Sir Ian McKellen has taken aim at New Zealand Prime Minister John Key after the politician used the word 'gay' in a derogatory manner.
Key caused controversy last week (ends04Nov12) when he referred to a Dj's red jersey as "gay" before a charity golf match.
The Pm later insisted, "It's just a slang term... I didn't really mean it as anything offensive" and claimed he understood the word to mean "weird".
However, openly-gay star MCKellen is upset about Key's turn of phrase and has urged the politician to think about the language he uses as a public figure.
In a post on his website, the Lord of the Rings star writes, "(Key) said he was using the word in the sense that his children used it and not in any way to disparage gay people. Anyway, he said, the word was in the dictionary. So of course are many other words that can give offence.
"Nevertheless, Mr Key should watch his language. I'm currently touring secondary schools in (the) U.K., attacking homophobia in the playground and discouraging kids from the careless use of 'gay' which might make their gay friends (and teachers) feel less about themselves.
"So even as he supports the proposal to introduce same-gender marriages in New Zealand, I do hope John Key listens to his critics and appreciates their concern. Careless talk damages lives."
This remake of Disney's 1991 classic is remarkably faithful, using present-day digital animation effects to...
Take a closer look at the cast of 'Beauty and the Beast' in the final...
To outsiders, the castle which sits on the outskirts of a small town is just...
Disney have released the new teaser trailer for the remake of the much-loved animated film...
Despite this being a film about Sherlock Holmes, the fact that it's not much of...
The year is 1947. Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) is 93 years old and living in...
Time makes a fool of all of us; even the greatest minds will become blunt...
Peter Jackson's expanded take on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit comes to a conclusion in a...
The Lonely Mountain has been reclaimed from the dragon Smaug. The dwarves of Thorin Oakenshield...
Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf and the mini-army of dwarves led by Thorin are facing an evermore...
Continuing to be the most original and resonant of the Marvel superhero franchises, the X-men...
The world is verging on an apocalyptic disaster as the mutants continue to engage in...