James Woods certainly stepped in it last week.  It all started with a photo of 10-year-old CJ Duron and his parents Lori and Matt at Orange County Pride.  Mom is holding a sign that says, “I Love My Gender Creative Son!”, while the dad’s says, “My Son Wears Dresses & Makeup…Get Over It!”  Their son is in lots of rainbow colors.  I don’t know how James Woods found this post or why he commented on it.  Then again, the James Woods story I remember involved Sean Young and an ill-placed bottle of super glue.  Be that as it may, Woods re-Tweeted this photo, saying: “This is sweet.  Wait until this poor kid grows up, realizes what you’ve done, and stuffs both of you dismembered into a freezer in the garage.”  He certainly paints a vivid picture.

Neil Patrick Harris jumped in.  “Utterly ignorant and classless, Mr. Woods.  I’m friends with this family.  You know not of what you speak, and should be ashamed of yourself.”  Woods snapped back: “Using one’s child as a social justice propaganda doll is tantamount to child abuse.  This is not about homophobia.  Nice try though.”  He wasn’t done.  “For the record I have supported human rights of all stripes and persuasions, colors, creeds, choices and preferences my entire life.  Period.”  But not period.  “Some children can be ruthlessly cruel to children who are simply different in any way.  I humbly suggest making your child a target is unwise.”  And he had more to say: “I spent my entire adult life in the New York theatre scene, kids.  I have more gay friends than Liberace.  So let’s stop the homophobia train.”  He continued: “This is not a defense.  I’m old enough to remember the agony friends suffered for being different.  Being wrongly accused of anything is vile.”  He added: “And of course the final word on all of this is that I frankly don’t give a shit what anybody thinks of me.”

Then the parents spoke up.  After referring to Woods as “a somewhat public figure” (OUCH!), they went on to tell their story – a story which apparently is common knowledge in their geographic locale.  Mom Lori wrote, “I’ve written about how much easier our lives would be if both of our boys were straight and cisgender.  We had to evolve to the place where we are now, that’s what my writing is about – to show our evolution as parents and people and hope that it inspires others.”  Lori wrote a book, Raising My Rainbow (Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka wrote the foreward), and also a website of the same name.  She discussed the excitement of bringing her son to his first gay pride parade.  “My sweet, fabulous, rainbow boy has never received so many compliments.  He’s used to getting stares and whispers when we’re out in public.  He’s not used to getting the smiles, hugs, and encouragement he received at Pride.”  And isn’t that all that matters?