Did Kathie Lee Gifford shade the LGBTQ+ community in an interview with Tomi Lahren?

Kathie Lee Gifford found herself in a weird spot recently after comments about the LGBTQ+ community caused a bit of a stir.

The talk show host recently chatted with right-wing personality Tomi Lahren. The conversation had shifted to LGBTQ+ people after Lahren brought up Shia LaBeouf—his recent arrest in New Orleans, the homophobic comments he made afterwards about how "big gay people are scary" to him, and a subsequent interview he did about his newfound religion and declining to discuss "homosexuality in the Bible."

Gifford, however, had no problem jumping in.

"That one is a four-letter word, and it's called L-O-V-E. Love," she said. "I've been in this business since I first started getting paid when I was 10 years old to sing. And I've had as many, or more, gay friends than straight friends, or whatever."

That's when she made a bit of a faux pas, adding on, "I don't know how many letters there are. They really gotta stop with that. We know what you mean, you know?"

LGBTQ+ and all its letters

There's more than one way to interpret Gifford's comments. The generous interpretation is one that occasionally comes from inside the LGBTQ+ community as well—that the acronym itself is simply getting too unwieldy, when the existing letters and plus sign ultimately do cover it, albeit imperfectly.

But we also live in a time where complaining about the acronym has become shorthand for suggesting that certain groups don't belong within the LGBTQ+ community, shouldn't be fought for in the same manner, or should simply be quieter about their identity because it's "too much." 

Considering Gifford was speaking to a right-wing personality in the midst of a conservative crusade against queer—and specifically trans—people, her comment stuck out as ill-advised, at best.

They seemed almost like a dog whistle amidst her other, far more accepting remarks about loving everyone, whether that was her intention or not.

Critics, defenders, and the acronym debate

Although Gifford's comments didn't cause quite as much of a public stir as tabloids might have had us believe, there was still some backlash online. 

The most irritating part was undoubtedly other straight people continuing what Gifford had started—weighing in on the name of a community they're not a part of.

It also had the "pick me" gays chiming in.

But a lot of people were ultimately unbothered, pointing out that although her messaging took a clumsy turn, the core of her message was a net positive for LGBTQ+ people—no matter what she thinks of the acronym.

"I'm not telling anybody how to live their life. I never have," Gifford said. "I just know what Jesus said: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Love God first.'"

Now, that's not to say there's no reason to side-eye her over the interview, but it might be more helpful to back it up just a bit first.

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