Isaiah Washington Participates in 'No H8' Campaign
By Andy Towle
Isaiah Washington is the latest star to take part in photographer Adam Bouska's "No H8" campaign.
He gave a rambling interview to Entertainment Tonight:
"What has been purported about me has nothing to do with who I am. I have been dealing with organizations like ACT UP for over 25 years. Right before Keith Haring passed away I was working with him. City kids of New York. Fighting for awareness of HIV/AIDS for 25 years of my life..."
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...
Yes, and back then none of those sick and dying gay guys cared whether you called them 'faggot'--now everybody just jumps all over you! Look at Perez Hilton!
Isiah, the best thing you can do right now is work for whatever campaign you want to and just shut up about it.
Posted by: David D. | Jun 26, 2009 12:06:58 PM
I would say that Perez owes Issac an apology.
Posted by: Brian Griffin | Jun 26, 2009 12:22:30 PM
When did we become so sensitive as a society???
Posted by: Cj | Jun 26, 2009 12:24:43 PM
That's just sad. He is OBVIOUSLY bullshittin' because if he had any gay people around him, he'd have had that afro picked right before he let a camera up in his face. Bitches would not let a brother go out in public lookin' like he just rolled outta bed. No Ma'am.
Posted by: FizziekruntNT | Jun 26, 2009 12:25:11 PM
This is why I now utterly despise Mario Lavanderia (sp).
Posted by: Hank | Jun 26, 2009 12:31:15 PM
I just thought I'd point out that Adam does this absolutely for free on his own expense and is basically broke. I thought that was quite odd when his brother told me that. I'd figure all these stars coming through that he'd be making some big money doing this but that's not the case.
Posted by: Aiden Raccoon | Jun 26, 2009 12:54:52 PM
David D -- Isaiah HAS to talk about it because the point of the campaign is to raise awareness...sitting quietly in a room would defeat the purpose. And because he's black and straight, he has to make sure everyone hears how sorry he is repeatedly. He doesn't have the luxury of telling those who were offended to fuck off while he carries on like nothing happened like Perez Hilton does.
BTW, Andy Towle has removed his link to the scumbag Perez Hilton's hate site! Thank you VERY much Andy! That's awesome.
Posted by: paul c | Jun 26, 2009 12:55:00 PM
Hopefully this will help heal the rift between the LGBT and AA communities. Maybe Jasmyne Cannick can now understand the importance of marriage equality.
Posted by: Gabriel | Jun 26, 2009 1:28:03 PM
Thanks Andy for removing Mario Laundromats site.
Posted by: Derek Washington | Jun 26, 2009 1:35:08 PM
"Hopefully this will help heal the rift between the LGBT and AA communities."
Nope, Gabriel. Gay people have never had good relations with those Alcoholic Anonymous zombies. They loose their booze, they loose their wit sense of humor. It never fails.
I'm glad you used the plural "communities" because many of those include AA LGBTs.
Isaiah. Isaiah. Isaiah. Remember in Homer's "THe Odyssey" there was an old man that Odesseus came across who had offended the Gods, and the Gods made the old man suffer forever and forever. I think the Gods even sent Harpies to torment him.
"Have I not been punished enough?" he'd scream at the Heavens, or somethin' like that....in Greek.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Jun 26, 2009 1:48:05 PM
Isaiah Washington is a fine actor who played a gay man in Spike Lee's Get on the Bus years ago. He didn't get the same great publicity for some straight actors who play gay men. He just did his job and spoke positively about playing a gay man in the media. Years later, he gets into a fight with a co-worker, uses a bad word to describe another co-worker and is torn to shreds. Not fair. In the meantime, the aforementioned closeted co-worker is force out after years of hiding his sexuality like a dirty secret; is made a hero in the white gay press and gets a boyfriend young enough to be his son with no negative effects. I have more respect for Isaiah Washington who was man enough to admit his mistake and try and move on. He should never have been fired from his show.
Posted by: Jim Steele | Jun 26, 2009 1:53:01 PM
It was Jason and his Argunauts, not Homer's Odyssesus.
Never learn your Greek mythological from imported 1960s Italian movies.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Jun 26, 2009 1:57:01 PM
This poor schlep will do ANYTHING to get himself removed from the "gay black list" - will somebody just start giving him some work again?!
Posted by: oneway | Jun 26, 2009 4:54:11 PM
I am a Black "Faggot". Fuck you Isiah.
Posted by: Derek Washington | Jun 27, 2009 3:16:38 AM
Give me a break. All his talk is about HIM not the issue at stake.
Posted by: G. | Jun 27, 2009 3:16:24 PM
what a hypocrite
Posted by: neil | Jun 27, 2009 10:05:10 PM
first off, he should learn the correct use of the word purport. second off, he should know that heaping praise upon oneself for supporting a cause diminshes both the cause and one's self.
however, i think the guy has been sufficiently contrite.
Posted by: nic | Jun 28, 2009 5:01:10 AM
He didn't call anyone else a name. He told someone not to treat him like a "faggot". He said it during an argument and in front of a gay person but it was never intended to go towards their gay co-worker. Was it wrong yes, but he didn't call his co-worker a name. His biggest mistake was when he kept bringing it up and when he brought it up at an award show. Then it forced the creators of the show to take action.
Everyone is allowed a little ignorance. I'm sure he's learned his lesson well over.
I'm sure plenty of people have called him the N word when he was working 20 years ago and probably still do. I'm sure no one has been taken to task and ridden as hard as he was over a word just as inflammatory that's still being used today.
Lets not lose site of the real issues here. Ending predjudice and bigotry on ALL fields. Hating someone for hating you, is pretty stupid.
Posted by: Viewpoint | May 12, 2010 1:52:46 PM