What has happened to the writers of ‘Glee’? I don’t get it.

These guys pride themselves on being the vanguards of tolerance and understanding. They have been awarded by no less than GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) for their positive and outstanding representations of gays and lesbians in the media. They have been in the forefront of breaking down stereotypes and educating Americans on the dangers of intolerance against groups who don’t fit into the cookie-cutter molds that society would force them into.

So imagine my surprise when they did exactly the opposite to conservative Tea Party activists:

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Kathy Griffin, (herself a GLAAD “Vanguard” award winner for her outstanding contribution to the depiction of gays and lesbians in the media), played a “Tea Party Candidate” who was judging a glee club competition. Dressed all in red and with Palin-esque glasses, her character bursts onto the scene by proclaiming “I am not a witch!” [Insert pause for laughter here].

It’s more than just disappointing, it’s intolerance and bigotry in the name of tolerance and understanding.

The initial reviews of this episode are pretty lousy, even from the show’s fans. And they all seem to single out the Kathy Griffin character as a “dud”. But, none of them understand the real reason why her character was a dud. I’ll explain it for them: Because it was a two-dimensional depiction of a conservative that was not based in any kind of reality or truth. The character was a cartoon image of a “Tea Partier” drawn by a group of writers who probably have never had a real conversation with one of us.

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It’s impossible to work in the theatre industry and not have colleagues, business partners and life-long friends who are gay. I have always viewed this fact as one of the most wonderful and enriching dynamics of the theatre community.  It’s so invigorating being part of a show (which very soon takes on the characteristics of a family) and have people from every walk of life represented, often by “Type A” personalities who bring joy and variety to the daily routine of presenting a show.

After collaborating with gay associates for almost thirty years, I’ve reached the conclusion that most gay men hold a fundamentally center/right view on most economic and national security issues.  The over-riding feeling expressed to me from my gay friends is the deeply held desire to be left alone.  And after watching GOProud Chairman Christopher Barron take this obnoxious attack from non-entity Cenk Uyger for having the temerity to identify himself as a conservative, I’ve reached the greater conclusion that the conservative movement needs articulate and courageous voices like this as part of our team.

As Mr. Barron puts it: “I have an easier time being openly gay with conservatives than I do being a conservative with other gay people.”  So, if CPAC and the Republican Party can be accepting of gay conservatives who don’t hold exactly to every single position espoused by the party, why can’t Broadway do the same?
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Visiting Washington DC, I had asked an orchestra leader at a hotel restaurant, if I could sing Bibbity, Bobbity, Boo? Only four years old, I stood on the stage, singing a song about magic. My show business debut came as a shock to my family, who hadn’t noticed that I’d quietly slipped away from the dining table. Sometimes, I have a tendency to spring things on people. Later, when working in the entertainment industry, I shocked non-family members with my worldview. But when one is an actress and a conservative, there’s just no easy way to break it to some folks. So one time I was at my agent’s office for a voice over audition, I asked to be heard in more ways than one.

See – there was this anti-President Bush stuff plastered on the door leading into the recording booth. It had been there awhile, and I had tried to ignore it. Weeks before, I’d been waiting along with another actress for an audition. We’d been having a pleasant chat, when suddenly this woman dove headfirst into an anti-Bush diatribe! Stuff like that had been happening more and more. And I began to dread going to auditions there. (more…)