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Washington's Golden Globes statement also compelled Knight to speak publicly about the incident. Interestingly enough, Knight chose to go on DeGeneres' daytime talk show to address the issue. Given the rest of the mainstream media's indifference to the story prior to Heigl's interview, it's not surprising that Knight chose to speak with arguably the most famous gay person in America. It was one place he could feel certain of getting a fair hearing.

During the interview, Knight made it absolutely clear that the incident did take place, something supported by Heigl and even by Washington's earlier apology for having said hurtful things. (By press time no one representing ABC, Grey's Anatomy, or Isaiah Washington had responded to our requests for comment. Through a spokesperson Knight declined to comment, choosing to let his appearance on Ellen speak for him.) Knight also spoke movingly to DeGeneres about what a shock it was to hear a co-worker use the F-word in relation to him, at one point saying sarcastically, “It's an awesome word, isn't it?”

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has weighed in on the matter, with GLAAD president Neil Giuliano saying yesterday in a press release, “When Isaiah Washington uses this kind of anti-gay slur — whether on-set or in front of the press — it does more than create a hostile environment for his cast mates and the crew of Grey's Anatomy. It also feeds a climate of hatred and intolerance that contributes to putting our community in harm's way.”

TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello added, “His [Washington's] continued employment on a show that wears its diversity as a badge of honor is the height of hypocrisy. If ABC wants to be remotely true to the principles Shonda Rhimes so eloquently espouses through the show, it has to do the right thing and fire Washington. Anything else at this point is simply unacceptable.”

This is hardly the first time disparaging comments and homophobic slurs have been uttered by well-known people only to be ignored by the mainstream media. Long before Mel Gibson taunted police officers with questions about being Jewish, he said bigoted things about gay people. And last year, when Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen called Jay Mariotti, a Chicago sports columnist, a “f------ fag”, the issue for most of the mainstream press wasn't the use of an anti-gay slur, but the ongoing feud between columnist and coach.

By speaking up, Knight has put a very human face on what for many had just been an abstract notion of intolerance — until yesterday. Hopefully his actions will help Americans come to see that the F-word is as unacceptable in it's own way as the N-word. Yes, gay people are known to use the word amongst themselves, just as African-Americans use the N-word, but that does not excuse anyone using it in a demeaning and derogatory manner.

Now that DeGeneres has put the issue front and center with her high-profile talk show, it will be interesting to see what the mainstream media does next. Will Washington be engulfed in a frenzy similar to the one that swamped Michael Richards? Will reporters demand he apologize for his use of the F-word? Will FOX News report on Washington 's apparent homophobia? Or will they instead pontificate about the liberal press which, ironically, ignored the story for so long? And will pressure be brought on ABC and Rhimes to explain exactly what did happen on the Grey's Anatomy set and justify their inaction since then?

Early signs of how well the mainstream press now grasps the issue are mixed. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covered the story in their “Living” section with an article titled “Some advice to feuding celebs: Just let it go”. That's what they think T.R. Knight should do after being called the F-word? Let it go? The article then helpfully suggests that the celebrities “take a time out” as if T.R. is somehow being childish in insisting he be treated with respect. The Charlotte Observer did better, but even they referred to the incident as merely a “fray”. At least the Los Angeles Times quoted from GLAAD's statement on the issue and described the “growing furor” around the topic. So far, however, no one outside the gay media has had much to say about the inappropriateness of the word's use, instead simply focusing on the celebrity controversy.

Will this sad affair mark a turning point in how public bigotry toward gay people is handled by society and the mainstream media? Only time will tell.

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