Posted in: HBO, Max, TV | Tagged: HBO, LGBTQ, lgbtqia, michael imperioli, the sopranos, The White Lotus

Michael Imperioli Post Clarifies Banning "Bigots and Homophobes"

In a new post, Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos, The White Lotus) clarified his forbidding "bigots and homophobes" from watching his projects.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 vote that website designer Lorie Smith had the right to refuse to provide services for same-sex weddings on the grounds that it would violate her religious faith – with the majority decision stating that Colorado's non-discrimination law couldn't force Smith to violate her Frist Amendment right. Well, that decision wasn't exactly met with a lot of celebration from those who saw it as another step back when it comes to equal rights for the LGBTQ community. In addition, many wonder how this wouldn't open the door for rampant discrimination done under the guise of "religion." And that was the point that The Sopranos & The White Lotus star Michael Imperioli was trying to make in a social media post from a few days ago where he announced that he was prohibiting "bigots and homophobes" from watching his projects – following the lead set by the U.S. Supreme Court (and even "thanking" them for the opportunity). Now, Imperioli has returned to social media to add some clarity to what he was trying to get at.

"after turning down invitations to appear on various news programs, I thought it best just to clarify: The post referred to here was a satirical and symbolic take on where blatantly discriminatory Supreme Court decisions are taking us as a nation: into utter division and possibly far worse," Imperioli began the caption of his response post, including an image of an article that covered the issue. "I believe in religious freedom, freedom of speech, and the right for individuals to pursue happiness. I also believe in the separation of church and state as stated in the First Amendment. I believe that all people, regardless of race, religion, color, creed, gender, or sexuality, are entitled to freedom, equality, rights, and protection under the laws of our nation. And I vehemently oppose hate, prejudice, and bigotry and always have. Some people have not gotten the irony I was expressing, so I thought I'd be more explicit. Anyway, the post certainly got the message across to most and did its job. End of story."

"I've decided to forbid bigots and homophobes from watching 'The Sopranos,' 'The White Lotus,' 'Goodfellas,' or any movie or TV show I've been in," Imperioli wrote in an Instagram post shortly after the Supreme Court's decision came down. "Thank you, Supreme Court, for allowing me to discriminate and exclude those who I don't agree with and am opposed to. USA ! USA!" Imperioli added (while responding in the comments with, "hate and ignorance is not a legitimate point of view," "it's called dehumanization," and "America is becoming dumber by the minute") – here's a look at the post:

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