New Jersey actress Camryn Manheim is facing what some viewed as homophobic backlash online after saying at an event that she wanted her son to be gay.
Camryn Manheim is an Emmy-winning actress best known for her work in television and film. She rose to fame playing attorney Ellenor Frutt on The Practice, earning a Primetime Emmy Award for the role in 1998. Manheim later starred as Delia Banks on Ghost Whisperer and appeared in Person of Interest, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Scary Movie 3, and Law & Order, where she portrayed Lieutenant Kate Dixon.
Manheim was attending a Human Rights Campaign event when she shared that she wished her son were gay. She made the comment while presenting actress Marcia Gay Harden with the Ally for Equality Award at the HRC’s National Dinner.
During her speech, Manheim said that she had always wanted a gay son, a comment that made the crowd laugh. “I love that relationship between gay sons and their mothers. I wanted to be the picket sign-holding mom who would beat the [expletive] out of somebody for her kid,” she said before adding, “I mean, let’s just admit it, gay sons are the best, right? Right!”
Manheim continued by saying that she had pictures of her son wearing high heels and full drag. “He knows every word to every musical ever written, his fairy godfather, Aaron Walton, is here with us tonight. I mean, truly, I thought I had this [expletive] thing locked up, but no, no, he’s the only straight guy in his entire musical theater company,” she added, appearing to joke about her son being straight.
The actress then recalled how Marcia had called her 10 years ago to tell her that her son had come out as gay. “All I said was, ‘Oh my God, you are so [expletive] lucky!’” Manheim said in response to the news.
The viral clip ended with Manheim sharing another story about Marcia. “And about a week later, I was at Marcia’s house for dinner when an Amazon package was delivered, and inside, I’m not kidding you, was a pair of thigh-high patent leather boots, like kinky boots and I thought, ‘Oh, come on, now she is just showing off!’” she said.
Manheim has one son, Milo Manheim, whom she welcomed in 2001. Milo followed his mother into the entertainment industry. He is best known for starring as Zed in Disney’s Zombies film franchise. He has also appeared on Dancing with the Stars, competing during the show’s 27th season and finishing as the runner-up.
Despite his mother’s comments about wishing he were gay, Milo has publicly identified as straight. His mother’s remarks about his sexuality quickly became a subject of criticism online. Some viewers questioned her comments and others defending her as having made them jokingly.
Fans Slam New Jersey Actress Camryn Manheim Over Gay Son Wish
Viewers online quickly criticized New Jersey actress Camryn Manheim for expressing her wish that her son was gay. Some of the backlash also included homophobic comments, with people making claims that were unrelated to what Manheim actually said. “They lunatics want to trans their kids,” one account wrote, despite Manheim not mentioning transgender people in her comments. “There isn’t enough room in the psych wards for all these people,” another person said.
More people continued criticizing the actress. Some made additional claims about her son’s sexuality and gender that were not supported by her comments. One person wrote, “She’s just another unknown irrelevant actress who wants to parade ‘her’ trans kid around like jewellery to show off. Look at me and my trans kid. It’s better than your trans kid. Like me, love me for my true understanding of my kid who’s lying to themselves and everyone around it.” Another person said, “no father wants a fruit for a son. Just [expletive].”
The actress’ comments also highlighted the homophobic reactions that can emerge in online discussions about sexuality. They led some viewers to question whether it is appropriate for parents to express a preference for their children’s sexual orientation, even when those comments are made jokingly or as an expression of support for the LGBTQ+ community.
