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)
