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Looking Out: Betty White shows support for bullied LGBT youth

By Michael Gold
Baltimore Sun
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On Nov. 20, 2014, Ty Herndon and Billy Gilman separately came out of the closet, making them the fir

On Nov. 20, 2014, Ty Herndon and Billy Gilman separately came out of the closet, making them the first openly gay male country singers. Country songstress Chely Wright came out 2010. (Getty Images)

Just when you thought Betty White couldn't possibly do more to endear herself to the LGBT community, the "Golden Girls" alumna took part in a promotional video for Spirit Day, GLAAD's anti-bullying initiative that asks people to wear purple to show support for LGBT youth.

Doing her best mugging while reading copy that makes NBC's The More You Know campaign look Pulitzer-worthy, White jokes about changing her name on Oct. 17 to "Betty Purple" as a way to stand up for LGBT teens and young adults.

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More like "Betty Perfect," right?

White and her "Hot in Cleveland" cast mates — who, incidentally, are in the video, too — won't be the only ones looking good in lilac next Thursday. According to NewNowNext, they'll be joined by outspoken-if-not-well-spoken LGBT advocates Snooki and JWoww, songstress Ke$ha and designer Isaac Mizrahi.

In less violet news:

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  • So Argentina made history recently when it granted 6-year-old transgender girl Lulu an identification card that matches her gender identity. Or, you know, that's how I read this Associated Press story despite its seeming insensitivity to transgender rights. After a first paragraph which qualifies Lulu as "a 6-year-old boy who has been dressing like a girl since age 4," the AP story goes on to refer to the child in question as male in the next two sentences. Guys, I thought we dealt with this already?

  • Legally married same-sex couples can file joint federal tax returns after an August announcement by the Obama administration and the Internal Revenue Service, but several states made it clear they won't be changing their own tax guidelines any time soon. As Huffington Post's Gay Voices section reports, some states that ban same-sex marriage are requiring married same-sex couples to file their taxes as single. Because taxes weren't complicated enough already.

  • After 20 University of Mississippi players allegedly interrupted a performance of "The Laramie Project" last week by yelling gay slurs at cast members, the student-athletes will be required to attend an "educational dialogue session," according to ESPN. Ole Miss apparently couldn't find any evidence of the slurs in question due to "conflicting reports."

  • After suggesting that Newark mayor Cory Booker's manicures and pedicures were a ploy to rally the gay vote, New Jersey Senate candidate Steve Lonegan copped to having "mixed feelings" about same-sex parents. This came after Lonegan said that he doesn't want "other groups forcing their new value system down the throats" of religious institutions. Funny -- I bet same-sex couples feel the same way about having Lonegan's views on same-sex marriage.

  • Just in time for National Coming Out Day (it's Friday), "Hunger Games" actor Josh Hutcherson came out as "mostly straight" -- and then acknowledged the possibility of being attracted to a man. Whether he's being honest about the existence of the Kinsey Scale or toying with his gay fans in a Cory Booker-style machination...swoon.

When you're done imagining looking into Josh Hutcherson's eyes, let us know what LGBT-related news you've been talking about this week.

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