Stung by recent criticism and calls for boycotts over the launch of Paramount’s upcoming talker “Dr. Laura,” controversial host Laura Schlessinger has issued an all-out apology for her perceived actions and has requested critics to move on.
“In the recent, very public dialogue concerning my upcoming television show and my religious beliefs about homosexuality, many things have been said,” she declared in a statement to the media. “Some are true. Many, unfortunately, are not. But one inviolate truth is that I never intend to hurt anyone or contribute in any way to an atmosphere of hate or intolerance.”
Groups such as GLAAD had previously declared war on Paramount after Schlessinger made statements against the practice of homosexuality. Discussions with the studio resulted in a truce last month after Par assured GLAAD reps that a multitude of voices and opinions will be heard on the show. GLAAD has now requested a second meeting with the studio to further those talks.
“We at Paramount have always shared a commitment to present society’s issues without creating or contributing to an environment of hurt, hate or intolerance,” Par said in a statement. “We are committed to the production of Dr. Laura’s upcoming television show, which is planned to include multiple points of view, derived from a variety of sources, guests and a studio audience.”
Schlessinger said she remained committed to discussing moral and ethical issues on the show, but noted that “regrettably, some of the words I’ve used have hurt some people, and I am sorry for that. Words that I have used in a clinical context have been perceived as a judgment. They were not meant to characterize homosexual individuals or encourage others to disparage homosexuals.”
