Shalit regrets
calling Brokeback character a "sexual predator"

Days after giving a review of Brokeback Mountain on NBC's Today show that angered many in the queer community, film critic Gene Shalit has sent a letter of clarification to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Shalit's January 5 review of the film described the character of Jack as a "sexual predator" who "tracks Ennis down and coaxes him into sporadic trysts." Following the outcry from viewers, Shalit wrote the following comments to GLAAD on Tuesday:

"In describing the behavior of 'Jack' I used words ("sexual predator") that I now discover have angered, agitated, and hurt many people. I did not intend to use a word that many in the gay community consider incendiary.... I certainly had no intention of casting aspersions on anyone in the gay community or on the community itself. I regret any emotional hurt that may have resulted from my review of Brokeback Mountain." In a statement, the organization responded that it "thanks and applauds Mr. Shalit for clarifying his comments and making clear in his statement that his words were not intended to be defamatory to the LGBT community."

Shalit wrote an essay for The Advocate in 1997 about his close relationship with his son, Peter Shalit, an outspoken author and medical authority in the gay community. (Advocate.com)