*Journalist Richard Prince is reporting that CNN “is weighing its response” to gay activists who are calling for Roland Martin to be fired for his Super Bowl tweets that they interpreted as anti-gay.
Martin denied the tweets were homophobic but acknowledged that they were intended to be “over the top.”
On Sunday night, after the game, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) said in a statement, “Twice on Sunday, Martin joked about violence against men who could be perceived as gay – once for wearing pink clothing, once for being interested in an ad showing a scantily-clad man. And we know how he feels about the LGBT community.”
“This isn’t a mistake made on twitter,” GLAAD Director of Communications Rich Ferraro said in the statement. “It’s part of a pattern of anti-LGBT rhetoric that culminated in two tweets yesterday promoting violence towards gay people. The time has come when CNN and Time Warner have to decide whether they want to continue to use their platforms to elevate those who use such language.”
Following retailer H&M’s Super Bowl commercial featuring soccer player David Beckham, CNN’s Roland Martin tweeted to almost 95,000 followers: ‘If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him! #superbowl’ ”
GLAAD responded to the tweet with: “@rolandsmartin Advocates of gay bashing have no place at @CNN #SuperBowl #LGBT”
Martin then replied, “@glaad @CNN well you’re clearly out of touch and clueless with what I tweeted. Way to assume, but you’re way off base.”
GLAAD also said, “. . . Earlier today, Martin posted to his Facebook fan page: ‘Who the hell was that New England Patriot they just showed in a head to toe pink suit? Oh, he needs a visit from #teamwhipdatass.”
On Monday, Martin addressed the controversy on his website: “. . . I made several cracks about soccer as I do all the time. I was not referring to sexuality directly or indirectly regarding the David Beckham ad, and I’m sorry folks took it otherwise.
“It was meant to be a deliberately over the top and sarcastic crack about soccer; I do not advocate violence of any kind against anyone gay, or not. As anyone who follows me on Twitter knows, anytime soccer comes up during football season it’s another chance for me to take a playful shot at soccer, nothing more.”
However, GLAAD cited support for its position from an organization of African American gays. “‘Even if he meant it in a jovial manner, Roland Martin’s words carry a real impact on the everyday lives of black LGBT people, especially our youth,’ said Sharon Lettman, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, the nation’s largest black LGBT civil rights organization. ‘Given the number of rash murders, attacks and violent acts involving LGBT people of color, we cannot let statements such as this go unchecked. Silence is a form of acceptance and only perpetuates the problem.’ ”
Late Monday, Martin issued a more sober statement that he labeled his “final thoughts” on the subject, noting that “In fact, I was bullied in school, and watched another middle schooler [pull] a knife on my father when he boarded our school bus and came to the defense of me and my brother. My position has been unequivocal on this issue, and will remain so.”
GLAAD said early Tuesday that it would respond to Martin’s latest statement later in the day.
Read Richard Prince’s entire article at The Root.
Roland Martin was quoted as having said more than what’s in this article,he supposedly said that if any New England players wore pink slap the #*@ out of them,in October players in the NFL all wear pink because of breast cancer month,Michael Jordan doesn’t appear in underwear but he promotes them I’m sure as Hell Roland wouldn’t attack him,he does sell a lot of draws,also David Beckham’s appeal to women is why they did the commercial. Now as for gays everyone who is as offensive as Martin can’t be tracked down,some people have strong convictions about the lifestyle and this will arise again,and even though people don’t like them being spoken of in the same breath so will bigotry of all types and some people will keep there jobs regardless,if this happens with Roland I’m sure he will empathize with Don Imus who he worked with such fervor to have removed.
I maintain that Roland should have known better as a pundit for CNN and I don’t really buy his excuse for the comment, but I DON’T think he should be fired either. I’m sue the next time he will consider his words – if there is a next time.
If they do fire him, it should be for NOT having a conversation and sharing your stupid opinions at the card table with the fellas, instead of around the world.
I am so sick and tired of Roland The Big Windbag Martin, I don’t know what to say.
Don Imus was actually on the job when he made his disparaging remarks…Roland was on his own time. While I do think that you should retain a sense of decorum at all times as a journalist, the tweets were during a Super Bowl party for goodness sake. Truth be told, I was mad that ole dude had on the pink suit also…not just because it was pink, but because he looked like a big ass bottle of Pepto Bismol. It was loud and hideous…so I’m not mad at Roland for saying what he said! GLAAD is being oversensitive on this matter, because even though Roland’s explanation could be a bunch of bs, his tweets could definitely NOT be anti-gay…it depends on who you ask.
And just the other day he was slamming his followers and friends on FB for watching RHOA. Seems like he has his own drama due to his “mouthpiece” and doesn’t practice what he preaches.
We have not quite learned, or for those who should know better~remembered, that you cannot just say any thing about anything or anybody, anywhere and expect for it to be received exactly how it was meant…unless you say what you mean and mean what you say. When you’re under contract with a corporate conglomerate like CNN, you essentially represent them 24 hrs a day and tweeting things like he did (which raises a red flag as to why he would even care about that…umh) is not what corporate conglomerates want to deal with because it costs clock-time and money, and clock-time spent on foolishness [like this] is a waste of both. Uber-ass-kissing-mode is most likely in effect because this is the kind of stuff that gets you so-called black-balled.
An open mouth may get shyt in it. Roland needs to learn that the hard way.
I see nothing “anti-gay” in the statement about the man in the suit. GLADD surely overreached on that one.
However, his “joking” way of advocating violence against men who might have like to see Beckham in the ad was a fools errands and I still don’t get what the statement had to do w/attacking soccer.
He should’ve left well enough alone. But nope, he had to come back for more.
Roland Martin is no Isaiah Washington, that’s for sure.
I don’t see the big deal but why doesn’t GLAAD ever go after those folks from that church that walk around with signs, God Hates Fags, etc…stupid
I think for GLAAD their efforts prove to be more impactful when they go after the big organizations that have something to loose. Some small church or lone individual with unapologetic, homophobic views is almost a waste of time for them. I get it. If Roland didn’t work for CNN or any other huge organization we probably wouldn’t be discussing this.
This makes no sense…. is G.L.A.A.D that sensitive for those comments… they could mean anything. He was only having fun during the superbowl.. People talk “ish” during the game. I don’t think he meant anything by it … G.L.A.A.D is becoming increasingly annoying and bordering on the ridiculus…. Anybody that agrees with me should contact C.N.N. and let them know that G.L.A.A.D needs to take a chill pill and find more pressing issues take to task…