Alec Baldwin hits out at ‘Gay Department of Justice’ as he quits public life
Actor Alec Baldwin has written an article for New York Magazine’s Vulture blog stating his intention to leave public life, and concentrate on his family following last year’s homophobic spat with a photographer.
In a 5,000 word article entitled “Alec Baldwin: Good-bye, Public Life,” the actor describes the incident and also outlines the reasons as to why he is not homophobic.
However, he begins the article by once again criticising prominent gay journalists Andrew Sullivan and Anderson Cooper, labelling them as part of the “Gay Department of Justice”.
The pair previously took Baldwin to task over his anti-gay remarks.
Baldwin writes: “I flew to Hawaii recently to shoot a film, fresh on the heels of being labeled a homophobic bigot by Andrew Sullivan, Anderson Cooper, and others in the Gay Department of Justice. I wanted to speak with a gay-r ghts group that I had researched and admired, so I called its local Honolulu branch.”
Defending himself he says: “Am I a homophobe? Look, I work in show business. I am awash in gay people, as colleagues and as friends. I’m doing Rock of Ages one day, making out with Russell Brand. Soon after that, I’m advocating with Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Cynthia Nixon for marriage equality. I’m officiating at a gay friend’s wedding. I’m not a homophobic person at all. But this is how the world now sees me. I haven’t changed, but public life has.
Baldwin describes the incident where a photographer tried to take a picture of his young daughter. The actor got angry, because the paparazzo “practically clipped my kid in the head with the lens of a camera.”
Continuing, Baldwin goes on to talk about the reaction to the altercation, “I’m sorry, I can’t let go of this—do people really, really believe that, when I shouted at that guy, I called him a ‘faggot’ on-camera? Do you honestly believe I would give someone like TMZ’s Harvey Levin, of all people, another club to beat me with?”
Signing off in the text, Baldwin says, “There’s a way I could have done things differently. I know that. If I offended anyone along the way, I do apologise. But the solution for me now is: I’ve lived this for 30 years, I’m done with it. And, admittedly, this is how I feel in February of 2014.”
