LGBTQ+ in Hollywood

[Hamatron]

Duck Dynasty's' Phil Robertson on Indefinite Hiatus Following Anti-Gay Remarks:

"We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson’s comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series Duck Dynasty," A&E said in a statement. "His personal views in no way reflect those of A+E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely."

Link

Good move, A&E. I hope that show goes off the air soon.

[carrier76]

Of course a bunch of people on my FB feed are all, "WHAT HAPPENED TO FREE SPEECH!!?!?"

Glad that A&E has suspended this ass...but also disappointed that this show is on A&E. I thought that channel showed quality programming? I guess it's the same thing that infected The History Channel (Pawn Stars: NOT HISTORY).

[Hamatron]

Ug. I love it when people get all audacious over someone getting reprimanded for saying something awful, and start ranting about free speech. Free speech doesn't mean that there's no consequences to what you say. Welcome to reality.

[chonies]

I hate Pawn Stars probably more than Duck Dynasty, but I think it has some moderate potential, if they recast it--I personally enjoy the mundane aspects of ordinary things, and I thought the show *can* be somewhat archaeological, but that's not how they're doing it. Cash & Cari and Rehab Addict do that much better when they talk about the way houses and household items used to be. But that's way, way off topic.

And frankly, I am kind of surprised about this. I am not surprised in the least that Phil Robertson had these things to say based on what I'd seen of him and read about his career as an inspirational speaker, but their family business has been around for at least, what, fifteen years? Phil and on-camera sons went to college (not that it means they're automatically super enlightened), and I suppose I thought they were more media savvy and had tighter control over their brand, considering the lengths they've gone to cultivate it. I would, of course, be more surprised to see DD openly endorsing gay issues.

[Deleted]

I'm having to FB-delete left and right over this Duck Dynasty BS. I think it's pretty sad to see so many people who I know are friends with (or maybe just pretend to be friends with) gay people and black people at work posting "I Support Phil" pics every 15 minutes. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they didn't actually read the interview itself, but in either case they're still idiots. And they can try to use the bible as an excuse for the homophobic remarks if they want, but where in the bible does it say that black people were happier working in the fields?! I hardly see anyone mentioning the racist comments, I guess because homophobia is more socially accepted than racism.

[Deleted]

I was more offended by the racist comments than the homophobic, TBH. Not to say that the homophobic comments were okay, they were crude and ugly. But considering that the family is Church of Christ, it kind of goes with the territory. No offense to any COC here, but the COC in Tennessee pretty much thinks EVERYONE is going to hell…except them. When I was a kid, I went to Sunday School with a COC friend and the teacher told a joke where that was pretty much the punchline - only COC are heaven-bound. It really bothered me as it was my first brush with religious intolerance.

I have read that Phil does not like the media attention - I have a feeling this does not bother him one bit, as he is not involved in the business anymore. Now Willie and the rest of the boys, I am sure that they are very worried about the brand right now.

I can't help it, I like Uncle Si. But that does not mean I am going to go out and buy a t-shirt with his face emblazoned on it like the one that my cousin wore to Thanksgiving…sigh.

[Ladybug]

I'm going on FB hiatus too. I'm so disappointed to see people I like and who call themselves Christian posting "I support Phil."

This situation has created another conservative, evangelical martyr that Fox News, Palin, Rush, Hannity, etc can claim is being "persecuted for his beliefs."

[Deleted]

I scrolled down my feed and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was DD-free. Then it all hit me at once. Sigh. People are missing the point - he has a right to speak his beliefs, but his employer has the right to suspend him for potentially damaging their brand and bottom line. This doesn't have anything to do with being persecuted for being a Christian. How many of us could walk into our workplace and say what he did without consequence?

[Sunnyhorse]

I'm horrified and angered by the number of people who apparently never took (or passed) a civics class who are shooting their mouths off over this situation. As BoroKat says, the guy can think and say whatever he likes, but the rest of us have the right to react, and A&E has the right to protect itself.

[Deleted]

People have no idea what our rights are in regards to "free speech." And I'm guessing that most of these people wouldn't be all "FREE SPEECH!" if the comments he had made were that gay people deserve the right to marry.

I am really having a hard time not replying to every dumbass post and comment today. A woman I work with posted,

If I call you friend, I love you. Period. I was taught to love unconditionally and not to judge, and I do my best to do that every single day. That doesn't mean that I agree with every aspect of your life, but ya know what? That's ok, I don't expect you to agree with every aspect of my life either. How boring would that life be?

Gee, I wonder how good of a friend she would consider someone to be to her if the aspects of her life they didn't "agree with" were her basic rights to be in love, have a family, and raise children? And yeah, I'm SURE she's not judging at all.