The 'How I Met Your Mother' star says he is sorry for using the word 'tranny' while co-hosting 'Live! with Kelly', tweeting, 'Should have been more thoughtful. Didn't at all mean to offend.'
- Dec 3, 2011
AceShowbiz - Neil Patrick Harris may have offended some transgenders with his jokes on "Live! with Kelly", but soon realized that he made a mistake. Offering his apology, the guest co-host who accompanied Kelly Ripa for this week's episodes tweeted, "Truly sorry for saying the word 'tranny' on Live this week. Twice! Should have been more thoughtful. Didn't at all mean to offend."
While some predicted that Harris would receive a backlash for his "tranny" remark, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) which is sensitive with this kind of issue does not slam "The Smurfs" actor. In a statement, the organization even praises the Barney Stinson of "How I Met Your Mother" for trying to redeem himself with the quick apology.
"It's heartening to see a celebrity of Harris' stature recognize and apologize for using the slur in such a timely manner, and for greater media attention being paid to its use," states GLAAD. "Many people do not realize that the word 'tr*nny' is one of the most hurtful and dehumanizing slurs that transgender people hear. Most transgender people associate that word with personal experiences of violence, hatred and derision."
Harris used the "tranny" word after experimenting with "anti-helium" gas which distorts someone's voice to a lower register after being inhaled. The host of 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards then quoted the line, "It puts the lotion in the basket," which was delivered by "The Silence of the Lambs" transgender villain, Buffalo Bill.
The openly-gay star then joked, "I've never sounded more like a tranny in my life!" He added, "We can sound like trannies all the time. That would sound hilarious."
Neil Patrick Harris makes "tranny" jokes on "Live! with Kelly":
