Queer Town: Director Todd Holland Apologizes for Outfest Remarks, Not Advice
At 2:50 p.m., in Los Angeles, Queer Town received a statement from openly gay, Emmy-winning director Todd Holland, which was distributed by the gay, media watchdog group GLAAD.
In the statement, Holland apologizes for his "poorly chosen" remarks made at Outfest, one of the premiere gay and lesbian film festivals in the United States, on Sunday, July 12. At a panel discussion called "Taking It to the Streets: LGBT Directors Get Political," Holland told an audience that he advises young, gay male actors to "stay in the closet." That advice has caused an uproar in the gay community.
"As an openly gay man in Hollywood," Holland says in the prepared statement, "I know firsthand the tremendous challenges that people throughout the industry face in terms of being open about who they are."
"For people who know me, they know that I believe it's important for people to live openly and authentically, and I am sorry for my poorly chosen words at Outfest. At the end of the day, I hope my comments do not prevent us from having honest, thoughtful conversations about the significant barriers that make being an out actor in Hollywood an ongoing obstacle."
GLAAD Director of Public Relations Rich Ferraro tells Queer Town in an email that his group "reached out to Todd Holland following his statements at Outfest. Todd requested to clarify his remarks and asked that GLAAD distribute the following statement on his behalf."
Holland's statement, though, does NOT say that he will stop advising young, gay male actors to "stay in the closet."
Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.
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| Director Todd Holland |
In the statement, Holland apologizes for his "poorly chosen" remarks made at Outfest, one of the premiere gay and lesbian film festivals in the United States, on Sunday, July 12. At a panel discussion called "Taking It to the Streets: LGBT Directors Get Political," Holland told an audience that he advises young, gay male actors to "stay in the closet." That advice has caused an uproar in the gay community.
"As an openly gay man in Hollywood," Holland says in the prepared statement, "I know firsthand the tremendous challenges that people throughout the industry face in terms of being open about who they are."
"For people who know me, they know that I believe it's important for people to live openly and authentically, and I am sorry for my poorly chosen words at Outfest. At the end of the day, I hope my comments do not prevent us from having honest, thoughtful conversations about the significant barriers that make being an out actor in Hollywood an ongoing obstacle."
GLAAD Director of Public Relations Rich Ferraro tells Queer Town in an email that his group "reached out to Todd Holland following his statements at Outfest. Todd requested to clarify his remarks and asked that GLAAD distribute the following statement on his behalf."
Holland's statement, though, does NOT say that he will stop advising young, gay male actors to "stay in the closet."
Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.
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