Brett Ratner accepts GLAAD Award, makes amends for gay slurs [VIDEO]
Credit: GLAAD
Director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Tower Heist) is the only man in the history of the Academy Awards to resign from producing the Oscars after creating a s***-storm over the cavalier usage of gay slurs. For a brief time, he was one of Hollywood's most despised figures, but with the passage of time has come the learning of lessons.
At the GLAAD Awards Saturday night, Ratner stood on the stage and went through the list of things he was called in the fall of 2011, after using the slurs in question.
"Homophobe. Bigot. Gay-basher. Ignorant frat boy. Fat, Jewish pig," the director enumerated. "I was called all of these names when I foolishly used a gay slur in a misguided attempt to be funny during an interview. Do I believe what I was called to be true? Aside from the Jewish and fat part? No, absolutely not. But I learned a valuable lesson: a word can matter, whether it's said with malice or a joke."
Ratner accepted an Ally Award roughly a year and a half after using the word "fag" in a question-and-answer session for his film, Tower Heist, an act that resulted in a domino effect -- he resigned as producer of the Academy Awards amidst the media firestorm, and Ratner's ouster led to host Eddie Murphy resigning as well, in protest. Ratner has been doing damage control ever since, rehabbing his image and making multiple PSAs for GLAAD.
Ratner told the audience he learned a valuable lesson from his mistake.
"Being insulted for using the word cannot compare to the experience of any young gay man or woman who has been the target of offensive slurs or derogatory comments," Ratner said.
GLAAD president Herndon Graddick, praised Ratner for the work he had done for their organization, and for the gay community, in the wake of his mistake.
"He’s gone further than anyone I’ve ever seen at showing how he really feels about the LGBT community," Graddick told The Hollywood Reporter. "He was really committed to make a difference, not just with us but with GLSEN, he held a fundraiser at his home to elect the first lesbian mayor of New York [Christine Quinn]. I believe he was never a homophobe and I value all of his contributions and consider him a friend."
So what do you think? Is this just damage control? Or does Ratner appear honestly remorseful for his mistakes? Check out the video of his acceptance speech below:
