Every Gay Boy and Queer Girl Has a 'Lara Spencer Moment'

Contents:

• WHAT LARA SPENCER’S APOLOGY TO MALE BALLET DANCERS GETS RIGHT—AND STILL GETS SO WRONGALMOST THEREAFTER MOCKG PRCE GEE FOR TAKG BALLET, LARA SPENCER VED MALE DANCERS TO “GMA” TO DISCS STIGMA AND SHAMG. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE IMPULSE TO LGH THE FIRST PLACE?KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED AUG. 26, 2019 7:55PM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 26, 2019 1:57PM EDT SHUTTERSTOCKI HATE TO BE THE GAY WEIGHG ON THE NTROVERSY SURROUNDG LARA SPENCER’S JOKG ABOUT MEN WHO DANCE BALLET FRIDAY ON GOOD MORNG AMERI, BUT APPARENTLY WE’RE STILL PIROUETTG AROUND CLICH, EVEN NOW 2019. SO HERE I AM. SO, TOO, WERE MALE BALLET DANCERS ROBBIE FAIRCHILD, TRAVIS WALL, AND FABRICE CALMELS. BIS WALL, WHO IS OUTSPOKEN ABOUT HIS SEXUALY AND VOLVED LGBTQ+ ACTIVISM, I DON’T KNOW THE SEXUAL ORIENTATNS OF THE DANCERS. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A SHARED EXPERIENCE OF BULLYG AND SHAME BEE OF THEIR PASSN FOR SOMETHG THAT, TO A LARGER HETERONORMATIVE, MASTREAM CULTURE, ISN’T NSIRED TRADNALLY MASCULE.I KNOW THAT BEE THAT’S PRECISELY WHAT THEY TOLD SPENCER MONDAY MORNG ON GMA.  NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY THE DANCERS WERE PART OF A BATN APOLOGY PACKAGE AND TEACHABLE MOMENT THAT WAS ORCHTRATED FOLLOWG FRIDAY’S NTROVERSY. DURG A SEGMENT ON THE URS THAT PRCE GEE WILL BE ENROLLED WHEN HE BEGS SCHOOL, SPENCER OUTWARDLY LGHED AS SHE EXPLAED THAT HE WILL BE TAKG BALLET, AND AD LIBBED JOK AT THE EXPENSE OF THE SIX-YEAR-OLD AND HIS PARENTS UNTIL HER -HOSTS AND THE GMA STUD DIENCE JOED HER LGHTER.  AFTER A BREEZY, ANODYNE INSTAGRAM APOLOGY OVER THE WEEKEND, SHE RETURNED TO GMA MONDAY MORNG EARNTLY NTRE AS SHE TRODUCED HER NVERSATN WH THE TR OF DANCERS. IT WAS A SEGMENT THAT GOT MANY THGS RIGHT—AFTER AIRED MONDAY MORNG, WALL AND FAIRCHILD WERE TIM SQUARE TEACHG DANCE TO BOTH YOUNG GIRLS AND BOYS—BUT STILL GOT SOME VERY KEY THGS WRONG. THE SAME THG THAT THE “TEACHABLE MOMENTS” TEND TO ALWAYS GET WRONG. “I SCREWED UP. I DID,” SPENCER SAID MONDAY MORNG. “THE MENT I MA ABOUT DANCE WAS SENSIVE, WAS STUPID, AND I AM EPLY SORRY. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE DANCE MUNY THE LAST FEW DAYS. I HAVE LISTENED. I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE BRAVERY TAK FOR A YOUNG BOY TO PURSUE A REER DANCE.” FAIRCHILD, A FORMER PRCIPAL DANCER AT THE NEW YORK CY BALLET WHO WILL BE STARRG ALONGSI TAYLOR SWIFT AND JUDI DENCH THE CATS MOVIE, SPOKE ABOUT BEG MIDDLE SCHOOL WHEN HIS SCHOOLMAT DISVERED THAT HE WAS TAKG A DANCE CLASS DOWN THE STREET, SHOWED UP AT THE WDOW OF THE STUD, AND POTED AND LGHED. “I N’T TELL YOU HOW MUCH THAT HURT,” HE SAID. CALMELS, A FRENCH BALLET DANCER WHO IS THE LEAD DANCER AT CHIGO’S JOFEY BALLET, SPOKE ABOUT HOW HE TEACH DANCE TO YOUNG KIDS, AND HAS SEEN “BOYS JT DROP OUT BEE OF THE STIGMA AROUND THE FORM.” HE NTUED, “CHILDREN SHOULD BE ENTLED TO EXPERIENCE THGS WHOUT BEG BULLIED.” AND WALL, WHO BEME FAMO AS A NTTANT ON THE TV SERI SO YOU THK YOU CAN DANCE AND HAS WON TWO EMMY AWARDS FOR HIS CHOREOGRAPHY ON THE SHOW, SPOKE ABOUT THE POWER OF VISIBILY A MASTREAM SERI N HAVE. “HOW MANY BOYS HAVE STARTED TO DANCE BEE OF THAT SHOW MAK ME SO PROUD TO REPRENT THAT SHOW.”SPENCER END ALL BY THANKG THEM FOR PARTICIPATG THE NVERSATN: “FOR ME, THE LSON IS WORDS HURT. IT WAS NOT MY TENTN. BUT WAS SENSIVE, AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVG ME THE OPPORTUNY TO APOLOGIZE PERSONALLY TO YOU.” IT WAS EVERYTHG YOU ULD HAVE HOPED FOR THE AFTERMATH OF AN CINT THAT SO CELLY REMD THAT BOORISH GAY-SHAMG AND THE CSHG JUDGMENT OF GENR NORMS ARE STILL TRSILLY WOVEN TO THE FABRIC OF OUR CULTURE. IT WAS EYE-OPENG TO SEE THAT SUCH HARMFUL JUDGMENT N BE POED WH SUAL SUNNS ON A POPULAR MORNG SHOW, PERHAPS THE BASELE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT FOR OUR OWN CULTURAL MOR, FOR BETTER OR WORSE. SPENCER LIVERED A HUMBLED, TED, CLEAR APOLOGY, UPLED WH THE UNRSTANDG THAT THE CINT NEED TO SPARK A NVERSATN WH THOSE WHO FELT WRONGED. BUT THE TTH IS, THE NVERSATN ONLY VOLVED A SEGMENT OF THOSE WHO FELT WRONGED. WHILE WAS AN ADMIRABLE EXPLORATN OF WHAT A MALE DANCER MT OVERE TO KEEP ON THROUGH CHILDHOOD LSONS TO A REER THE DISCIPLE, AS WELL AS THE NEED TO BREAK THE STIGMA AGAST BOYS WHO DANCE, THE SEGMENT FAILED TO EXPLORE WHAT NECSATED THE NVERSATN THE FIRST PLACE. EVEN FOR SOMEONE WHO SHOULD BE NSIRED AN ALLY—I DON’T THK THERE’S ANYONE WHO THKS LARA SPENCER IS TLY HOMOPHOBIC, THE SENSE OF HOW WE TYPILLY VIEW THAT WORD—HER WORDS WERE A REMR THAT THERE IS A SWCH WAG TO BE FLIPPED THAT REVEALS HOW EMBEDD THE HURTFUL CLICHéS ABOUT GENR AND SEXUALY ARE.  “BOYS JT DROP OUT BEE OF THE STIGMA AROUND THE FORM. CHILDREN SHOULD BE ENTLED TO EXPERIENCE THGS WHOUT BEG BULLIED.”— FABRICE CALMELS WHAT IF A MAJOR MORNG SHOW LIKE GMA, THE WAKE OF A VIRAL NTROVERSY LIKE THIS ONE, ACTUALLY ADDRSED THAT? WHAT IF FALLY BROUGHT , ALONGSI THE STRAIGHT-PASSG, STUDLY MALE BALLET DANCER SUCCS STORI, LGBT SCHOOLKIDS AND EXPERTS ON THE TANGIBLE EFFECTS OF THIS LATENT SOCIETAL BULLYG?“CANCEL CULTURE”—THE IMPULSE TO FIRE ANYONE WHO MAK A PUBLIC MISSTEP OR SAYS SOMETHG OFFENSIVE, MISTAKENLY OR OTHERWISE—HAS GROWN TOO RABID, VORAC, AND UNFIVG TO BE EFFECTIVE. WHAT IS GAED WHEN, STEAD OF NVERSATN OR NTRN, ALL DISURSE AND TN STOPS? IT’S OPPORTUNY WASTED NOT JT FOR THE PERSON QUTN TO GROW, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE CULTURE TO NSIR, BATE, AND EVOLVE. IN THE WAKE OF SPENCER MOCKG PRCE GEE AND MALE DANCERS, BROADWAY STARS, CELEBRI, AND DANCE INS POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO ADMONISH HER MENTS ON A SLIDG SLE OF VRL, AND TO FEND THE DITN, STRENGTH, AND ATHLETICISM TAK TO BEE A DANCER—ALL ATTRIBUT THAT FLY THE FACE OF THIS ELEMENTAL MISNCEPTN THAT DANCE IS EXCLIVELY FLOUNCY, FEY, AND WEAK. IT IS ADMIRABLE THAT SPENCER SEEMED TO TERNALIZE ALL THOSE MENTS—AT LEAST HER PUBLIC-FACG, TELEVISED LIFE—AND NSIR THE VALUE OF TRANSLATG HER OWN TN TO HER SHOW’S DIENCE. WH SO MANY OF THE NTROVERSI, THE MOST THAT THE OFFEND HOPE FOR OR SIRE IS A NVERSATN ABOUT , ONE THAT ALMOST NEVER HAPPENS. THE MOST FURIATG ASPECT OF THE KEV HART OSRS HOSTG SNDAL, AT LEAST FOR ME, WAS THE SUATN THAT ANYONE ANGERED OR DISAPPOTED BY HIS PAST HOMOPHOBIC JOK WANTED HIM TO BE FIRED, NO QUTNS ASKED, NO CHANCE FOR REMORSE. IT’S MYOPIC—AND, TO MY EYE, A RECENT AND UNHEALTHY VELOPMENT OUR CULTURE—TO NOT SEE OPPORTUNY OUTRAGE. CRICS WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HART HAD LEARNED ABOUT WHY HIS PAST JOK ULD STILL TRIGGER SUCH HURT, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE THE PAST. THEY WANTED TO UNRSTAND HOW HE FEELS HIS PLATFORM ULD BE ED FOR THE BETTER. THEY WANTED TO UNRSTAND A MDSET THAT ULD LEAD SOMEONE AWAY OM VIEWS LIKE THE ON HE HAD ARTICULATED THE PAST TO A MORE EVOLVED PERSPECTIVE TODAY. THEY WANTED A NVERSATN. BUT HART’S FENSIVE DISMISSAL OF THE CRICISM SILENCED THAT POTENTIAL DISURSE. HIS PETULANT MARTYRDOM WAS MAYBE MORE TELLG THAN WHAT HE SAID THE FIRST PLACE. SPENCER’S SEGMENT MONDAY MAY REFLECT HER GENUE TN, OR MAY JT BE DAMAGE NTROL. BUT DID GIVE SPACE TO THE NVERSATN; ’S JT TIME FOR THAT NVERSATN TO BE TAKEN EPER. IT’S RIDICULO THAT THE IA THAT BALLET IS FOR SISSI STILL EXISTS. MEN WHO TRA BALLET ARGUABLY RANK AMONG THE MOST PHYSILLY F, STRONGT, DISCIPLED ATHLET THE WORLD. WHAT THEY ARE ABLE TO ACPLISH WH THEIR BODI IS AS ASTOUNDG, OFTEN MORE SO, THAN ANYTHG SOMEONE MIGHT WNS WHILE WATCHG SPORTS. GENE KELLY, MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV, HELL, EVEN CHANNG TATUM OR HUGH JACKMAN: HOW MANY STRAPPG LEADG MEN WILL WE SEE BEE MAJOR STARS BEE OF THEIR TALENT FOR DANCE, WHILE STILL PERPETUATG THE IA THAT REAL MEN DON’T DANCE? (OH, AND IF YOU’RE A TALENTED MALE DANCER WHOUT BICEPS AS BIG AS YOUR HEAD AND A SQUARE JAW TO FILL A MOVIE SCREEN? THAT’S OK, TOO!)BUT, RIDICULO OR NOT, THAT NOTN DO STILL EXIST. WHAT’S MAYBE MORE SURPRISG IS THAT WE ALLOW OURSELV TO FET DO. WHEN THERE’S PROGRS OF ANY KD WHEN TO GENR REPRENTATN, LGBTQ+ ACCEPTANCE, AND THE CELEBRATN OF INTY, WE FET HOW SURFACE-LEVEL THAT N BE. WE FET HOW MUCH EPER OUR FEELGS, NVERSATNS, AND SELF-REFLECTN HAVE TO BURROW FOR CHANGE, REAL CHANGE, TO HAPPEN. JT LOOK HOW EASY WAS FOR EVERY SGLE PERSON ON SCREEN, OM SPENCER TO HER -HOSTS TO THE DIENCE BEHD HER, TO LGH AT A LTLE BOY TAKG BALLET CLASS, LIKE WAS A REFLEX TO DO SO. MAYBE BEE STILL IS. HOW MANY OF ARE “WOKE” BUT, WHEN DOWN TO , ARE UNFORTABLE AROUND ANYTHG THAT DON’T NFORM TO THE GENR ROL WE’VE BEEN NDNED TO ACCEPT? HOW MANY OF THK WE ARE UNRSTANDG, UNTIL WE’RE FACED WH THE OPPORTUNY TO PROVE ? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THERE WHO LOVE THEIR GAY IENDS, LOVE THEIR GENR NON-NFORMG HAIR DRSERS, LOVE GOG TO BROADWAY SHOWS, AND LOVE MARCHG PRI PARAS WHO MIGHT STILL BLANCH AT THE IA OF THEIR OWN SONS TAKG BALLET, OR, TO TAKE THE HYPOTHETIL FURTHER, BEG GAY? I’M NOT SURE THE ARE TOPICS THAT ULD BE PROPERLY LVED TO A FIVE-MUTE GOOD MORNG AMERI SEGMENT. I’M GLAD THAT THE SMALL SPOTLIGHT ON THE SHAME AND STIGMA FACED BY MALE DANCERS, AT THE VERY LEAST, WAS. BUT WHAT IF, THIS TIME, WE N WRG OM THE KNEE-JERK OUTRAGE JT A LTLE B MORE? KEV FALLON

WHAT LARA SPENCER’S APOLOGY TO MALE BALLET DANCERS GETS RIGHT—AND STILL GETS SO WRONGALMOST THEREAFTER MOCKG PRCE GEE FOR TAKG BALLET, LARA SPENCER VED MALE DANCERS TO “GMA” TO DISCS STIGMA AND SHAMG. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE IMPULSE TO LGH THE FIRST PLACE?KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED AUG. 26, 2019 7:55PM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 26, 2019 1:57PM EDT SHUTTERSTOCKI HATE TO BE THE GAY WEIGHG ON THE NTROVERSY SURROUNDG LARA SPENCER’S JOKG ABOUT MEN WHO DANCE BALLET FRIDAY ON GOOD MORNG AMERI, BUT APPARENTLY WE’RE STILL PIROUETTG AROUND CLICH, EVEN NOW 2019. SO HERE I AM. SO, TOO, WERE MALE BALLET DANCERS ROBBIE FAIRCHILD, TRAVIS WALL, AND FABRICE CALMELS. BIS WALL, WHO IS OUTSPOKEN ABOUT HIS SEXUALY AND VOLVED LGBTQ+ ACTIVISM, I DON’T KNOW THE SEXUAL ORIENTATNS OF THE DANCERS. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A SHARED EXPERIENCE OF BULLYG AND SHAME BEE OF THEIR PASSN FOR SOMETHG THAT, TO A LARGER HETERONORMATIVE, MASTREAM CULTURE, ISN’T NSIRED TRADNALLY MASCULE.I KNOW THAT BEE THAT’S PRECISELY WHAT THEY TOLD SPENCER MONDAY MORNG ON GMA.  NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY THE DANCERS WERE PART OF A BATN APOLOGY PACKAGE AND TEACHABLE MOMENT THAT WAS ORCHTRATED FOLLOWG FRIDAY’S NTROVERSY. DURG A SEGMENT ON THE URS THAT PRCE GEE WILL BE ENROLLED WHEN HE BEGS SCHOOL, SPENCER OUTWARDLY LGHED AS SHE EXPLAED THAT HE WILL BE TAKG BALLET, AND AD LIBBED JOK AT THE EXPENSE OF THE SIX-YEAR-OLD AND HIS PARENTS UNTIL HER -HOSTS AND THE GMA STUD DIENCE JOED HER LGHTER.  AFTER A BREEZY, ANODYNE INSTAGRAM APOLOGY OVER THE WEEKEND, SHE RETURNED TO GMA MONDAY MORNG EARNTLY NTRE AS SHE TRODUCED HER NVERSATN WH THE TR OF DANCERS. IT WAS A SEGMENT THAT GOT MANY THGS RIGHT—AFTER AIRED MONDAY MORNG, WALL AND FAIRCHILD WERE TIM SQUARE TEACHG DANCE TO BOTH YOUNG GIRLS AND BOYS—BUT STILL GOT SOME VERY KEY THGS WRONG. THE SAME THG THAT THE “TEACHABLE MOMENTS” TEND TO ALWAYS GET WRONG. “I SCREWED UP. I DID,” SPENCER SAID MONDAY MORNG. “THE MENT I MA ABOUT DANCE WAS SENSIVE, WAS STUPID, AND I AM EPLY SORRY. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE DANCE MUNY THE LAST FEW DAYS. I HAVE LISTENED. I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE BRAVERY TAK FOR A YOUNG BOY TO PURSUE A REER DANCE.” FAIRCHILD, A FORMER PRCIPAL DANCER AT THE NEW YORK CY BALLET WHO WILL BE STARRG ALONGSI TAYLOR SWIFT AND JUDI DENCH THE CATS MOVIE, SPOKE ABOUT BEG MIDDLE SCHOOL WHEN HIS SCHOOLMAT DISVERED THAT HE WAS TAKG A DANCE CLASS DOWN THE STREET, SHOWED UP AT THE WDOW OF THE STUD, AND POTED AND LGHED. “I N’T TELL YOU HOW MUCH THAT HURT,” HE SAID. CALMELS, A FRENCH BALLET DANCER WHO IS THE LEAD DANCER AT CHIGO’S JOFEY BALLET, SPOKE ABOUT HOW HE TEACH DANCE TO YOUNG KIDS, AND HAS SEEN “BOYS JT DROP OUT BEE OF THE STIGMA AROUND THE FORM.” HE NTUED, “CHILDREN SHOULD BE ENTLED TO EXPERIENCE THGS WHOUT BEG BULLIED.” AND WALL, WHO BEME FAMO AS A NTTANT ON THE TV SERI SO YOU THK YOU CAN DANCE AND HAS WON TWO EMMY AWARDS FOR HIS CHOREOGRAPHY ON THE SHOW, SPOKE ABOUT THE POWER OF VISIBILY A MASTREAM SERI N HAVE. “HOW MANY BOYS HAVE STARTED TO DANCE BEE OF THAT SHOW MAK ME SO PROUD TO REPRENT THAT SHOW.”SPENCER END ALL BY THANKG THEM FOR PARTICIPATG THE NVERSATN: “FOR ME, THE LSON IS WORDS HURT. IT WAS NOT MY TENTN. BUT WAS SENSIVE, AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVG ME THE OPPORTUNY TO APOLOGIZE PERSONALLY TO YOU.” IT WAS EVERYTHG YOU ULD HAVE HOPED FOR THE AFTERMATH OF AN CINT THAT SO CELLY REMD THAT BOORISH GAY-SHAMG AND THE CSHG JUDGMENT OF GENR NORMS ARE STILL TRSILLY WOVEN TO THE FABRIC OF OUR CULTURE. IT WAS EYE-OPENG TO SEE THAT SUCH HARMFUL JUDGMENT N BE POED WH SUAL SUNNS ON A POPULAR MORNG SHOW, PERHAPS THE BASELE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT FOR OUR OWN CULTURAL MOR, FOR BETTER OR WORSE. SPENCER LIVERED A HUMBLED, TED, CLEAR APOLOGY, UPLED WH THE UNRSTANDG THAT THE CINT NEED TO SPARK A NVERSATN WH THOSE WHO FELT WRONGED. BUT THE TTH IS, THE NVERSATN ONLY VOLVED A SEGMENT OF THOSE WHO FELT WRONGED. WHILE WAS AN ADMIRABLE EXPLORATN OF WHAT A MALE DANCER MT OVERE TO KEEP ON THROUGH CHILDHOOD LSONS TO A REER THE DISCIPLE, AS WELL AS THE NEED TO BREAK THE STIGMA AGAST BOYS WHO DANCE, THE SEGMENT FAILED TO EXPLORE WHAT NECSATED THE NVERSATN THE FIRST PLACE. EVEN FOR SOMEONE WHO SHOULD BE NSIRED AN ALLY—I DON’T THK THERE’S ANYONE WHO THKS LARA SPENCER IS TLY HOMOPHOBIC, THE SENSE OF HOW WE TYPILLY VIEW THAT WORD—HER WORDS WERE A REMR THAT THERE IS A SWCH WAG TO BE FLIPPED THAT REVEALS HOW EMBEDD THE HURTFUL CLICHéS ABOUT GENR AND SEXUALY ARE.  “BOYS JT DROP OUT BEE OF THE STIGMA AROUND THE FORM. CHILDREN SHOULD BE ENTLED TO EXPERIENCE THGS WHOUT BEG BULLIED.”— FABRICE CALMELS WHAT IF A MAJOR MORNG SHOW LIKE GMA, THE WAKE OF A VIRAL NTROVERSY LIKE THIS ONE, ACTUALLY ADDRSED THAT? WHAT IF FALLY BROUGHT , ALONGSI THE STRAIGHT-PASSG, STUDLY MALE BALLET DANCER SUCCS STORI, LGBT SCHOOLKIDS AND EXPERTS ON THE TANGIBLE EFFECTS OF THIS LATENT SOCIETAL BULLYG?“CANCEL CULTURE”—THE IMPULSE TO FIRE ANYONE WHO MAK A PUBLIC MISSTEP OR SAYS SOMETHG OFFENSIVE, MISTAKENLY OR OTHERWISE—HAS GROWN TOO RABID, VORAC, AND UNFIVG TO BE EFFECTIVE. WHAT IS GAED WHEN, STEAD OF NVERSATN OR NTRN, ALL DISURSE AND TN STOPS? IT’S OPPORTUNY WASTED NOT JT FOR THE PERSON QUTN TO GROW, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE CULTURE TO NSIR, BATE, AND EVOLVE. IN THE WAKE OF SPENCER MOCKG PRCE GEE AND MALE DANCERS, BROADWAY STARS, CELEBRI, AND DANCE INS POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO ADMONISH HER MENTS ON A SLIDG SLE OF VRL, AND TO FEND THE DITN, STRENGTH, AND ATHLETICISM TAK TO BEE A DANCER—ALL ATTRIBUT THAT FLY THE FACE OF THIS ELEMENTAL MISNCEPTN THAT DANCE IS EXCLIVELY FLOUNCY, FEY, AND WEAK. IT IS ADMIRABLE THAT SPENCER SEEMED TO TERNALIZE ALL THOSE MENTS—AT LEAST HER PUBLIC-FACG, TELEVISED LIFE—AND NSIR THE VALUE OF TRANSLATG HER OWN TN TO HER SHOW’S DIENCE. WH SO MANY OF THE NTROVERSI, THE MOST THAT THE OFFEND HOPE FOR OR SIRE IS A NVERSATN ABOUT , ONE THAT ALMOST NEVER HAPPENS. THE MOST FURIATG ASPECT OF THE KEV HART OSRS HOSTG SNDAL, AT LEAST FOR ME, WAS THE SUATN THAT ANYONE ANGERED OR DISAPPOTED BY HIS PAST HOMOPHOBIC JOK WANTED HIM TO BE FIRED, NO QUTNS ASKED, NO CHANCE FOR REMORSE. IT’S MYOPIC—AND, TO MY EYE, A RECENT AND UNHEALTHY VELOPMENT OUR CULTURE—TO NOT SEE OPPORTUNY OUTRAGE. CRICS WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HART HAD LEARNED ABOUT WHY HIS PAST JOK ULD STILL TRIGGER SUCH HURT, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE THE PAST. THEY WANTED TO UNRSTAND HOW HE FEELS HIS PLATFORM ULD BE ED FOR THE BETTER. THEY WANTED TO UNRSTAND A MDSET THAT ULD LEAD SOMEONE AWAY OM VIEWS LIKE THE ON HE HAD ARTICULATED THE PAST TO A MORE EVOLVED PERSPECTIVE TODAY. THEY WANTED A NVERSATN. BUT HART’S FENSIVE DISMISSAL OF THE CRICISM SILENCED THAT POTENTIAL DISURSE. HIS PETULANT MARTYRDOM WAS MAYBE MORE TELLG THAN WHAT HE SAID THE FIRST PLACE. SPENCER’S SEGMENT MONDAY MAY REFLECT HER GENUE TN, OR MAY JT BE DAMAGE NTROL. BUT DID GIVE SPACE TO THE NVERSATN; ’S JT TIME FOR THAT NVERSATN TO BE TAKEN EPER. IT’S RIDICULO THAT THE IA THAT BALLET IS FOR SISSI STILL EXISTS. MEN WHO TRA BALLET ARGUABLY RANK AMONG THE MOST PHYSILLY F, STRONGT, DISCIPLED ATHLET THE WORLD. WHAT THEY ARE ABLE TO ACPLISH WH THEIR BODI IS AS ASTOUNDG, OFTEN MORE SO, THAN ANYTHG SOMEONE MIGHT WNS WHILE WATCHG SPORTS. GENE KELLY, MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV, HELL, EVEN CHANNG TATUM OR HUGH JACKMAN: HOW MANY STRAPPG LEADG MEN WILL WE SEE BEE MAJOR STARS BEE OF THEIR TALENT FOR DANCE, WHILE STILL PERPETUATG THE IA THAT REAL MEN DON’T DANCE? (OH, AND IF YOU’RE A TALENTED MALE DANCER WHOUT BICEPS AS BIG AS YOUR HEAD AND A SQUARE JAW TO FILL A MOVIE SCREEN? THAT’S OK, TOO!)BUT, RIDICULO OR NOT, THAT NOTN DO STILL EXIST. WHAT’S MAYBE MORE SURPRISG IS THAT WE ALLOW OURSELV TO FET DO. WHEN THERE’S PROGRS OF ANY KD WHEN TO GENR REPRENTATN, LGBTQ+ ACCEPTANCE, AND THE CELEBRATN OF INTY, WE FET HOW SURFACE-LEVEL THAT N BE. WE FET HOW MUCH EPER OUR FEELGS, NVERSATNS, AND SELF-REFLECTN HAVE TO BURROW FOR CHANGE, REAL CHANGE, TO HAPPEN. JT LOOK HOW EASY WAS FOR EVERY SGLE PERSON ON SCREEN, OM SPENCER TO HER -HOSTS TO THE DIENCE BEHD HER, TO LGH AT A LTLE BOY TAKG BALLET CLASS, LIKE WAS A REFLEX TO DO SO. MAYBE BEE STILL IS. HOW MANY OF ARE “WOKE” BUT, WHEN DOWN TO , ARE UNFORTABLE AROUND ANYTHG THAT DON’T NFORM TO THE GENR ROL WE’VE BEEN NDNED TO ACCEPT? HOW MANY OF THK WE ARE UNRSTANDG, UNTIL WE’RE FACED WH THE OPPORTUNY TO PROVE ? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THERE WHO LOVE THEIR GAY IENDS, LOVE THEIR GENR NON-NFORMG HAIR DRSERS, LOVE GOG TO BROADWAY SHOWS, AND LOVE MARCHG PRI PARAS WHO MIGHT STILL BLANCH AT THE IA OF THEIR OWN SONS TAKG BALLET, OR, TO TAKE THE HYPOTHETIL FURTHER, BEG GAY? I’M NOT SURE THE ARE TOPICS THAT ULD BE PROPERLY LVED TO A FIVE-MUTE GOOD MORNG AMERI SEGMENT. I’M GLAD THAT THE SMALL SPOTLIGHT ON THE SHAME AND STIGMA FACED BY MALE DANCERS, AT THE VERY LEAST, WAS. BUT WHAT IF, THIS TIME, WE N WRG OM THE KNEE-JERK OUTRAGE JT A LTLE B MORE? KEV FALLON

Roberts waed years to e out as gay.

At the end of 2013, Rob Roberts officially me out as gay by thankg her girliend of ten years, Amber Laign, a Facebook post that tailed Roberts' long and paful battle wh MDS, or myelodysplastic syndrome. In April 2016, gay and lbian magaze The Advote cricized Roberts for appearg on the ver of Mississippi's official tourism gui bee the state had passed what the magaze lled "a pro-discrimatn law, allowg bs, dividuals and broadly fed 'religly affiliated anizatns' to refe service to LGBT people, sgle mothers, and others who somehow offend an dividual's 'scerely held relig belief or moral nvictn' regardg marriage and sexualy. But more notably, Amaechi was the first former NBA player to e out as gay, beg, as said by BBC, one of the most “high-profile gay athlet.