Written by Mike Parker | 06 September 2007

(CBS) CHICAGO A record-breaking muscular dystrophy telethon is getting lots of attention for one word uttered by host Jerry Lewis.

CBS 2's Mike Parker reports on the anti-gay slur that's now the talk of the nation.

Lewis helped raise almost $64 million for muscular dystrophy research in his annual Labor Day telethon. But a shadow is hanging over the effort. In the 18th hour of the show, on the air, the 81-year-old comic began adlibbing with one of the studio camera operators, then dropped the three letter "f" word, a slur against gays.

"Let's see what you do with this over here. Oh, your family has come to see you. You remember Bart, your oldest son? Jesse, the illiterate f__? No," Lewis said.

Instinctively, Lewis seemed to know he'd blundered. But there was no apology.

The video hit the internet quickly and is being seen around the world now. Chicago's gay community is upset.

Monday's monologue prompted a critical statement Tuesday from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Neil Giuliano, GLAAD president, called Lewis' use of the term "simply unacceptable."

"It also feeds a climate of hatred and intolerance that contributes to putting our community in harm's way," Giuliano said.

"It won't go away. And let me suggest that if Mr. Lewis had used a racial or ethnic slur for a cameraman's son, there'd be a hue and cry from one end of the country to another," said Rick Garcia of Equality Illinois.

Chicago comedian Tom Dreesen suggested that the public cut Lewis some slack and judge him by his actions not a single joke.

"Yes, he should be forgiven, if for nothing else, is that Jerry Lewis never discriminated when he raised billions of dollars… he never discriminated on what their sexual preference was," Dreesen said.

"This isn't a smoky nightclub in 1955 in Las Vegas. This is the United States in 2007 and we don't talk like that in public," Garcia countered.

Late Tuesday, after repeated requests, CBS 2 received a written statement from Lewis. He said, “During the 21 ½ hour live broadcast of my Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association this weekend, I made a joking comment to a member of my production team. I apologize to anyone who was offended. I obviously made a bad choice of words. Everyone who knows me understands that I hold no prejudices in this regard. In the family atmosphere of the Telethon, I forget that not everyone knows me well. That something like this would distract from the true purpose of the Telethon pains me deeply. The success of the show and all the good that will come from it shouldn’t be lost because of one unfortunate word. I accept responsibility for what I said. There are no excuses. I am sorry.”

For Jerry Lewis, what happens in Las Vegas, does not always stay there.

Lewis' telethon, in its 42nd year, set a new record by raising $63.7 million to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association, topping last year's event by $3 million.

Source: http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_247185525.html