GLAAD has accepted an apology from actor Alec Baldwin over anti-gay remarks he made toward George Stark, a reporter for the Daily Mail.

When Stark accused Baldwin's wife of tweeting during the funeral for actor James Gandolfini, Baldwin called on his 1 million Twitter followers to “straighten out” Stark, calling him a “toxic little queen” and a “lying little bitch.”

“If [sic] put my foot up your fucking ass, George Stark, but I'm sure you'd dig it too much,” Baldwin tweeted.

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper noted the muted reaction: “Why does #AlecBaldwin get a pass when he uses gay slurs? If a conservative talked of beating up a 'queen' they would be vilified.”

In an apology issued through GLAAD, Baldwin cited his track record on gay rights.

“My ill-advised attack on George Stark of the Daily Mail had absolutely nothing to do with issues of anyone's sexual orientation,” Baldwin wrote. “My anger was directed at Mr. Stark for blatantly lying and disseminating libelous information about my wife and her conduct at our friend's funeral service. As someone who fights against homophobia, I apologize.”

GLAAD's Rich Ferraro accepted Baldwin's apology, calling him an “ally.”

“Alec Baldwin is making it clear that the intent behind his tweets does not excuse his language, especially at a time when there were 11 incidents of violence against gay men in New York City just last month,” Ferraro wrote. “As we all work to end such senseless acts of violence, allies like Baldwin are right to use these moments to reinforce support for the community and LGBT equality.”

The Daily Mail has taken down Stark's post and Baldwin has deleted his Twitter account.