( CNN ) -- Brett Ratner has resigned as a producer of this year 's Academy Awards show for an anti-gay remark he made over the weekend , the movie director said Tuesday in an open letter to his colleagues . `` Over the last few days , I 've gotten a well-deserved earful from many of the people I admire most in this industry expressing their outrage and disappointment over the hurtful and stupid things I said in a number of recent media appearances , '' Ratner said in the letter , which was given to CNN by his representative , Allan Mayer . `` To them , and to everyone I 've hurt and offended , I 'd like to apologize publicly and unreservedly . '' Ratner met with the representatives of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation prior to announcing his resignation , GLAAD said in a news release Tuesday . When asked during a question-and-answer session about his newly released action comedy , `` Tower Heist , '' whether he rehearses with his actors before shooting a scene , Ratner replied , `` Rehearsing is for f*gs , '' GLAAD said in its release , citing New York Magazine 's Vulture blog . `` When we sat down with Brett today , he seemed very sincere in his desire to use this experience as a way to begin speaking out against anti-gay language in popular culture , '' said Herndon Graddick , senior director of programs and communications at GLAAD . `` We believe his resignation is just the first step and will be announcing a series of concrete actions with Brett in coming days and weeks . '' In his statement Tuesday , Ratner said `` it pains me deeply that I may have hurt '' his colleagues who `` are members of the LGBT community . '' `` Having love in your heart does n't count for much if what comes out of your mouth is ugly and bigoted , '' Ratner said . `` With this in mind , and to all those who understandably feel that apologies are not enough , please know that I will be taking real action over the coming weeks and months in an effort to do everything I can both professionally and personally to help stamp out the kind of thoughtless bigotry I 've so foolishly perpetuated . '' Ratner said he had called Tom Sherak , president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , to resign as the producer of the Academy Awards show . `` Being asked to help put on the Oscar show was the proudest moment of my career , '' Ratner said . `` But as painful as this may be for me , it would be worse if my association with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy and the high ideals it represents . '' `` Tower Heist , '' which stars Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy , made $ 24.2 million on its first weekend .
Vulture Blog has resigned as producer of the first annual Academy Awards show . In a statement annual , Ratner says he apologizes `` publicly and unreservedly '' Ratner made a demeaning remark during a Q & A session about his movie `` Tower Heist '' `` Rehearsing is for f*gs , '' Ratner Ratner quoted Ratner as saying .