Jennifer Hudson
has been receiving rave reviews and considerable Oscar
buzz for her portrayal of the character Effie in the Bill
Condon-adapted film version of the popular
Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Her notices are no
surprise to The Advocate, as Hudson graces our
current cover.
What is
surprising is a headline posted December 6 in the online
edition of the Dallas Voice: " 'Dreamgirl'
Says, Gay Is a Sin," which ran above the subhead,
"Oscar frontrunner Jennifer Hudson stops in Big D;
Devout Baptist sticks with Bible on same-sex issues."
Hudson was in Dallas as part of a promotional tour for
the film, and she participated in a roundtable where Daniel
A. Kusner, life and style editor for the Voice,
a local gay and lesbian newspaper, asked Hudson about
her religious beliefs. Hudson said she
is Baptist. When he asked about her stance on
same-sex marriage, Hudson is reported to have responded,
"Nobody has ever asked me these questions." She continued,
"Everybody sins. No sin is greater or different than the
other. To each his own. If it don't bother Jennifer,
then Jennifer don't mind. I don't really even think
about it because I don't believe in judging people for
what they do."
Kusner then asked
Hudson if she thinks being gay is a sin, to which she
reportedly replied, "According to the way we're taught, and
what it says in the Bible, it is." Kusner's article
then scolds her for not having a more "thoughtful
response."
Hudson contacted
The Advocate through her representatives
Wednesday, saying she is devastated by the report, which
she says misrepresents her beliefs about her gay fans and
gay people in general. She released the following
statement to The Advocate:
"In a recent
interview, I was asked how I reconciled being a
Christian with performing at events for my gay fans. I find
it upsetting that some folks equate being a Christian
with being intolerant of gay people. That may,
unfortunately, be true for some, but it is not true for
me. I have talked often of my love and support of the gay
community. I have said again and again that it was the
gay community that supported me long before and long
after American Idol, and kept me working and
motivated. It is the gay community that celebrated my
voice and my size and my personality long before
Dreamgirls. Yes, I was raised Baptist. Yes, I
was taught that the Bible has certain views on
homosexuality. The Bible also teaches us not to judge.
It teaches us to love one another as God loves us all.
I love my sister, my two best friends and my director
dearly. They happen to be gay. So what? While some search
for controversy, I hope that my friends and fans who
know me, know where I stand."
In our cover
story, Jennifer is quoted as saying, "[There are] about
a hundred of 'em [her gay friends]. Girls don't like me.
People say, 'Oh, here comes Jennifer and a bunch of
dudes.' And gay guys always recognize me when I'm out.
I love that. It happens so much-- even if I have a hat
and sunglasses on--that when I see a group of gay guys
and they don't, I think, What's wrong with
them? I even asked Bill [Condon] about it. I said,
'Why are all my friends gay men?' And he said, 'Oh, I
know why.' But then he still wouldn't explain it to me!"
About Condon, she
said, "I love my Bill. I love that man. Asking
questions about him is the wrong thing to do if you want to
get out of here soon, because I'll talk about him
forever. He's an angel. I couldn't have asked for a
better director." There's also a quote from Condon
about Hudson: "She and I had serious marriage discussions. I
fell in love with her. It's one thing to try into
Jennifer Holliday's shoes, to take on this kind of
epic role, but to have done it without ever having
been on a movie set before and to go toe-to-toe with Jamie
Foxx and everyone else, it takes a rock-solid
confidence. I know it's overused to describe actors as
brave, but I thought that her job took actual physical
courage." (The Advocate)