Gay groups continue to tap into the opportunities pop culture offers to elevate their platform, whether it’s going after “Grey’s Anatomy” star Isaiah Washington for calling a co-worker a faggot, or wagging their fingers at liberal humorist Garrison Keillor for making fun of gay men and their “striped sofas.”

“What resonates through the broader media may get a broader response to our [positions and press releases],” said Roberta Sklar, a spokesperson for the Task Force. It’s important for gay groups to “rise to the occasion” and get involved in gay controversies that involve pop culture and celebrity political figures, Sklar said.

“How engaged you get has to have a limit,” she added. “What is useful to the community, to the work of you advancing equal rights? And you can’t get pulled off track.”