Louis van Amstel on Margaret Cho's Rainbow Statement: 'I Had a Breakdown'
It's taking a while for 'Dancing With the Stars' pro Louis van Amstel to get over the anguish of his and celeb partner Margaret Cho's early dismissal from the top-rated ABC competition show -- which was no ordinary axing, as far as he is concerned.
"I had a breakdown the next day. I called my friends, I felt horrible," the Amsterdam-born ballroom champ and choreographer tells
PopEater.
Viewers will recall that judge Bruno Tonioli complimented Cho on her gay pride rainbow dress, and judge Carrie Ann Inaba chimed in that the show had gone gay, with Cho declaring it the gayest thing that's ever happened on 'Dancing.'
Van Amstel has been going around explaining ever since: "That was not the story we planned to tell. That was not my message. Maybe it was Margaret's message, but not mine. The minute it was about gay pride, I knew we were gone. I knew it. But if I would have said something then and there, I would have looked like an a******. The damage was done."
Van Amstel says he and Cho had "a long, serious conversation about it the following day because I couldn't let it go. I was so unhappy." According to him, their plan had been to tell the story, through their dance, of her emergence from her painful background of being bullied for being overweight, her subsequent anorexia, suicidal feelings and other difficulties, until she finally learned to accept and love herself. But once the rainbow dress was deemed a gay pride symbol, he says, "She felt, 'Yes, we've got to make a statement. We've got that one moment in time with 23 million people watching, we've got to take it.'"
"I disagreed with it. I think you change people's minds by being you -- not by provoking, being angry at the world."
He adds, "One of the people who actually changed my mind was Morgan Freeman. He said, 'If we take all the labels away, that's when we will change this world.' I live by that idea. I live by it."
Van Amstel says, "If I have to label myself, yes, I'm gay, and I'm proud of who I am and comfortable with myself and my lifestyle. But I don't want to be limited by that; I don't want to be put into a box. I don't want to be labeled in any way because labeling is the beginning of discrimination and hatred."
Both of which he has felt. Growing up, Van Amstel had his own sad times and experiences with bullies. "For being fat and then for being gay. It makes you very introverted, makes you very quiet," he believes. "I used that to be creative."
Now, van Amstel, whose last two 'DWTS' partners were Niecy Nash and Kelly Osbourne, hopes "people like me as a person, like what I do and what I do with my celebrity ... I'm working my a** off to show who I am, as someone who is passionate about what I do, who'll play devil's advocate to get the best out of you if necessary ... That's what I was known for, but with this one moment, suddenly, this is what sticks."
With this season's work complete, Van Amstel is concentrating on his dance classes, his Louis Dance Blast franchising and online pursuits, plus the 'DWTS' spin-off tour he produces, Ballroom With a Twist, which is touring Canada with several 'DWTS' personalities. He's also busy with charitable pursuits, including the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), "which is working in education, in schools, to create a bully-free environment. All kids should have a great time at school. It's a human rights campaign, covering every minority, every kind of discrimination -- that's what I support," he says.
And as for that rainbow? "Yes, I know that the gay community uses the rainbow flag, but to me, it's important to also remember we all live under the rainbow."
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To pretgurl- so you obviously believe 'god' created the world... dinosaurs were here before any humans, so on what day did 'god' create the dinosours? I bet if 'god' had put 4 people on earth at the beginning (2 men and 2 women) their would have been a bit more hanky panky going on than between just men and women. People like you make me sick!
Couldn't agree with Louis more. We are put into a box when gay people center their whole lives around being gay. There a lot more things in my life besides my sexual preference. If we want to be seen as equal then don't label yourself with a seperate idenity. We are all God's children If He doesn't label us Why should we.
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What makes you think God doesn't label you? Well -- perhaps He doesn't label "you" per say, but He DOES label sin. In scripture it says that a man laying down with a man is an ABOMINATION to the Lord. Can't be a whole lot clearer than that. I hate that so many people think that they won't be judged one day by God for their sins. We ALL will be. I am divorced ... and yes, I miss sex, but I know that sex out of wedlock is a sin, so I abstain. That is what homosexuals should do as well ....
Loved Margaret Cho on DWTS and enjoyed watching her improve. I was very imnpressed with her message during her last performance, she made me proud. Louis I believe is overreacting but then again I am not sure I would have had the courage to do and say what Ms Cho did either.
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Hey Louis, I'm with you. A person is defined by how they live there life. Sorry to see you and Cho leave the show.You were great together.
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go sox!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GO YANKEES.......IMPEACH OBAMA...
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I have very little respect for celebrities who use their public platforms/microphones for their personal causes and politics, especially those who are obvious PR philanthropists.
Margaret could have simply worn that dress and shut up (or simply said "thank you") and still made a powerful statement.
I don't know what is wrong with simply being who you are without apology. Why do you have to constantly shove it in everyone's face and antagonize people in order to prove something to yourself?
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Very Well Said.
True true true
Oh, c'mon, he's a DANCER and you can't tell me he hasn't been exposed to gay lifestyle and the fact that the rainbow is WELL KNOWN as a symbol for gay pride. Maybe he just didn't want to be outed just yet...
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Perhaps you should know what you are talking about before you reply, or maybe even read the full article (then again, maybe you did read it, and just didn't understand all the big words). Yes, he knows what the "rainbow" symbol stands for. Louis came out of the closet long ago. As a straigh mother of 5, I can only say, I am just sick of ignorance. Those who know not what they speak of, speak the loudest.
You are who you are. It doesn't matter if you are black, white, pink or purple, gay or straight. We are all individuals. None of us are from the same mold. As long as a person is not a dangerous killer, we should accept everyone for who they are, not who society thinks they should be.
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dude whoever you are I wouldn't worry about what the critics say about you because they are not professionals. IT DOESN'T MATTER anyway because I and others watch this show about 10 minutes a year
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I do not care about Louie being gay BUT HE THRU IT DOWN THE VIEWERS THROATS EVERY WEEK!!!! NO matter what dance he did or statements He made!!! it was the whole gay thing!!! I AM GLAD HE IS GONE so are alot of other people by the BLOGS I HAVE READ.
p
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How did he throw down our throats? I never got that impression,,,,he's a fantastic dancer that's the only thing I ever got from his routines.
Gay people's life-style make me sick!
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Bite my a** Bob!
Ignorant people make me sick.
oh yea?...well, narrow minded, ignorant people like YOU make ME sick...thank God we all have the choice of who to have in our lives...glad you are not in mine...so, go ahead..reply with something else hateful...won't bother me one bit...
How and why does it make you sick.