Jason Kempin/Getty ImagesRose McGowan is saying sorry for some controversial comments she made about the gay community recently.
While appearing on Bret Easton Ellis' podcast the other day, the 41-year-old actress called gay men more "misogynistic" than straight men, adding, "I have an indictment of the gay community right now, I'm actually really upset with them." "
"You wanna talk about the fact that I have heard nobody in the gay community, no gay males, standing up for women on any level?" McGowan said. "What I would hope they would do is extend a hand to women. Women, by and large, have very much helped the gay community get to where they are today. And I have seen not a single peep from these people, who supposedly represent lesbians as well...when the equal pay act was shut down by Republicans in the Senate, not a single man mentioned that."
"I see now people who have basically fought for the right to stand on top of a float wearing an orange speedo and take molly [MDMA]," she added.
Now, the Charmed actress is clarifying her comments. "I was on Bret Easton Ellis's podcast the other day discussing sexism and misogyny. I made a dumb generalization, and for that I apologize. For everything else I said, no, I will not," she wrote in an op-ed for The Advocate titled "Rose McGowan on the Need for More Gay Male Feminists." "Where does it say that because of a man's sexual orientation, I don't get to point out a character defect that some of them may have? When equal pay for women was voted down by every male Republican, there was no LGBT outcry. I wondered why that was. After all, lesbians are women—this affects them too, right?"
She went on, "Misogyny infuriates me and it endangers me as a human. It also endangers the LGBT community. Empathy for the plight of women isn't making it better. Your voice will. Could I have articulated my frustration in a better fashion? Undoubtedly. For that I apologize, but I stand by my overall point. The rights that have been earned by the community are simple civil rights.
"What I want is for gay rights activists to help other disenfranchised groups. These activists are experts while so many other groups flounder. It's time to share the wealth and knowledge. And I will correct myself and my off-the-cuff comment—gay men certainly aren't more misogynistic than heteros, but I've met some who have come damn close. In some ways, it's more damaging, because it's coming from men that have faced so much hate."
McGowan went on to describe a recent incident in which a gay male friend of hers referred to the "sexually liberated" Golden Girls character Blanche Devereaux as a "slut." "I asked why he'd say that so thoughtlessly. If I'm not supposed to say (and I don't) ‘that's so gay,' surely this man can start thinking about why it's acceptable to slut-shame," she wrote. "He thanked me for opening his eyes. This is how we do this, one on one. Catch it when it's happening, and challenge it."
She concluded her article with, "And as for those who question my allegiance to the gay community and try to paint me as a gay-hater, I have a big eye roll reserved just for you. I'm a human, I mess up, but I mess up with love and good intentions. I feel like I'm a fight with my family. Now let's go do the right thing, myself included."