The filmmaker quit on Tuesday (8) as the awards show producer for the upcoming 84th annual Academy Awards in February 2012 following the public furore over remarks made during a Q&A.

Ratner sent his note of resignation to Academy president Tom Sherak and issued an open letter to the industry.

“He did the right thing for the Academy and for himself,” Sherak said. “Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable. We all hope this will be an opportunity to raise awareness about the harm that is caused by reckless and insensitive remarks, regardless of the intent.”

Ratner sparked outrage last week (4) when he said “rehearsal is for fags” during a Q&A for his latest release Tower Heist.

A contrite Ratner has now agreed to participate in a series of public discussions about LBGT images in Hollywood organised by GLAAD in response to his now infamous remark.

In the open letter issue on Tuesday Ratner said: “As difficult as the last few days have been for me, they cannot compare to the experience of any young man or woman who has been the target of offensive slurs or derogatory comments. And they pale in comparison to what any gay, lesbian, or transgender individual must deal with as they confront the many inequalities that continue to plague our world.



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