“As JC Penney focuses on becoming America’s favorite store, we want to be a store for all Americans. In celebration of Father’s Day, we’re proud that our June book honors men from diverse backgrounds who all share the joy of fatherhood.”

— Joey Thomas, JC Penney media relations manager, on the inclusion of two gay dads in the department store’s new catalog. JC Penney previously outraged anti-gay groups by selecting Ellen DeGeneres  as its new spokesperson and featuring a lesbian couple in its May catalog. (MyFox8.com, June 3)

“’Truth’ is our small chance to ask that you try and understand someone who lives their life in a way that is a little bit different from yours, even though all of our hearts are the same. We want to stop the hate and find understanding.”

— Music star Janet Jackson on why she is serving as executive director for “Truth,” a documentary about transgender people and their fight for equality. (Advocate.com, June 4)

“I’ve never dealt with the question of my personal life in public. It’s just not gonna happen.”

— Actor and singer Queen Latifah, explaining that it “definitely wasn’t the case” that she came out when performing at Long Beach Gay Pride last month, while adding, “To me, doing a gay pride show is one of the most fun things.” (Entertainment Weekly, June 1)

“It’s not like a manly baseball pitch; it’s a queer British gay pitch.”

— Actor Jason Alexander, known for his work on “Seinfeld,” criticizing the sport of cricket in a recent interview. (Huffington Post, June 4)

“My daily life is filled with gay men and women, both socially and professionally. I am profoundly aware of the challenges these friends of mine face and I have openly advocated on their behalf. So, I can only apologize and I do.”

— Jason Alexander, apologizing for his remarks in a statement distributed by GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (Huffington Post, June 4)