LGBT

1/9 5:53 AM -- On Wednesday morning, Kevin Hart ended the debate with a hard "no" and said, "There's no more conversation about it ... I'm over that. I'm over the moment."

So, Kevin Hart saying there IS a chance he'll host the Oscars this year ... is one way to take what he just told us in NYC.

Kevin was leaving an Equinox Tuesday in NYC, when he was asked him where's the smart money going IF you're inclined to wager on whether he returns to the Oscars hosting gig. It's the obvious question after he issued a very direct apology Monday to the LGBTQ community for his homophobic remarks in the past.

You gotta see Kevin's response -- he used the word "slim" to describe the chances he'll host, BUT ... he also said a lot of complimentary things about the Motion Picture Academy.

One thing's clear ... if it doesn't happen this year, Kevin's open to hosting the big show sometime in the future.

But again ... he's NOT totally ruling it out for this year.

Terrence Howard dismisses criticism of Kevin Hart for making homophobic jokes, saying it's all part of the job.

We got Terrance Friday at LAX and he was squarely in Kevin's corner, saying the Academy blew it by passing on him. He went on to say dredging up jokes and tweets from year's past crosses the line, and then insinuated the attack on Kevin might be racial ... pointing to recent comments by Nick Cannon that white comedians made similar homophobic jokes with no consequences.

Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney has strong opinions on Kevin Hart, Ellen DeGeneres, gay rights and forgiveness.

We got the New York Dem, who's also openly gay, Friday on Capitol Hill, and he made it clear -- Kevin Hart has made "stupid" comments about gay people. That said, he was quick to add that people are capable of change -- something he has seen firsthand on the House floor.

As for Ellen, Maloney praised her for carrying the torch on behalf of the LGBTQ community, but at the same time said she does not speak for the entire group. He says we should celebrate the fact there are many voices and they should all be heard.

10:27 AM PT -- We've tried for 4 hours to contact the Motion Picture Academy to confirm the conversation Ellen recounted on her show -- that the Academy still wants Kevin to host the Oscars. No one has responded to our emails or taken our calls.

10:06 AM PT -- Ellen is now responding to the backlash, stating on social media, "However you feel about this, the only positive way through it is to talk about it. Thank you for being here, @KevinHart4real."

Ellen DeGeneres is being skewered on social media for reducing the criticism of Kevin Hart's homophobic comments to an attack by a small group of internet haters.

Kevin Hart is appearing on Ellen's show Friday, and DeGeneres launched a full-court attack on people who still have issues with Hart saying things like, "If my son comes home & try's 2 play with my daughters doll house I'm going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice 'stop that's gay.'" Hart also said in one of his comedy specials, "One of my biggest fears is my son growing up and being gay."

DeGeneres seemed to say the gay community is fine with Hart's vague apology back in 2014 and his more recent post in 2018, in which he said, "I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past."

DeGeneres and Hart dismissed the critics as trolls, and she then doubled down and said it was Kevin's "right" to host the Oscars.

There's a huge backlash against DeGeneres for her defense and vicious attack on Hart's critics ... some calling it "a massive f***ing betrayal."

Hart called the criticism of him "a malicious attack on his character" where people went back to 2008 to dredge up his comments. Point of fact ... he made homophobic comments years later as well.

There are some who are outraged Ellen is putting herself out as speaking for the entire LGBTQ community, one person tweeting, "To Ellen. Unfortunately Mrs Ellen, this ain't your fight. The harm is done and this man hasn't learned."

Toward the end of the show, Hart suggested Ellen has made him rethink his decision to walk away from the Oscar gig, saying, “You have put a lot of things on my mind. Leaving here, I’m promising you I’m evaluating this conversation … Let me assess, just sit in the space and really think.”

Disney is making strides by introducing its first openly gay character in the upcoming "Jungle Cruise" movie, which will feature a big coming out scene ... but there's one important step that's missing.

A test screening of the film took place last week -- it'll get a wide release in 2020 -- and sources who attended tell TMZ Disney avoids using the word "gay" when Jack Whitehall's character, McGregor, comes out to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

We're told, at one point, McGregor has a heart-to-heart with The Rock's lead character, Frank, about dating history ... and McGregor makes it very clear he isn't into ladies. Keep in mind, this flick isn't set in modern times.

McGregor explains to "Frank" his family had tried arranging marriages for him with several women, but he didn't wanna marry any of them -- or any woman, for that matter. He also says Emily Blunt's character, Lily (his sister in the movie), was the only one in his fam to accept him and support him regardless of the "person" he loves.

We're told the scene was well-received by the audience, but the glaring omission of a pronoun to describe McGregor's love interest did not go unnoticed.

Unclear if the scene will make the final cut -- but ya gotta imagine it will, given how significant a move it is for Disney to include a gay character in an action blockbuster.

There was already backlash from the LGBTQ community over Whitehall's casting earlier this summer -- he's a straight guy playing a gay character -- and now, it's obvious Disney's watching its step even closer as it tiptoes into the 21st Century.

Sarah Silverman understands times have changed ... and that's why she's no longer the same person or comedian who used to bank on homophobic jokes.

We got Sarah outside of Craig's Thursday night and wanted her take on Nick Cannon dragging her name in the Kevin Hart controversy. ICYMI ... Nick was furious about the backlash Kevin got after old homophobic tweets resulted in him stepping down from his dream gig as host of the Oscars.

So, Nick dug up some old tweets by Sarah, Chelsea Handler and Amy Schumer in which they used similar language. Point blank ... Nick thinks there's a serious double standard in Hollywood.

Sarah's planning to address Nick's comments on her own platform, but she did say she sees things differently than she did back in the day.

A New York judge has just announced he's resigning ... this after someone lodged a formal complaint that he told an attorney he should get a hotel room and suck actor Viggo Mortensen's d**k.

Judge John W. Hallett, who serves as a Justice in the LeRay Town Court in Jefferson County, is taking heat for a courthouse conversation he had last January with a lawyer who was promoting a film festival honoring Mortensen.

The judge allegedly responded the festival was "about the gayest thing I have ever heard." The judge allegedly went on to say, "You and Viggo Mortensen should get a hotel room and suck each other's d**ks."

Five months later, the judge was talking to the same lawyer and allegedly made a gesture with his hand to his mouth to connote oral sex, patted the attorney lightly on the cheek and said, "There, there little boy."

The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct opened an investigation and it appears the judge is resigning under pressure, before the hammer comes down.

Stormy Daniels lied about a Florida strip club owner using a homophobic slur ... according to the club owner who not only denies using the word, but says he's done plenty of biz with gay people.

Leonard Del Percio -- the owner of Goldfinger, where Stormy was supposed to perform last weekend -- tells TMZ he used to own gay bars, so Stormy's claim he called her right-hand man a "f**king f****t" is a bunch of BS.

Del Percio's fuming over Stormy's allegation, and tells us his attorneys are considering filing a slander lawsuit against her.

As we reported ... Stormy also claimed the owner told her to "do something not in my contract," so she bounced. Del Percio denies doing any such thing, and says Stormy's the only one who broke the contract ... because she never got onstage.

Before Kevin Hart apologized Thursday night for his old homophobic tweets, he insisted he'd already addressed the issue many times ... but this outtake from a 2014 interview seems to be missing something.

Kevin might have been referring to this interview with journalist Ed Gordon. It's true ... he did explain why he doesn't make fun of gay people anymore. But, during the sitdown -- which aired once, and doesn't exist on the Internet -- Kevin never says "sorry" or "I apologize."

TMZ obtained this clip from "Conversations With Ed Gordon" where Gordon grills Kevin over backlash he'd recently gotten over a joke. He asked the comedian why he feels it's fine to make fun of black women but not homosexuality.

Kevin's answer shows he's aware of the harm words can inflict on gay people, but stops short of a mea culpa for doing it in the past. Instead, he says, "I don't want that problem. I don't want any enemies."

Translation: I don't want the heat.

As we reported ... Hart stepped down as host of the Oscars after several homophobic tweets and comments he made years ago resurfaced, and he initially refused to apologize.

Tony Rock says Kevin Hart stepping down as Oscars host is a sign of the times, and believes we'd all be better off if we could embrace "jokes" instead of being offended -- and in this case, he's talking specifically about gay people.

The comedian was outside the Hollywood Improv Thursday night after news broke Hart was bailing on the Academy Awards job following backlash over his old homophobic tweets. Tony thinks Kevin should have apologized AND stayed on as host because it's his best opportunity to flip the controversy into something positive.

He also thinks the LGBTQ community needs to be more accepting of jokes. He believes it's a sign of respect and acceptance. We'll let him explain further ... watch the clip.

Now, several of Hart's old tweets weren't really in the style of stand-up comedy -- they were just straight-up homophobic. It's unclear if Tony was aware of that when we spoke, but that might be why he thinks Kevin owed an apology.

Bottom line for Tony ... a society where you can't tell jokes freely isn't a good thing.

Halsey's making it clear, just because she appeared in the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show ... she's still pissed off about one of its execs disregard for the LGBTQ community.

The singer, who performed in the VS Show, blasted the show as it was airing Sunday night. She called out Ed Razek, the chief marketing officer for VS's parent company.

Last month in Vogue, he was asked about having transgender models in the show and said ... "No, I don't think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It's a 42-minute entertainment special. That's what it is."

Halsey's IG post slammed VS for "a lack of inclusivity" ... and added she stands in solidarity with the trans community.

For his part, Razek apologized and walked back his comment, as soon as the backlash began. He said, "To be clear, we absolutely would cast a transgender model for the show."

Razek added, "We've had transgender models come to castings. And like many others, they didn't make it. But it was never about gender. I admire and respect their journey to embrace who they really are."

Halsey seems to want action, not words.

Richard Simmons has struck a deal with "National Enquirer" in his transgender defamation lawsuit that will put the legal drama behind him ... for the most part.

Simmons has agreed to drop his appeal against American Media -- which owns 'Enquirer' -- after a judge ruled against him last year. If you don't remember, the fitness icon sued for defamation over a story published claiming he was in the process of sexual reassignment.

The judge sided with American Media, though, saying being misidentified as transgender does not inherently expose someone to "hatred, contempt or ridicule." Simmons filed an appeal shortly thereafter.

The 2 sides have now come to an agreement to drop it and move on ... but the terms are confidential. So, it's unclear if Simmons is still on the hook for American Media's legal fees.

Not everything related to the case is wrapped up -- he's still got a lawsuit out against the private investigator who allegedly planted tracking devices on him to try and prove the sex change rumors.

Shawn Mendes is once again shutting down rumors he's gay ... adamantly saying he isn't, after years of speculation.

The 20-year-old singer told Rolling Stone so much attention on his personal life has caused tons of stress ... particularly about his sexuality and whether or not he's gay. Shawn told RS, "I'd like to say I don't care about it, but that's not true. This massive, massive thing for the last 5 years about me being gay."

Shawn tells Rolling Stone he often analyzes his own interviews and analyzes his voice and body language to see what vibe he's giving off. He tells RS, "In the back of my heart, I feel like I need to go be seen with someone -- like a girl -- in public, to prove to people that I'm not gay."

He goes on to say, "Even though in my heart I know that it's not a bad thing. There's still a piece of me that thinks that. And I hate that side of me." Shawn, however, did admit he grew up putting glitter on his eyelids to make his parents laugh ... growing up with 15 female cousins he said he would be "braiding hair and painting nails. Maybe I am a little more feminine -- but that's the way it is. That's why I am me."

Remember ... years ago, Shawn addressed rumors about his sexuality, taking to Snapchat and saying, "I noticed a lot of people were saying I gave them a 'gay vibe' ... first of all, I'm not gay. Second of all, it shouldn't make a difference if I was or wasn't."

Jim Obergefell -- the gay man who took his fight to marry the person he loves to the United States Supreme Court and won -- is scared to death gay marriage could be a thing of the past.

We got the plaintiff in the landmark 2015 case, Obergefell vs. Hodges, Tuesday at LAX, and laid it out in clear terms ... Donald Trump has already fundamentally altered the federal court system and there's a chance the declaration that there's a Constitutional right to marry the person of your choice may be overturned.

His fear has some basis in fact. Trump's 2 additions to the U.S. Supreme Court swing the balance of the court to the right. It's especially important because the gay marriage decision was decided by a 5-4 vote.

Caitlyn Jenner is doing a full 180 over her previous support of President Trump, now saying she was wrong about the guy ... this in the wake of mounting backlash from the LGBT community.

In an op-ed piece through the Washington Post, Caitlyn says she has come to realize there is simply no getting through to the Trump administration on issues important to her and the trans community.

She says it in no uncertain terms ... "Despite the criticism I received from segments of the LGBTQ community for engaging with this administration, I remained hopeful for positive change. Sadly, I was wrong."

Caitlyn says she went to D.C. to lobby the educate members of Congress over LGBT issues, which sound like they were outwardly successful, but after reports suggesting the Trump administration wants to strictly define gender across the country ... she says she's given up on him.

She goes in on Trump, saying ... "The reality is that the trans community is being relentlessly attacked by this president. The leader of our nation has shown no regard for an already marginalized and struggling community. He has ignored our humanity."

She adds, "He has insulted our dignity. He has made trans people into political pawns as he whips up animus against us in an attempt to energize the most right-wing segment of his party, claiming his anti-transgender policies are meant to 'protect the country.'"

Caitlyn mentions one last clear sign that she's no longer on Team Trump by saying ... "My hope in him — in them — was misplaced, and I cannot support anyone who is working against our community. I do not support Trump. I must learn from my mistakes and move forward."

Ouch.

President Trump's attack on the transgender community doesn't have retired Navy SEAL Kristin Beck running scared ... she'll continue doing what she does best -- fight for her life without fear.

Beck -- a transgender woman and former SEAL Team 6 member -- tells TMZ, Trump's assault on her community is part and parcel of what she deals with every day. Fact is, she says when she walks out the door she knows there are people who are so filled with hate they want to kill her.

The former SEAL, with a Bronze Star and Purple Heart, tells us Trump's plan -- enacting a new policy that would cement everyone's sexual identity by their genitalia at birth -- is the action of an angry man.

Check out the vid ... Beck's got a message for every race and gender Trump's attacked, and how they can all band together.