Neil Patrick Harris has apologized for
using a transgender slur during a guest-hosting stint Friday on Live
With Kelly.
During a segment with Science Bob,
Harris and host Kelly Ripa inhaled sulfur hexafluoride, refereed to
as “helium's evil twin” by the scientist.
Harris received big laughs from the
studio audience when he delivered the line, “It puts the lotion in
the basket,” a reference to the transgender villain Buffalo Bill in
The Silence of the Lambs.
“I've never sounded more like a
tranny in my life,” Harris said after his voice returned to normal.
“We can sound like trannies all the time. That would sound
hilarious.”
The openly gay, 38-year-old actor
apologized for the gaff in a tweet to his over 2 million followers:
“Truly sorry for saying the word 'tranny' on Live this week.
Twice! Should have been more thoughtful. Didn't at all mean to
offend.”
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD) accepted Harris' 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. 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.”