,Rosie O',Kathy Griffin or Joan Rivers she can be offensive but she always continues to raise the conciousness level of all human beings with her words. Bravo Rosanne. Keep up the great work speaking truth and let's get Bush outa there!
Posted by: ShawnSF | Apr 11, 2007 12:27:56 PM
Actually Rey And RYAN are way off base in regards to HRC....if you just took a moment to look at their web page and became involved instead of arm chair critics everyone would benefit.
HRC has strongly been alligned with a number
of Black Civil Rights Organizations and in fact when then ED of HRC E. Birch retired her requested one speaker was none other than John Lewis
You speak from ignorrance not facts.
As for Rosanne Gays are no more or less involved with politics or other organizations outside of their sphere than the rest of the gen pop.
IF NOT MORE.
Posted by: MCnNYC | Apr 11, 2007 1:06:44 PM
She must be auditioning for The View for when Rosie leaves.
Posted by: anon | Apr 11, 2007 1:20:06 PM
"Damn, who knew there were so many gay republicans that read towleroad."
Posted by: pacificoceanboy |
Like it's already been said: just because someone posts here doesn't mean they're gay!
"The only gays that I have ever met who spout the nonsense about gay= one issue have all been conservative/republican gays using it as some sort of justification for their supporting a party that wants ..etc"
...Which is why they're not necessarly gay. Dems and repubs read the blog, and they express opinions to promote their own agendas and prefered candidates. so take everything that's posted here with a grain of salt.
Posted by: Da | Apr 11, 2007 1:27:02 PM
Roseanne should also be taken to task for perpetuating the myth that gays cost the Democrats the 2004 election. John Kerry's ineptitude cost Democrats the election, and the lingering paranoia concerning security issues surely helped (http://www.slate.com/id/2109275/). The belief that it was the (selfish) gays that cost Dems the presidency has ignited some not so subtle homophobia in Democratic circles.
Roseanne isn't homophobic, but she shares with Democratic homophobes the same assumption, that gays should keep quiet and patiently wait until after elections to put their concerns on the table. With elections running every 4 years, and midterms every 2, and with lengthy pre-election campaigns running in between, it is hard to imagine just when gays might be allowed to speak up, and as if Democrats can be trusted to fully represent our interests if our interests our not allowed to air before these politicians are put in office.
I am one of the many ambivalent about gay marriage, and I agree with Roseanne that it has become the single-issue of gay activism mostly because it is a middle ground that gay conservatives and gay liberals can agree on, being the most conservative progressive measure one can imagine. But even despite my ambivalence toward the issue itself, I just don't believe that gay marriage decided the 2004 election. All but one of the eight proposed marriage amendments passed in the 2006 midterm, yet Democrats still took both houses. It seems concerns for the war trumped any supposed fears that Democrats support gay interests--even as gays lost rights in many states--just as security issues shaped the outcome of 2004. Insisting that this loss is the fault of gay activism, and not the fault of Democratic ineptitude or the misguided security interests of Americans, is to perpetuate the ongoing contempt for gay activists who want their voice to be heard just like anyone else.
Posted by: GBM | Apr 11, 2007 1:49:14 PM
If she was just trying to get publicity for her show she should have insulted African Americans because the mainstream media really doesn't care about anti-gay comments.
Posted by: daniel | Apr 11, 2007 2:19:04 PM
You people are just never going to be satisfied, are you?
Posted by: Zlexar | Apr 11, 2007 2:35:15 PM
So here's another celebrity, who mouths off, apologizes, and that's supposed to make everything right. Whatever happened to collecting one's thoughts before one spouts off at the mouth. It's call self-control Roseanne, Imus, Washington, etc.
But hey, an apology makes everything right again, according to today's big mouths!
Posted by: John | Apr 11, 2007 2:44:53 PM
I didn't really think she was wrong to begin with. It's hard words that needed to be said and they aren't pretty to hear.
The only unfair thing is that there ARE many gay men and women who are aware of both the issues that are important to us AND other issues as well.
But as an activist, nothing is more frustrating than to discover, time and time again, that for every one of THOSE folks, there are two or three LGBT folks who are either unknowledgeable and apathetic, or just too stuck in the land of booty bumps and circuit parties to even care.
I respect Roseanne because she's human. Human beings don't always speak perfectly (especially without a script).
Posted by: Spike | Apr 11, 2007 2:51:02 PM
Hey John, how often do you think everything you say through before you say it, and never make mistakes in speaking? Give her a break. She's human.
It's almost as if some of you are using her celebrity status (and the same could be said for any public figure) to ignore the fact that they are human. When humans make mistakes, sometimes they apologize... *and mean it*. Just being in public, especially on a quick speaking radio show, doesn't mean you have to write everything you plan to say down before you give it a go, or repeatedly leave seconds of dead air on the radio just because you're too worried that someone will take everything you say to be meant, irrevocably and absolutely.
I'm not generally a fan of Roseanne, but I can admit maybe she didn't actually mean EXACTLY what she said. God forbid we don't immediate identify people as malicious or stupid.
Posted by: Jon | Apr 11, 2007 3:08:12 PM
I agree with Marco.
The people that are defending Roseanne's illinformed comments are not in touch with reality. There many gay people that fight for causes other then gay rights. Look it up.
Posted by: Jack! | Apr 11, 2007 3:42:31 PM
Da thanks for pointing some things out. I was getting depressed thinking all of these posts were from gay brothers and sisters.
The Washington post did a great article recently on these 3rd party companies that contract out to groups, political parties, movie studios,companies, and PR firms ( I wonder if rosanne's PR firm has contracted with one) to just surf the net and post things pro the client and anti the non clients.
Posted by: pacificoceanboy | Apr 11, 2007 3:58:27 PM
It's been my experience that those who bitch and moan the most, and the loudest, about the charitable, political, and social justice work that OTHERS do (as many of you have done here) are invariably the very people who don’t do a damn thing for ANYONE, gay or otherwise.
Likewise it has been my observation that gay people who bitch the most about gay activist being selfish and gay obsessed are all too often people who never lift a finger to make the world a better place for anyone, gay or straight.
The grand sum of some of you critics’ contribution to society is your complaining about, and critiquing of, the hard work of others.
Rosanne’s comments were insulting in that they were overly broad AND because she viciously targeted the gay community alone with complaints that could be applied to any social or minority group in America.
She claimed that her rant was prompted by her frustration with the fact that there are gay Republicans but somehow women Republicans, and black Republicans, and Jewish Republicans, and Muslim Republicans and Mexican-American Republicans escaped her wrathful critique.
For those of you so quick to say she was 100% right I suggest you go back and read her quote again REALLY slowly. Notice all the ALWAYS, NEVER, NOT ONCE, THEY, THEM, EVER superlatives that she used and tell me again how she was 100% right and explain to me why gay people were singled out as being more selfish than feminists, civil rights activists or other minority activists. If she had just used the words “some” or “far too many” or if she had made the observation that ALL minorities are guilty of not allying together for the common good, then I wouldn’t have had one word of complaint with her rant. I would have been the first to fire off an “AMEN” to support her. She didn’t do that and as far as I’m concerned her apology has fallen short of making these points clear.
I took particular exception and offense to her equating people who fight for equal rights for ALL with those who fight to deny them to some. That is just total crap and anyone here who says they agree with that should be ashamed.
And for the record, any of you who have ACTUALLY worked with gay rights groups know that we often reach out to ally with other groups. It's THEY who don't want to be associated with US. We DO reach out. Why didn't Rosanne ask why none of those groups reach out to us and why didn't she ask why they turn up their noses when we reach out to them?
I accept her apology and I appreciate her past support for our community but I think she needs to do some serious soul searching and figure out where the anger and vitriol came from and she needs to ask herself why the gay community ALONE was singled out for such harsh complaint. Her rant was full of anger, stereotyping and broad, unfair generalizations. We’ve come to expect this kind of rhetoric and “greedy, selfish, hedonistic homosexual” demonizing propaganda from Peter Labarbara, Lou Sheldon, Don Wildmon and Tony Perkins but we don’t expect to hear it from traditional allies. It had to have been more than just a slip of the tongue.
Posted by: Zeke | Apr 11, 2007 4:17:33 PM
Zeke,
If you listen to the whole radio segment, the reason Roseanne singled out gays out of all minorities as most self-centered is because of the 2004 election. When she says that gays should be concerned with poverty and minimum wage, I don't think she's saying that there should be gay groups concerned with such issues (and as you and many others have pointed out, there already are) but is saying that gays selfishly fought for gay marriage before the election and essentially, in her view, put Bush back in office, which was bad for minimum wage, environment, as well as gay issues.
I obviously don't agree with her argument (see above comment) but perhaps it makes more sense of her initial universalizing...perhaps she has yet to meet a gay activist who is willing to be completely silent until heterosexual politicos say its okay to speak up...although surely such cowards exist.
Posted by: GBM | Apr 11, 2007 4:51:50 PM
did she ever apologize for this- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0HtTReGt08
that was brodcasted on national television
Posted by: J | Apr 11, 2007 5:06:49 PM
J,
That was Rosie O'Donnell, not Roseanne Barr.
Posted by: GBM | Apr 11, 2007 5:11:47 PM
Yeah, GBM, I appreciate that, and I understand that that was the fuel that stoked her flaming straw man argument: but I'll have to add that excuse to the list of things in her rant that I will call bullsh*t on.
I know you don’t agree with this often repeated talking point but, for those who might be tempted to buy into it, here are a few facts to consider:
Gay people didn't push the gay marriage debate in 2004 and gay people didn't lose the election for the Democrats in 2004 no matter how many people repeat the lie and no matter how often they may repeat it. Gays REACTED to the OVERWHELMING backlash (to the Massachusetts marriage ruling) by religious fundamentalists and Republican sharks who smelled blood in the water and started a nationwide frenzy in order to boost right-wing and fundamentalists interest in a faltering campaign. Gay people and gay rights organizations were playing DEFENSE, not offense throughout that whole ordeal.
To blame gays for the 2004 debacle by claiming that they selfishly and arrogantly PUSHED the gay marriage debate on America at an inconvenient time would be akin to blaming Rosa Parks for stirring up all that trouble in Montgomery just before the peak tourist season. Is there a WRONG time to defend yourself? Is there a WRONG time to fight for justice and fairness?
It's just more of that "blame the victim" bullsh*t and I for one will have NONE of it.
Once again, we should expect this kind of homophobic revision of history from those who hate us, and want us to just go away, but we shouldn't expect it from our allies who should know better.
Posted by: Zeke | Apr 11, 2007 5:42:15 PM
I doubt anyone here would argue that there are not selfish gays--but that's not what Rosie said. She said ALL gays are selfish and narcisistic--that narcisism is PART of being gay. All the people defending her, pointing out that there are selfish gay people are missing the point--she said ALL GAYS ARE SELFISH and don't care about anyone else. Certainly she should apologize. She defamed an entire group. Had she said SOME gays were bla bla bla I wouldn't argue with her.
Then she used it as an ad for her radio show.
Posted by: daniel | Apr 11, 2007 5:42:26 PM
Right on, Zeke.
Posted by: GBM | Apr 11, 2007 5:58:18 PM
Am I supposed to care what that bloated face-lifted has-been says or does? Call me cynical, but does this seem a bit staged to anyone but me? Could it be that Roseanne deliberately offended a group who had been among the most ardent in her fanbase specifically so she could jumpstart what is a particularly faded career?
Posted by: Roscoe | Apr 11, 2007 7:22:52 PM
That was a refreshingly honest apology. I believe that she actually was trying to make a good point that isn't just about gay people, but lots of groups of people that get comfortable in their niche and don't want to look to a greater community good. I respect her for trying to articulate a political vision for a better world, and I accept her apology even as she fumbled along the way to get to her vision.
Posted by: nathan | Apr 12, 2007 2:28:15 AM
I am sad peple here are so quick to forgive. Seems she realized she offended a large audience of hers (and if she bites the hand that feeds her, she'll have no career left over). Or maybe Sara Gilbert was mad at her, ... who knows.
I just find the whole idea of an apology meaningless. She said those original words quite openly and honestly. She knew exactly what she said quite well ... Now she backtracks to save face because she realizes her comments went too far.
Sorry, Roseanne, but a bigot is a bigot, and now I have more free time now that I never have to watch anything with you in it.
Posted by: Louie | Apr 13, 2007 4:32:36 AM
Maybe she was talking about the ego driven power lesbians like Rosie, or people like David Geffen. Free speech is not just for liberals like me, its for all.
Posted by: Rick | Apr 13, 2007 7:11:08 AM
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