It took months, but Grey’s Anatomy cast members have finally come out and said what previously you were only allowed to kinda-sorta suggest and imply: that Isaiah Washington did, in fact, use the word "faggot" in an on-set argument with Patrick Dempsey. Since reports of the altercation–and the subsequent outing of gay costar T. R. Knight, whom Washington was referring to–the cast has been tight-lipped, vague and let’s-work-it-out-in-the-family about the incident. But the issue came to a head again when Washington again flatly denied having used the slur to reporters at the Golden Globes.
This was apparently the last straw for some cast members, who dropped the don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy. Costar Katherine Heigl fumed to Access Hollywood, "I’m going to be really honest right now, [Washington] needs to just not speak in
public. Period. I’m sorry, that did not need to be said, I’m not okay
with it." And now Knight has told Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show that Washington definitely used the slur. After hearing the epithet, Knight said, he felt obligated to speak openly about being gay: "Something shifted, and it became bigger than myself."
He’s right, and let’s hope the makers of Grey’s are listening. It will be interesting to see if series creator Shonda Rhimes has anything to say about this, and not because she’s African American. (The idea that minorities have a special obligation to be more offended by bigotry than anyone else is almost as offensive as the bigotry itself.) Rather, she owes some kind of action or comment because Grey’s is so casually, intentionally and admirably diverse–there’s a multicultural cast and numerous interracial relationships–and because she’s spoken so publicly about the importance of that. It’s great that she walks the walk with her show, but she’s also gotta talk the talk, when it comes to Washington’s talk.