Andy DehnartProject Runway 4 winner Christian Siriano has been criticized for using “tranny” as an insult, and now he’s quasi-apologized after being criticized for comparing drag queens and transexuals to “white-trash women and trailer parks.”
He made those comments in an interview with Time Out New York in which he was asked about drag. He replied, “If you think of heterosexuals, they have white-trash women and trailer parks, and we have drag queens and trannies. I don’ know if I’m the one who can explain it. It’s, like, drag queens are just there.”
That apparently led to enough criticism to cause Christian to apologize, sort of. Late last week, Christian told GLAAD,
“I wish that my words were not taken in that way. When I was speaking, some comments that I made were not used in the article. I completely support the fabulousness and amazing fashion inspiration that most transgender people provide. … I know plenty of trans people. Some of my best friends had the struggle finding themselves. As did I considering that I am a very flamboyant gay man. I mean no disrespect to the transgender population and I never will. Some of my close friends happen to be transgender and I think they are some of the most inspiring people in my life.”
GLAAD’s cineQueer blog says that while Christian “practically invoked the word ‘tranny’ at every turn, an offensive slur he is now actively working to remove from his vocabulary as he becomes more involved working with the LGBT community.”
Of course, his apology doesn’t quite say that, nor does he even really apologize. In fact, he simply argues his words were taken out of context in this interview, and says that overall, he “mean[s] no disrespect.”