Jerry Lewis Uses Anti-Gay Slur Again; GLAAD, Others Want Another Apology
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Monday, October 27, 2008
CANBERRA, Australia -- Jerry Lewis has made an anti-gay slur on Australian television similar to one he apologized for using on his annual telethon a year ago.
Following a news conference in Sydney on Friday, Lewis, 82, was asked by a Network Ten national TV reporter for his opinion of cricket, which is widely played in Australia. Lewis then used the term to describe the sport.
The network broadcast the comment in full on its Friday evening news bulletin along with footage of Lewis handling an imaginary cricket bat with an effeminate gesture.
Lewis apologized in September last year for using a similar anti-gay slur in Las Vegas during his annual Labor Day telethon that raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
New York-based media discrimination watchdog Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, as well as the gay rights group Australian Coalition for Equality, called for Lewis to apologize again.
"Last year, Mr. Lewis apologized for using an anti-gay slur on live television, and expressed his desire to raise public awareness about the impact of this kind of defamation," GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano said in a statement.
"Clearly he did not take the lessons of that unfortunate episode to heart because, in an effort to be humorous, he has once again managed to offend and defame the gay community," he said.
"For someone so well known for helping others, Mr. Lewis shows an incredible lack of dignity and respect when he makes comments that contribute to a climate of intolerance," Giuliano added.
Lewis has performances scheduled in Australia through Friday. His Australian spokeswoman, Julie Cavanagh, said he did not intend to comment.
The comedian held Friday's news conference to promote his latest stage show. It is a retrospective of his career that includes show tunes with a 24-piece band, excerpts from his scores of movies and television shows, and his trademark slapstick comedy.
