Isaiah Tackles The Issue Of Gay Marriage -- Do We Like Him Again?

It looks like Isaiah Washington is making a serious effort to support a gay friend and the gay community at large.

In fact, OutSports.com reports that the former Grey's Anatomy star, labeled a homophobe after it became apparent that the slur "faggot" slipped all too easily from his lips, recently made a donation to Equality California, a 10-year-old organization dedicated to ensuring equal rights for California's LGBT residents.

According to OutSports.com, Isaiah made the donation in celebration of his former publicist Howard Bragman's marriage to his life partner Chuck O'Donnell. In lieu of gifts, the couple asked friends and family members to give money to Equality California, which is now lobbying California voters to just say no to an anti-gay marriage amendment that'll be on the state's November ballot.

"Chuck and I were very touched by [Isaiah's] generosity and his support of this cause, and we expect many other high-profile contributions," Bragman tells OutSports.com, adding, "He said he wishes us all the best, and he supports the rights of others in our community to get married."

Who ever thought Isaiah would join the gay marriage fight and be on our side?

Seriously, it wasn't that long ago that the actor was in hot water with the gay community for using the f-word not once but twice. As you will likely recall, Isaiah got into an infamous on-set scuffle with Grey's Anatomy co-star Patrick Dempsey after calling fellow castmate T.R. Knight, who wasn't out of the closet at that point, a faggot. Isaiah made a public apology only to subsequently grab the microphone during a press conference at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards to declare, "I did not call T.R. a faggot."

Isaiah, who soon after learned that his contract with Grey's Anatomy would not be renewed, tried to make amends by starring in a PSA for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The PSA had the actor talking in general about the harmful impact of negative slurs relating to a person's sexual orientation, race or gender.

Still, the gesture was not enough to earn Isaiah everyone's forgiveness.

I'm curious -- have you forgiven Isaiah for the hurtful remarks he has made in the past? And, if not, do his recent actions make you able to forgive him now? Is it possible that Isaiah has truly learned a lesson about tolerance and gone from a foe to a friend of the gay community?

Comments

[Calvin]

First of all, as told by Isiah Washington himself, and I believe him, he did NOT call that ugly T.R. Knight a faggot. He probably called Patrick Dempsey one for apparently coming out to him. Nobody told Knight to come out. That was just his ego. True, Washington shouldn't have called anyone an anti-gay, because he may never work again. But you live and learn. I can only hope creeps like Knight and Neil Patrick Harris never find mainstream work again.

[porterpnyc]

well, Calvin, those two seem to be doing just fine, even if they are out. so stop your bitching.

[mike]

I forgave Isiah a long time ago. I've been called worse things than a "faggot" and I would never, ever believe anything that execrable hack actor T.R. Knight says. It's sad that Mr. Washington may never work again. It's unfair and typical of some of the Hollywood "gay mafia" that they would blackball an actor for a slip of the tongue. T.R. Knight is a no-talent gay bimbo who should have been put out to pasture a long time ago.

[Matti]

That was a great thing for him to do. Everyone makes mistakes and I don't think he meant what he said in a derogatory way against gay people...unfortunately it's a word people use without thinking of the real meaning, like saying "You're retarded." It's offensive to people who are affected by the term, but not always realized by who said it...an accident which has cost him a lot but probably wouldn't effect the average person's life.