After Apology Tour, Is Kevin Hart an LGBTQ Ally or Nah?

The latest roundup of headlines aren't looking good for Kevin Hart. 

In case you missed it, the 39-year-old comedian stepped down as the host of the 2019 Academy Awards after nearly two dozen 8-year-old homophobic tweets resurfaced and fans asked him to apologize. Hart was ultimately given an ultimatum by the Academy: say you're sorry or step down as host. He did both.

Since that debacle in December, Hart appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and asked for forgiveness. Ellen forgave her friend, dismissed Hart's critics as online trolls, and gave him her blessing as the self-appointed Gay Pope. "Whatever is going on in the Internet, don't pay attention to them. That's a small group of people being very, very loud. We are a huge group of people who love you and want to see you host the Oscars." 

Many Black LGBTQ people didn't believe forgiving Hart was DeGeneres' place and called for Hart to do more to support the queer community. CNN anchor Don Lemon personally asked Hart to "do the right thing, to change minds," in a now-viral clip. 

But people are even more confused after Lemon's latest segment, where the CNN host said he invited Hart on his show. Hart declined, but the two did have a conversation where Hart apologized once more while adding that "it is not his dream to be an ally for the LGBT community."

"Now, you can take that however want," said Lemon. "You can be upset by it, however you want to feel. But that is his right. Whether I like it or not, whether you like it or not, that is his right…he can do that and you can feel about it however you want."

That comment seems to contradict Hart's statements earlier today on his SiriusXM show, Straight from the Hart, where he spoke freely about the ongoing debacle.

"I want to say that I have no problem with gay people," said Hart, reports NewNowNext. "I don’t have a homophobic bone in my body. I want you to be happy, be gay, be happy. And then I say as a heterosexual male, if I can do something to stop my son…that’s where the joke starts!"

Not quite sure what he means by that, but Hart goes on:

"If the fight from the LGBTQ community is equality, that’s the fight. The fight is the will and want for equality. I’m riding with you guys. I understand you. But in the fight for equality, that means that there has to be an acceptance for change. If you don’t want to accept people for their change, then where are you trying to get to the equal part? Where does the equality part come in?"

Despite all his self-centered talk about equality, we've yet to see Hart put his money and/or actions where his mouth is. With nearly 35 million Twitter followers, Hart could be a powerful advocate for the LGBTQ community and potentially incite some real change.

It seems he'd rather brush the homophobia under the rug instead of cleaning it up, which begs the question: Is Kevin Hart truly sorry, or just sorry he got caught?

The real kicker comes when Hart comments on his chat with Lemon. "I don’t like the forcing. Don Lemon goes on CNN [and says] 'You can fix this, become an ally.' That’s not my life dream."

Well, there it is. Doing the right thing simply isn't his dream. 

Now back to your regularly scheduled, Kevin Hart-free programming.