Candiace Dillard (“Real Housewives of Potomac”) has publicly apologized for recently resurfaced anti-gay tweets she made roughly 10 years ...
Candiace Dillard (“Real Housewives of Potomac”) has publicly apologized for recently resurfaced anti-gay tweets she made roughly 10 years ago.
According to Fox News, Dillard faced backlash this week when a Twitter account reposted several of Dillard’s old tweets that disparaged LGBTQ people in 2010 and 2011.
“Queenie gay men irk me,” Dillard wrote in one tweet. “I’m personally turned off by men who r too into fashion. It’s a fine line. When u do too much, I’m disgusted. Makes me think ‘gay,'” she wrote in another.
In a lengthy apology posted to social media on Wednesday, Dillard said that she made those comments at a time of emotional immaturity and while touting herself as an ally of LGBTQ+ people.
“I want to address tweets that resurfaced from nearly 10 years ago that may have offended people I love dearly and those who have supported me as a Potomac housewife,” she began. “To my loyal fan base, particularly the LGBTQIA+ viewers, thank you for your unwavering support. I love you.”
“I, alone, am responsible for my words and I deeply regret saying anything that could’ve hurt my friends, colleagues, family and fans. At the time I was a private citizen, speaking carelessly and crassly as we often do, and for my lack of better judgment, I am sorry,” she continued. “While I have always considered myself an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, I recognize my words were insensitive, and undermine the support, reverence and love I have consistently tried to demonstrate through advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights and causes, as well as my personal relationships with those who identify as LGBTQIA+.”
Though Dillard says that she’s been learning over the past decade, she admits that she is “still evolving.” She neither defended her language as being a byproduct of its time nor the current time. While she states that she understands the pain of discrimination as a black woman, she admitted, however, that she could “never know first hand the hurt many LGBTQIA+ people experience from pervasive discrimination, family rejection, barriers to employment, homelessness, homophobia, transphobia and more.”
“This has been a humbling experience, but I remain committed to learning and listening to become a more effective and empathetic ally,” she concluded. “My prayer is that this may serve as a teachable moment for those who are willing to listen and learn as it has been for me. It’s imperative that we love more, have empathy, and search for understanding. I am truly sorry for my comments and I only ask for patience and understanding as I strive to evolve as a person.”
Some of Dillard’s followers, including those who identified as LGBTQ, largely accepted her apology while others demanded she be fired.
“Back in 2010 Eminem was rapping calling gay people the F word. No one canceled him. He also called slow people retards. 2010 was a whole different era. We do better in 2020 and I know you are not the same person,” tweeted one follower.
“You should be axed, just like the cast members from the other shows. They apologized too. It seems as though, you only apologized because you got caught,” said another.
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