The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has joined Glee creator Ryan Murphy in urging Newsweek to issue an apology but stopped short of calling for a boycott of the magazine until one is issued.
Newsweek’s April 26 article Straight Jacket by contributor Ramin Setoodeh claimed out actors Sean Hayes and Jonathan Groff, among others, were not convincing in straight roles. Murphy, Kristin Chenoweth, Cheyenne Jackson and Michael Urie are among those who have spoken out against the article.
The following is a statement from GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios: “Whether he intended it to or not, Ramin Setoodeh’s article in Newsweek sends a false and damaging message about gay actors by endorsing the idea that there are limits to the roles they are able to play.
If Setoodeh wanted to start a discussion about the work of gay performers, he undermined his own premise by affirming stereotype after stereotype, such as gay actors being ‘insincere’ or unbelievable when playing romantic leads, and dismissing or disregarding the work of actors like Neil Patrick Harris, Cheyenne Jackson, Cherry Jones, Wanda Sykes, Jonathan Groff and Alan Cumming, among others.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender actors can play a wide variety of diverse roles and Setoodeh’s perspective on this issue reflects his own discomfort that he attempts to project onto the audience by indicting Sean Hayes instead of examining his own inability to embrace gay actors in straight roles.
Since the article’s publication, Setoodeh has attempted to reframe his opinion piece as an analysis of the lack of gay men in leading roles, however, he continues to posit that gay male actors are not believable. In his May 11th interview with Joy Behar, Setoodeh claims about Neil Patrick Harris’ television role: ‘He’s not really a romantic lead where women are actually supposed to believe him as a heterosexual character.’
Whatever Setoodeh’s intentions or beliefs, Newsweek is ultimately responsible for having published this deeply problematic essay and consciously or not, promoting and encouraging Setoodeh’s discomfort.
GLAAD has been in dialogue with Newsweek to provide space for views on the subject that expand their readers’ understanding of this issue past the harmful attitudes of writers like Setoodeh, whose perspective is used to pressure gay actors to stay closeted.”
Suggestion: Since, Newsweek is up for sale why not have someone Pro-Gay buy it and fire Setoodeh!
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