Carol Channing On Gays

Entertainer Carol Channing, who I understand has a large gay following, is not a fan of their work.

In this interview with the Gay People's Chronicle, a publication based in Cleveland, Ohio, Ms. Channing had some surprising answers when asked about her large gay following:

Q: You seem to have a very large gay following. Have you ever thought about why?
A: I don’t think about them. I’m grateful that they seem to like me. They’re terribly loyal to me. But I’m knee-deep in the Bible and you know what it says about that.
Q: Alright.
A: Oh, dear. Is this for a gay publication? Have I offended you?
Q: Yes. For the Gay People’s Chronicle. Right now, it’s really not my job to be offended or not be offended. I am just asking questions and reporting answers. I read that you have fought for gay rights. Do you think that the things gay people are fighting for are important?
A: I don’t think about it. If they can’t take care of their own problems, why should I bother. It’s not my problem.

Lest any GLBT readers get too offended, here's an example of the mentality that produced those quotes:

Q: As revealed in your biography “Just Lucky I Guess,” you found out later in life that your father was of African-American origins. Did you ever feel betrayed that you weren’t told that right from the start?
A: No. I didn’t even know it would matter, that reporters would ask questions. [It did] not change my relationship with him at all. But I did finally realize why I sang so well, why I danced do well. Everyone’s race is something to be proud of. I’m terribly proud of it. I was very close to him and loved him dearly. He was the kindest, most spiritually minded person I knew.

So she can dance and sing because she has African-American blood?

I think she's a lot better off sticking with singing and dancing and should probably give fewer interviews.

Thanks to PageOneQ for the tip.

The blog Towleroad has a copy of the press release Channing's pr rep sent out trying to clean up the mess.