GLAAD Unveils 'Be an Ally & a Friend' PSA's Featuring Knight, Bass, Walsh and Matlin

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) have rounded up 22 entertainers and athletes to take part in a series of 25 public service announcements that will be released every two weeks over the coming year. The series, entitled "Be an Ally & a Friend," "encourages viewers to combat homophobia and asks straight people to be "allies" of the gay community."

The PSAs feature former professional basketball player John Amaechi, Jamie Bamber, performer Lance Bass, Alexandra Billings, Wilson Cruz, Rachel Griffiths, T.R. Knight, Rex Lee, Jason Lewis, Eric Mabius, Alec Mapa, Oscar winner Marlee Matlin, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, Becki Newton, Jerry O’Connell, Ana Ortiz, Sara Ramirez, Shaun Robinson, Rebecca Romijn, former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres, Michael Urie, and Kate Walsh.

GLAAD President Neil Giuliano says, "The ‘Be an Ally & a Friend’ campaign empowers each and every one of us to make a difference in the lives of loved ones by listening to and supporting those who come out. The straight allies and community members who gave their time and energy to this campaign deserve our deepest thanks for participating in this effort to reach a critical audience. Straight allies are some of the most effective and powerful voices in the struggle for equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Not only can allies offer vital support to people in the coming out process, they also help others understand the importance of equality, fairness, tolerance and mutual respect."

Go GLAAD!

Source: Towleroad.com

Idol Thoughts on Grey's Anatomy Season Finale

For a show that has kept me on the edge of my seat for the past three years, last night's season finale of Grey's Anatomy was a bit of a disappointment.

Don't get me wrong, there were still some spectacular and surprising moments. I didn't predict, for example, that George wouldn't pass his intern test -- that's an unexpected twist that will certainly have big repercussions next season, as George has to decide whether to repeat his intern year or simply leave the program (in addition, of course, to figuring out how to sort out his love for two very different women). I don't know how that one is going to pan out, but I'm eager and interested to find out. And I loved his answer when Lexie asked him if had any advice -- simply "No."

And the way the Burke/Christina wedding played out was compelling and complex, raising interesting questions about whether we want the person we are in a relationship with to change who they are for us, or if we love them for who they really are. After her momentary freak-out at the wedding chapel, Christina really did seem ready to walk down the aisle, which made her exclamation of "I'm free" after Burke had left her all the more powerful. Did she want to give herself over to the "happy ending," or was that "happy ending" designed for someone Christina thought she was supposed to be? Throughout the episode Sandra Oh played every moment perfectly, and her final breakdown even left me a bit misty.

In fact, all of the acting was excellent throughout the episode -- TR Knight's quiet realization that his whole life was crumbling around him was heartbreaking; Chandra Wilson's devastation at being passed over for the chief residency was palpable; and Ellen Pompeo's confusion over whether or not she was able to commit to Derek was utterly believable. Patrick Dempsey, Justin Chambers, and Katherine Heigl also had incredibly powerful moments throughout the show.

So what are my complaints? Well, there's a few.

First of all, for weeks we've been waiting for the George & Izzie affair to hit the fan, for Callie to find out, for something other than longing looks between the two and stolen elevator kisses. Instead, we get talk of Callie and George trying to have a baby? I buy that Callie is trying to hold on as she feels George slipping away, but I was hoping for more of an explosion -- but I guess we'll have to wait until next season to see how that all plays out.

Then there's the whole search-for-the-chief thing. This storyline has been going on for months, and what do we get for a resolution -- the chief is staying? Boring! Yeah, yeah, I get that we'll get to see how he will do things differently "the second time around," but I still feel like I've been a bit manipulated.

The Alex-running-to-Ava's-room-but-he's-too-late moment was also a bit annoying -- after months of watching Alex's bad-boy persona start to thaw, he figure's out he really does want to be with her, but just a moment too late? Come on! I have loved much of this storyline throughout the season (and enjoyed watching Justin Chambers reveal different layers to his character), but this ending feels a bit trite to me.

And what about Addison? We know she's leaving (Private Practice was picked up for the fall, after all), and we got a hint as to what the straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back was (the Chief's comment that she should "find a new job or find a new life"), but we never actually saw Addison quit and we never got to see her say goodbye to anyone. What's going to happen in the fall -- she'll just show up in LA? Considering the history she has with Derek and Mark (not to mention the friendships she's developed with Callie and Alex, and her complex relationships with Meredith), it would have been nice to see Addison actually depart Seattle Grace before setting off on her new life. Ah well.

Speaking of leaving -- is Burke gone? As in off the show gone?

And finally, there's the little issue of Meredith's sister showing up as a new intern. Aren't there any other hospitals in Seattle? And won't Meredith's father have an issue with Lexie working at the hospital where his wife (and Lexie's mother) just died? I hope Shonda Rhimes and company can resist the urge to have Lexie start hooking up with Derek -- if Meredith's half-sister has Meredith's father, her job, and her McDreamy, it may be too much for our little waif to handle. Hopefully there is a different reason the writers have in mind for Lexie's arrival.

Despite these reservations, I still love the show, and I, like millions of other fans, will wait patiently until the fall so we can see how everything pans out. I'm rootin' for these folks.

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Grey's Anatomy Spin-Off Adds Additional Cast Members

When it was announced a couple of weeks ago that ABC was planning a spin-off of Grey's Anatomy (or, as the network likes to refer to it, a 2-hour episode with the "potential for an afterlife"), centered around Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), I was a little skeptical. Well, more than a little...I thought it sounded like a terrible idea. Wouldn't removing Addison from the rock-solid ensemble of Grey's upset the show's chemistry? Would the new show seem like a carbon copy of the original, just set in a different city? And if so, what would the point of that be?

Now, though, they have announced several actors who have been cast in the potential spin-off and it reads like a who's-who of beloved television actors. They include:

• Taye Diggs, late of Kevin Hill and Daybreak


• Amy Brenneman, a multiple Emmy Award nominee for Judging Amy


• Tim Daly, late of Wings, Eyes, and The Nine


• Merrin Dungey, who played Francie on the cult fave Alias


• Paul Adelstein, who currently plays Secret Service Agent Kellerman on Prison Break


• Chris Lowell, who currently plays Piz on Veronica Mars

The last time there was a collection actors this accomplished in one show was, well, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and we all know how that turned out. Still, though, I gotta be honest...with this kind of talent involved, I'm starting to warm up to the idea of this spin-off.

What do you think? Should ABC leave well enough alone, or does this spin-off sound like a good idea?