Chenoweth criticises 'Newsweek' gay article

Kristin Chenoweth has written an open letter to Newsweek criticising a recent article.

The article alleges that gay men such as Chenoweth's Broadway co-star Sean Hayes cannot convincingly play straight men.

"I'd normally keep silent on such matters and write such small-minded viewpoints off as perhaps a blip in common sense," Chenoweth wrote.

"But the offence I take to this article, and your decision to publish it, is not really even related to my profession or my work with Hayes or Jonathan Groff (also singled out in the article as too 'queeny' to play 'straight')".

In her letter, the Glee actress also points out that the writer is himself gay.

"This article offends me because I am a human being, a woman and a Christian. For example, there was a time when Jewish actors had to change their names because anti-Semites thought no Jew could convincingly play Gentile," she wrote.

The writer also asserted that playing straight worked for lesbian actress Cynthia Nixon in Sex and the City because she was married to a man at the time. This was another point the actress took issue with.

"Cynthia Nixon only 'got away with it' 'cause she peaked before coming out? I don’t know if you’ve missed the giant Sex and The City movie posters, but it seems most of America is ‘buying it'."