Five Gay Moments at the Amy Awards | Wtword

Contents:

• IN REBE OF FLORIDA BILL, OSRS HOSTS ARE FEELG ‘GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY’
• OSR’S GAY AMY AWARD WNERS
• THE FIVE GAYT MOMENTS IN AMY AWARDS HISTORY (SO FAR...)
• WANDA SYK PROMIS A GAY NIGHT AS THE OSRS KICK OFFAFTER A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE OM BEYONCé, THE TR OF OSR HOSTS KICKED OFF THE NIGHT WH EDGY JOK ABOUT THE GOLN GLOB AND LEONARDO DICAPR.BY CHRIS MURPHYMARCH 27, 2022ABCSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT TOOK A WHILE TO GET TO OSR HOSTS REGA HALL, AMY SCHUMER, AND WANDA SYK, BUT WAS WORTH THE WA. INSTEAD OF A MONOLOGUE, THE 2022 OSRS BEGAN WH VEN AND SERENA WILLIAMS TRODUCG FIRST-TIME-NOMEE BEYONCé, WHO PERFORMED HER OSR-NOMATED SONG, “BE ALIVE,” LIVE OM A COMPTON TENNIS URT. ONCE BEYONCE’S MOMENT WAS FISHED, HALL, SCHUMER, AND SYK TOOK THE STAGE TO LIVER THE LGHS.BUT BEFORE THEY ULD TELL ANY JOK, THEY WERE STOPPED BY NONE OTHER THAN DJ KHALED, WHO WANTED TO GIVE THEM A PROPER TRODUCTN. “LET ME TRODUCE THE THREE QUEENS RIGHT,” KHALED SAID AS HALL, SCHUMER, AND SYK TOOK THE STAGE, BEFORE GASSG THEM UP. “I TALK ABOUT ACTRS, EDIANS, MOGULS, BOSS. THE OUTFS LOOK AMAZG. YOU KNOW WE THE BT, RIGHT?” FALLY, THE TR OF OSR HOSTS GOT TO TELL THEIR JOK. “THE AMY HIRED THREE WOMEN TO HOST BEE ’S CHEAPER THAN HIRG ONE MAN,” QUIPPED SCHUMER. “I’M STILL EXCED TO BE HOSTG, REPRENTG BLACK WOMEN WHO ARE STANDG PROUD,” SAID HALL. “AND LIVG OUT LOUD,” ADD SYK. “AND I AM REPRENTG UNBEARABLE WHE WOMEN WHO LL THE PS WHEN YOU GET A LTLE TOO LOUD,” JOKED SCHUMER.THE EASY BANTER BETWEEN THE THREE HOSTS NTUED: “WE’VE BEEN ALG WH COVID FOR TWO YEARS,” SAID HALL. “IT’S BEEN REALLY HARD ON PEOPLE.” “JT LOOK AT TIMMY CHALAMET,” SAID SCHUMER, BEFORE THE MERA PANNED TO OSR WNER J.K. SIMMONS. “YOU KNOW WHAT? I’D STILL SMASH,” SAID HALL.IN A NTENT POLIL ENVIRONMENT, SYK WAS ALSO UNAAID TO MAKE A STATEMENT, MENTG ON THE “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL CURRENTLY MAKG HEADL. “WE’RE GOG TO HAVE A GREAT NIGHT TONIGHT,” SHE SAID AS THE OPENG DREW TO A CLOSE. “FOR YOU PEOPLE FLORIDA, WE’RE GOG TO HAVE A GAY NIGHT. GAY, GAY, GAY!”MORE GREAT OSRS CONTENT FROM VANY FAIR— OSRS 2022 LIVE UPDAT: FOLLOW EVERY TWIST AND TURN OF THE RACE— ALL THE OUTFS AND LOOKS FROM THE OSRS RED CARPET— OSRS 2022 WNERS: SEE THE FULL LIST HERE— THE VANY FAIR OSR PARTY RETURNS: WATCH THE LIVTREAM— BLH TON TAKE OVER THE RED CARPET— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”MOST POPULARWH MATRO, LEONARD BERNSTE’S LEGACY AND LOV FALLY H THE BIG SCREENBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISTHE BOOK OF CLARENCE IS A BOMBASTIC JOURNEY BACK TO THE BIBLIL ERABY REBEC FORDCHRIS MURPHY
• SAM SMH, THE ONLY OPENLY GAY OSR WNER? NOT REALLY
• OSRS 2022: WANDA SYK SLAMS FLORIDA 'DON'T SAY GAY' LEGISLATN HOST MONOLOGUE
• WHY ARE THE OSRS SO BAD AT NOMATG GAY ACTORS?IAN MCKELLEN WAS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTOR NOMATED FOR AN AMY AWARD—AND 20 YEARS AFTER HIS LORD OF THE RGS NOMATN, HE REMAS THE LAST.BY DAVID CANFIELDJANUARY 13, 2022FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYAT THE 2002 OSRS, IAN MCKELLEN WAS THE ONLY ACTOR NOMATED OM LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RG, WHICH HAD 13 TOTAL NOMATNS.BY STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAT THE 74TH AMY AWARDS 2002, IAN MCKELLEN GAVE A VICTORY SPEECH. FACG THE BLACK-TIE DIENCE THE KODAK THEATRE, HE DITED A HISTORY-MAKG TRIUMPH TO THE MANY YOUNG GAY ACTORS, OUT AND NOT, WHO FELT UNWELE THE DTRY.BUT MCKELLEN WASN’T HOLDG AN OSR, OR EVEN STANDG ON THE STAGE. HISTORY HAD NOT BEEN MA—AND HE WAS BEG SARSTIC. NOMATED FOR HIS SUPPORTG TURN THE LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RG, THE ACTOR HAD LOST THAT NIGHT, AND OM HIS SEAT THE ONT ROW WAS READG ALOUD THE FAL WORDS OF THE SPEECH HE’D WRTEN, A MORE EARNT MOOD, FOR HIS GROUNDBREAKG GODS AND MONSTERS NOMATN 1999. “I’LL NEVER FET ,” SAYS THAT MOVIE’S DIRECTOR, BILL CONDON, WHO WAS WH MCKELLEN THAT NIGHT AND WHO KNEW THE WHOLE SPEECH WELL. “IT WAS ABOUT ALL THE WARNGS HE RECEIVED WHEN HE WAS CIDG TO E OUT, ALL THE THGS THAT WOULD HAPPEN.”A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWGODS AND MONSTERS MA MCKELLEN THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTOR TO BE OSR-NOMATED, AND, AFTER THAT 2002 FELLOWSHIP NOMATN, HE REMAS THE LAST. ONLY TWO QUEER-INTIFYG ACTORS HAVE SCE BEEN NOMATED FOR AMY AWARDS—MEGASTARS LADY GAGA AND ANGELA JOLIE, BOTH OF WHOM ARE BISEXUAL. (OTHERS, SUCH AS ELLT PAGE AND QUEEN LATIFAH, ME OUT YEARS AFTER THEIR NOMATNS.) COMPARE THAT TO THE NUMBER OF OUTWARDLY LGBTQ+ CHARACTERS WHO’VE EARNED THEIR PORTRAYERS OSR NOMATNS SCE 2002, WHICH STANDS AT A STAGGERG THREE DOZEN, AT LEAST. THAT’S AN AVERAGE OF NEARLY TWO PER YEAR—AND NONE OF THEM WERE PLAYED BY OPENLY LGBTQ+ ACTORS.THIS DISMAL TRACK RERD “SPEAKS TO HOLLYWOOD’S LONG HISTORY OF TOLERANCE AND BIGOTRY,” SAYS JEREMY BLACKLOW, DIRECTOR OF ENTERTAMENT MEDIA AT GLAAD. “LGBTQ+ ACTORS HAVE LONG FACED BLATANT EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMATN AND HAVE FELT FORCED TO HI THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND/OR GENR INTY IF THEY HOPED TO WORK AT ALL.” THE SUNDAY TIM RECENTLY ASKED POSE STAR BILLY PORTER IF HE EXPECTED HIS SUCCS. “NO, BEE I’M GAY,” PORTER SAID. “I WAS TOLD MY QUEERNS WOULD BE A LIABILY.”FOR ACTORS OF PORTER’S GENERATN, THERE WEREN’T MANY LGBTQ+ ROL TO PLAY MOVI. AS THAT HAS CHANGED, THE NVERSATN HAS EVOLVED TO ONE OF OPPORTUNY AND EQUALY, OFTEN FOCG ON WHETHER STARS WHO DO NOT BELONG TO A MARGALIZED INTY GROUP SHOULD PLAY CHARACTERS WHO DO—STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAYG GAY, OR CIS ACTORS PLAYG TRANS. “THE PERFORMANC THAT QUEER ACTORS LIVER WHEN THEY’RE ALLOWED TO PLAY QUEER CHARACTERS HAVE AN THENTICY THAT IS UNNIABLE,” SAYS ACTOR WILSON CZ, WHO’S ACHIEVED A S-LONG REER AS AN OPENLY GAY ACTOR ON TV SHOWS SUCH AS MY SO-CALLED LIFE AND STAR TREK: DISVERY. “I THK THAT STUDS AND AGENCI AND POWER PLAYERS BELIEVE THAT THE QUEER ROL PLAYED BY CISGENRED, STRAIGHT PEOPLE IS FERTILE GROUND FOR ATTENTN AND AWARDS.”WHEN A QUEER ACTOR PLAYS A QUEER CHARACTER, N BE PERCEIVED AS MORE “THENTIC,” AND THEREFORE LS CHALLENGG. “THE NOTN THAT A QUEER ACTOR IS GIVG A LS MANDG PERFORMANCE BEE HE’S G TO OM A LIVED EXPERIENCE JT DON’T HOLD WATER FOR ME,” CZ NTU. “I’M NOT GIVG MORE CRED TO ANYONE WHEN THEY PLAY THE ROL, WHETHER THEY’RE GAY OR THEY’RE STRAIGHT. I DON’T UNRSTAND WHY ANYBODY ELSE DO. WE’RE ALL ACTORS, WE’RE ALL PLAYG ROL.”INED, BASED ON THE SHEER DISCREPANCY BETWEEN LGBTQ+ ROL NOMATED AND ACTORS NOMATED, THE PROBLEM EXTENDS WELL BEYOND ANY CHARACTER’S INTY. (FOR ONE THG, NSIR HOW RARE REMAS FOR A-LISTERS TO BE OPENLY LGBTQ+.) “ONCE THEY E OUT, LBIAN, GAY, AND BISEXUAL ACTORS HAVE RARELY BEEN NSIRED FOR STRAIGHT LEADG ROL,” BLACKLOW SAYS, “AND THEY HAVEN’T BEEN ST FOR LEADG LBIAN, GAY, OR BISEXUAL ROL EHER.” THE ISSUE OF CISGENR ACTORS PLAYG TRANS HAS BEE MORE CLEAR-CUT, AT LEAST: SAYS BLACKLOW, “TODAY, IF A CISGENR ACTOR IS ST A TRANSGENR ROLE, THE SIGNIFINT OUTCRY OM TRANSGENR PEOPLE AND THEIR ALLI MAK THE PROJECT UNTENABLE.”MOST POPULARWH MATRO, LEONARD BERNSTE’S LEGACY AND LOV FALLY H THE BIG SCREENBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISTHE BOOK OF CLARENCE IS A BOMBASTIC JOURNEY BACK TO THE BIBLIL ERABY REBEC FORDCONDON, WHO IS GAY, ADDS THAT—EVEN AN ERA WHERE THERE’S GREAT SCTY ON THENTIC STG—FANCIAL MANDS AND GENERATNAL SETBACKS PLITE THE PROCS. “I’VE BEEN TRYG TO ST A MOVIE WH A MIDDLE-AGED, 50-ISH GAY LEAD…AND YOU WANT TO WORK WH A GAY ACTOR AND SIST ON ,” HE SAYS. “BUT ’S GOT TO BE AN ACTOR WHO N DRAW FANCG. I N LIST THOSE PEOPLE NOW THEIR 20S OR 30S—STARS—BUT THIS WAS THE LAST GENERATN WHERE THEY STAYED MOSTLY THE CLOSET.”IN ONE PART OF HOLLYWOOD, AT LEAST, THAT GENERATNAL CHANGE IS ALREADY HAPPENG ONSCREEN. “BY THE TIME THERE’S AN OUT GAY ACTOR WNG AN OSR, ’LL BE A LTLE B OF A YAWN,” CONDON SAYS. “BEE, TELEVISN, THE L ARE ALREADY BEG BROKEN.”WHEN MICHAELA JAé RODRIGUEZ BEME THE FIRST TRANS LEAD-ACTG EMMY NOMEE LAST YEAR, SHE TOLD ME WAS ONLY THE BEGNG: “I HAVE SO MUCH MORE WORK TO DO. I’M READY TO DO , AND I’M READY TO BE THE EXAMPLE FOR SO MANY OUT THERE.” PORTER, HER POSE STAR, HAD ALREADY MA HISTORY AS THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ+ MAN TO W THE DRAMA-LEAD-ACTOR AWARD 2019, AND BOTH WERE AMONG A SIGNIFINT CROP OF QUEER NOME 2021, CLUDG HACKS STAR CARL CLEMONS-HOPKS. “WHENEVER WE HEAR A ‘FIRST’ OF ANYTHG, ’S E FOR CELEBRATN,” SAYS CLEMONS-HOPKS, THE FIRST OPENLY NONBARY EMMY NOMEE. “BUT ’S ALSO JT A REMR OF HOW FAR WE HAVE TO GO FOR ACTUAL EQUALY.”CZ, WHO WORKED AT GLAAD OM 2012 TO 2014, LLABORATG WH TV WORKS AND MOVIE STUDS ON IMPROVG LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN, FOUND THE TV SI OF THE EQUATN MORE AMENABLE TO PROGRS. “NETWORKS REALIZED QUICKLY THAT THEY WERE LEAVG MONEY ON THE TABLE WHEN THEY DIDN’T CLU LGBTQ+ PEOPLE THEIR STORYTELLG,” HE SAYS, CG THE MERCIAL (AND CLIVE) SMASH OM SHOWNNERS LIKE SHONDA RHIM AND RYAN MURPHY. “I DON’T THK THAT LIGHT BULB EVER TURNED ON FOR STUDS.”TO THE STUDS’ CRED, SOME OF THIS YEAR’S STRONGT OVERALL OSR NTENRS, CLUDG NETFLIX’S THE POWER OF THE DOG AND SONY CLASSICS’ PARALLEL MOTHERS, EXPLORE NUANCED LGBTQ+ THEM. BUT THEY WILL LIKELY STILL YIELD MORE NOMATNS FOR STRAIGHT, CIS ACTORS PLAYG QUEER ROL. A-LISTER KRISTEN STEWART, WHO IS ENGAGED TO A WOMAN, IS A STRONG LEAD-ACTRS NTENR FOR SPENCER. BUT THE STRETCH OF YEARS WHOUT AN LGBTQ+ MALE ACTOR NOMATED SEEMS LIKELY TO NTUE, AND THERE ARE ONCE AGA NO TRANS PERFORMERS THE NVERSATN.DETERMG A PERSON’S INTY IS, OF URSE, TRICKY. GLAAD’S BLACKLOW NOT THAT REMAS ILLEGAL TO ASK ABOUT ONE’S LGBTQ+ INTIFITN AT A JOB TERVIEW OR DN, AND THAT SOME QUEER ACTORS LIKELY “DON’T FEEL READY TO DISCLOSE THEIR GENR INTY OR SEXUAL ORIENTATN THE WORKPLACE.” BUT THE NTUED LACK OF OSR REGNN FOR OPENLY LGBTQ+ ACTORS MONSTRAT THAT HOLLYWOOD HAS FURTHER TO GO THAN SOME WOULD LIKE TO THK. AS CZ ARGU, “THE WAY PEOPLE VIEW THE WORK OF OPENLY QUEER ACTORS OPENLY QUEER ROL NEEDS TO CHANGE.”IN 2016, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE #OSRSSOWHE MOVEMENT HOLLYWOOD, IAN MCKELLEN WRYLY TOLD THE GUARDIAN, “NO OPENLY GAY MAN HAS EVER WON THE OSR; I WONR IF THAT IS PREJUDICE OR CHANCE.” THE MORE THE YEARS ADD UP, AND THE FURTHER WE GET OM HIS HISTORIC SPEECH THAT WASN’T, THE CLEARER THE ANSWER APPEARS.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— CARíONA BALFE’S CELTIC CONQUT, FROM OUTLANR TO BELFAST— WHAT VIVIAN VANCE DIDN’T LOVE ABOUT I LOVE LUCY— INSECURE’S NATASHA ROTHWELL CAN DO IT ALL— INSI THE LOST DGHTER’S HYPNOTIC, SUBVERSIVE CEMATOGRAPHY— HOW THE WHE LOT’S LOATHABLE ENSEMBLE CAME TOGETHER— SIGN UP FOR THE “AWARDS INSIR” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE.DAVID CANFIELD

IN REBE OF FLORIDA BILL, OSRS HOSTS ARE FEELG ‘GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY’

And we certaly got a wele gay-as-n-be moment on the Osrs stage.Ariana DeBose pped a stunng awards season by wng the bt supportg actrs award for her role as Ana "Wt Si Story" – beg the first openly queer Ao-Lata to w an actg Osr. And for you people  Florida, we're gog to have a gay night," Syk, who is a lbian, said at the top of the Osrs show, directly mockg Florida's legislatn.

Syk' -hosts Amy Schumer and Rega Hall echoed her, sayg "gay, gay, gay."While sayg "gay" solidary is certaly wele, wouldn't have been enough to ll this night any kd of gay succs if a queer person didn't w. But Ian McKellen is still the only out gay male actor ever nomated for an Osr.Rock Hudson was nomated for bt actor 1957, but remaed closeted until he died 1985 of AIDS; two-time Osr wner Kev Spacey announced he was livg as a gay man only after he was acced of sexually harassg a teenage boy; and Jodie Foster is still the only bt actrs wner to e out (and years after her w, at that).'Love will make you do crazy thgs':Will Smh apologiz to Osrs after htg Chris Rock onstage: 'Love will make you do crazy thgs'Y, that happened:The Frh Prce is crowned: Will Smh ws bt actor on an famo Osr nightDeBose ma sure to champn the muny, not takg her privileged platform for granted  a rivetg, revolutnary acceptance speech."Image this ltle girl the back seat of a whe Ford Foc," DeBose said.

OSR’S GAY AMY AWARD WNERS

And that's what I believe we're here to celebrate."She closed by vokg lyrics to "Somewhere" om "Wt Si Story": "To anybody who has ever qutned your inty ever, ever, ever or fd yourself livg the gray spac, I promise you this: There is ed a place for .""Another first has fallen," Darnell Hunt, an of social scienc at UCLA and thor of the Hollywood Diversy Report, says of the w.I uldn't help but feel the grand, gay gravy of the moment. Brg on the mic:Beyoncé serv an ace Osrs performance wh assist om Serena and Ven WilliamsIn se you missed:Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill sparked natnal backlash. Smh, who intifi as gay and non-bary, wrote a song lled "Wrg's on the Wall" for the 2015 Jam Bond movie, "Spectre, " wh fellow songwrer Jimmy Nap.

THE FIVE GAYT MOMENTS IN AMY AWARDS HISTORY (SO FAR...)

"I stand here as a proud, gay man and I hope one day we n all stand as equals, " Smh said their speech. While acceptg the Amy Award, Smh wrongly said they were the first gay person to w an Osr, which was met wh backlash on social media.

Ball, an openly gay man, wrote "Amerin Bety, " which follows a suburban father who be terted his dghter's bt iend.

Black wrote the 2008 movie "Milk, " which starred Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, a lol polician San Francis who fought for gay rights before beg assassated.

WANDA SYK PROMIS A GAY NIGHT AS THE OSRS KICK OFFAFTER A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE OM BEYONCé, THE TR OF OSR HOSTS KICKED OFF THE NIGHT WH EDGY JOK ABOUT THE GOLN GLOB AND LEONARDO DICAPR.BY CHRIS MURPHYMARCH 27, 2022ABCSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT TOOK A WHILE TO GET TO OSR HOSTS REGA HALL, AMY SCHUMER, AND WANDA SYK, BUT WAS WORTH THE WA. INSTEAD OF A MONOLOGUE, THE 2022 OSRS BEGAN WH VEN AND SERENA WILLIAMS TRODUCG FIRST-TIME-NOMEE BEYONCé, WHO PERFORMED HER OSR-NOMATED SONG, “BE ALIVE,” LIVE OM A COMPTON TENNIS URT. ONCE BEYONCE’S MOMENT WAS FISHED, HALL, SCHUMER, AND SYK TOOK THE STAGE TO LIVER THE LGHS.BUT BEFORE THEY ULD TELL ANY JOK, THEY WERE STOPPED BY NONE OTHER THAN DJ KHALED, WHO WANTED TO GIVE THEM A PROPER TRODUCTN. “LET ME TRODUCE THE THREE QUEENS RIGHT,” KHALED SAID AS HALL, SCHUMER, AND SYK TOOK THE STAGE, BEFORE GASSG THEM UP. “I TALK ABOUT ACTRS, EDIANS, MOGULS, BOSS. THE OUTFS LOOK AMAZG. YOU KNOW WE THE BT, RIGHT?” FALLY, THE TR OF OSR HOSTS GOT TO TELL THEIR JOK. “THE AMY HIRED THREE WOMEN TO HOST BEE ’S CHEAPER THAN HIRG ONE MAN,” QUIPPED SCHUMER. “I’M STILL EXCED TO BE HOSTG, REPRENTG BLACK WOMEN WHO ARE STANDG PROUD,” SAID HALL. “AND LIVG OUT LOUD,” ADD SYK. “AND I AM REPRENTG UNBEARABLE WHE WOMEN WHO LL THE PS WHEN YOU GET A LTLE TOO LOUD,” JOKED SCHUMER.THE EASY BANTER BETWEEN THE THREE HOSTS NTUED: “WE’VE BEEN ALG WH COVID FOR TWO YEARS,” SAID HALL. “IT’S BEEN REALLY HARD ON PEOPLE.” “JT LOOK AT TIMMY CHALAMET,” SAID SCHUMER, BEFORE THE MERA PANNED TO OSR WNER J.K. SIMMONS. “YOU KNOW WHAT? I’D STILL SMASH,” SAID HALL.IN A NTENT POLIL ENVIRONMENT, SYK WAS ALSO UNAAID TO MAKE A STATEMENT, MENTG ON THE “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL CURRENTLY MAKG HEADL. “WE’RE GOG TO HAVE A GREAT NIGHT TONIGHT,” SHE SAID AS THE OPENG DREW TO A CLOSE. “FOR YOU PEOPLE FLORIDA, WE’RE GOG TO HAVE A GAY NIGHT. GAY, GAY, GAY!”MORE GREAT OSRS CONTENT FROM VANY FAIR— OSRS 2022 LIVE UPDAT: FOLLOW EVERY TWIST AND TURN OF THE RACE— ALL THE OUTFS AND LOOKS FROM THE OSRS RED CARPET— OSRS 2022 WNERS: SEE THE FULL LIST HERE— THE VANY FAIR OSR PARTY RETURNS: WATCH THE LIVTREAM— BLH TON TAKE OVER THE RED CARPET— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”MOST POPULARWH MATRO, LEONARD BERNSTE’S LEGACY AND LOV FALLY H THE BIG SCREENBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISTHE BOOK OF CLARENCE IS A BOMBASTIC JOURNEY BACK TO THE BIBLIL ERABY REBEC FORDCHRIS MURPHY

"To all the gay and lbian kids out there tonight who have been told they are ls than by their church or by ernment or by their fai, you are betiful, wonrful creatur, " he add. The openly gay filmmaker won another Amy Award 2003 for bt origal screenplay for his film "Talk to Her.

In 1985, Epste won the Amy Award for directg "The Tim of Harvey Milk, " a documentary that follows the gay polician's life before his assassatn. Hollywood has been slow to embrace the stori of gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenr people, but over the years a number of LGBT-themed films have neverthels won the dtry’s hight honor: Osr.

SAM SMH, THE ONLY OPENLY GAY OSR WNER? NOT REALLY

William Hurt beme the first actor to w an Osr for playg a gay role, wng for playg an imprisoned wdow drser 1985’s “Kiss of the Spir Woman. Barry Jenks’s hntg film about a young boy stgglg to accept his sexualy sred a stunng upset for Bt Picture, beg the first wner this tegory to have a gay character as s protagonist.

Benedict Cumberbatch stars this historil drama as Alan Turg, the Brish cryptanalyst who was nvicted of cency bee of his homosexualy.

OSRS 2022: WANDA SYK SLAMS FLORIDA 'DON'T SAY GAY' LEGISLATN HOST MONOLOGUE

Mike Mills’s semi-tobgraphil film stars Ewan McGregor as a man whose elrly father (Christopher Plummer) out as gay his 70s.

WHY ARE THE OSRS SO BAD AT NOMATG GAY ACTORS?IAN MCKELLEN WAS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTOR NOMATED FOR AN AMY AWARD—AND 20 YEARS AFTER HIS LORD OF THE RGS NOMATN, HE REMAS THE LAST.BY DAVID CANFIELDJANUARY 13, 2022FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYAT THE 2002 OSRS, IAN MCKELLEN WAS THE ONLY ACTOR NOMATED OM LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RG, WHICH HAD 13 TOTAL NOMATNS.BY STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAT THE 74TH AMY AWARDS 2002, IAN MCKELLEN GAVE A VICTORY SPEECH. FACG THE BLACK-TIE DIENCE THE KODAK THEATRE, HE DITED A HISTORY-MAKG TRIUMPH TO THE MANY YOUNG GAY ACTORS, OUT AND NOT, WHO FELT UNWELE THE DTRY.BUT MCKELLEN WASN’T HOLDG AN OSR, OR EVEN STANDG ON THE STAGE. HISTORY HAD NOT BEEN MA—AND HE WAS BEG SARSTIC. NOMATED FOR HIS SUPPORTG TURN THE LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RG, THE ACTOR HAD LOST THAT NIGHT, AND OM HIS SEAT THE ONT ROW WAS READG ALOUD THE FAL WORDS OF THE SPEECH HE’D WRTEN, A MORE EARNT MOOD, FOR HIS GROUNDBREAKG GODS AND MONSTERS NOMATN 1999. “I’LL NEVER FET ,” SAYS THAT MOVIE’S DIRECTOR, BILL CONDON, WHO WAS WH MCKELLEN THAT NIGHT AND WHO KNEW THE WHOLE SPEECH WELL. “IT WAS ABOUT ALL THE WARNGS HE RECEIVED WHEN HE WAS CIDG TO E OUT, ALL THE THGS THAT WOULD HAPPEN.”A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWGODS AND MONSTERS MA MCKELLEN THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTOR TO BE OSR-NOMATED, AND, AFTER THAT 2002 FELLOWSHIP NOMATN, HE REMAS THE LAST. ONLY TWO QUEER-INTIFYG ACTORS HAVE SCE BEEN NOMATED FOR AMY AWARDS—MEGASTARS LADY GAGA AND ANGELA JOLIE, BOTH OF WHOM ARE BISEXUAL. (OTHERS, SUCH AS ELLT PAGE AND QUEEN LATIFAH, ME OUT YEARS AFTER THEIR NOMATNS.) COMPARE THAT TO THE NUMBER OF OUTWARDLY LGBTQ+ CHARACTERS WHO’VE EARNED THEIR PORTRAYERS OSR NOMATNS SCE 2002, WHICH STANDS AT A STAGGERG THREE DOZEN, AT LEAST. THAT’S AN AVERAGE OF NEARLY TWO PER YEAR—AND NONE OF THEM WERE PLAYED BY OPENLY LGBTQ+ ACTORS.THIS DISMAL TRACK RERD “SPEAKS TO HOLLYWOOD’S LONG HISTORY OF TOLERANCE AND BIGOTRY,” SAYS JEREMY BLACKLOW, DIRECTOR OF ENTERTAMENT MEDIA AT GLAAD. “LGBTQ+ ACTORS HAVE LONG FACED BLATANT EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMATN AND HAVE FELT FORCED TO HI THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND/OR GENR INTY IF THEY HOPED TO WORK AT ALL.” THE SUNDAY TIM RECENTLY ASKED POSE STAR BILLY PORTER IF HE EXPECTED HIS SUCCS. “NO, BEE I’M GAY,” PORTER SAID. “I WAS TOLD MY QUEERNS WOULD BE A LIABILY.”FOR ACTORS OF PORTER’S GENERATN, THERE WEREN’T MANY LGBTQ+ ROL TO PLAY MOVI. AS THAT HAS CHANGED, THE NVERSATN HAS EVOLVED TO ONE OF OPPORTUNY AND EQUALY, OFTEN FOCG ON WHETHER STARS WHO DO NOT BELONG TO A MARGALIZED INTY GROUP SHOULD PLAY CHARACTERS WHO DO—STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAYG GAY, OR CIS ACTORS PLAYG TRANS. “THE PERFORMANC THAT QUEER ACTORS LIVER WHEN THEY’RE ALLOWED TO PLAY QUEER CHARACTERS HAVE AN THENTICY THAT IS UNNIABLE,” SAYS ACTOR WILSON CZ, WHO’S ACHIEVED A S-LONG REER AS AN OPENLY GAY ACTOR ON TV SHOWS SUCH AS MY SO-CALLED LIFE AND STAR TREK: DISVERY. “I THK THAT STUDS AND AGENCI AND POWER PLAYERS BELIEVE THAT THE QUEER ROL PLAYED BY CISGENRED, STRAIGHT PEOPLE IS FERTILE GROUND FOR ATTENTN AND AWARDS.”WHEN A QUEER ACTOR PLAYS A QUEER CHARACTER, N BE PERCEIVED AS MORE “THENTIC,” AND THEREFORE LS CHALLENGG. “THE NOTN THAT A QUEER ACTOR IS GIVG A LS MANDG PERFORMANCE BEE HE’S G TO OM A LIVED EXPERIENCE JT DON’T HOLD WATER FOR ME,” CZ NTU. “I’M NOT GIVG MORE CRED TO ANYONE WHEN THEY PLAY THE ROL, WHETHER THEY’RE GAY OR THEY’RE STRAIGHT. I DON’T UNRSTAND WHY ANYBODY ELSE DO. WE’RE ALL ACTORS, WE’RE ALL PLAYG ROL.”INED, BASED ON THE SHEER DISCREPANCY BETWEEN LGBTQ+ ROL NOMATED AND ACTORS NOMATED, THE PROBLEM EXTENDS WELL BEYOND ANY CHARACTER’S INTY. (FOR ONE THG, NSIR HOW RARE REMAS FOR A-LISTERS TO BE OPENLY LGBTQ+.) “ONCE THEY E OUT, LBIAN, GAY, AND BISEXUAL ACTORS HAVE RARELY BEEN NSIRED FOR STRAIGHT LEADG ROL,” BLACKLOW SAYS, “AND THEY HAVEN’T BEEN ST FOR LEADG LBIAN, GAY, OR BISEXUAL ROL EHER.” THE ISSUE OF CISGENR ACTORS PLAYG TRANS HAS BEE MORE CLEAR-CUT, AT LEAST: SAYS BLACKLOW, “TODAY, IF A CISGENR ACTOR IS ST A TRANSGENR ROLE, THE SIGNIFINT OUTCRY OM TRANSGENR PEOPLE AND THEIR ALLI MAK THE PROJECT UNTENABLE.”MOST POPULARWH MATRO, LEONARD BERNSTE’S LEGACY AND LOV FALLY H THE BIG SCREENBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISTHE BOOK OF CLARENCE IS A BOMBASTIC JOURNEY BACK TO THE BIBLIL ERABY REBEC FORDCONDON, WHO IS GAY, ADDS THAT—EVEN AN ERA WHERE THERE’S GREAT SCTY ON THENTIC STG—FANCIAL MANDS AND GENERATNAL SETBACKS PLITE THE PROCS. “I’VE BEEN TRYG TO ST A MOVIE WH A MIDDLE-AGED, 50-ISH GAY LEAD…AND YOU WANT TO WORK WH A GAY ACTOR AND SIST ON ,” HE SAYS. “BUT ’S GOT TO BE AN ACTOR WHO N DRAW FANCG. I N LIST THOSE PEOPLE NOW THEIR 20S OR 30S—STARS—BUT THIS WAS THE LAST GENERATN WHERE THEY STAYED MOSTLY THE CLOSET.”IN ONE PART OF HOLLYWOOD, AT LEAST, THAT GENERATNAL CHANGE IS ALREADY HAPPENG ONSCREEN. “BY THE TIME THERE’S AN OUT GAY ACTOR WNG AN OSR, ’LL BE A LTLE B OF A YAWN,” CONDON SAYS. “BEE, TELEVISN, THE L ARE ALREADY BEG BROKEN.”WHEN MICHAELA JAé RODRIGUEZ BEME THE FIRST TRANS LEAD-ACTG EMMY NOMEE LAST YEAR, SHE TOLD ME WAS ONLY THE BEGNG: “I HAVE SO MUCH MORE WORK TO DO. I’M READY TO DO , AND I’M READY TO BE THE EXAMPLE FOR SO MANY OUT THERE.” PORTER, HER POSE STAR, HAD ALREADY MA HISTORY AS THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ+ MAN TO W THE DRAMA-LEAD-ACTOR AWARD 2019, AND BOTH WERE AMONG A SIGNIFINT CROP OF QUEER NOME 2021, CLUDG HACKS STAR CARL CLEMONS-HOPKS. “WHENEVER WE HEAR A ‘FIRST’ OF ANYTHG, ’S E FOR CELEBRATN,” SAYS CLEMONS-HOPKS, THE FIRST OPENLY NONBARY EMMY NOMEE. “BUT ’S ALSO JT A REMR OF HOW FAR WE HAVE TO GO FOR ACTUAL EQUALY.”CZ, WHO WORKED AT GLAAD OM 2012 TO 2014, LLABORATG WH TV WORKS AND MOVIE STUDS ON IMPROVG LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN, FOUND THE TV SI OF THE EQUATN MORE AMENABLE TO PROGRS. “NETWORKS REALIZED QUICKLY THAT THEY WERE LEAVG MONEY ON THE TABLE WHEN THEY DIDN’T CLU LGBTQ+ PEOPLE THEIR STORYTELLG,” HE SAYS, CG THE MERCIAL (AND CLIVE) SMASH OM SHOWNNERS LIKE SHONDA RHIM AND RYAN MURPHY. “I DON’T THK THAT LIGHT BULB EVER TURNED ON FOR STUDS.”TO THE STUDS’ CRED, SOME OF THIS YEAR’S STRONGT OVERALL OSR NTENRS, CLUDG NETFLIX’S THE POWER OF THE DOG AND SONY CLASSICS’ PARALLEL MOTHERS, EXPLORE NUANCED LGBTQ+ THEM. BUT THEY WILL LIKELY STILL YIELD MORE NOMATNS FOR STRAIGHT, CIS ACTORS PLAYG QUEER ROL. A-LISTER KRISTEN STEWART, WHO IS ENGAGED TO A WOMAN, IS A STRONG LEAD-ACTRS NTENR FOR SPENCER. BUT THE STRETCH OF YEARS WHOUT AN LGBTQ+ MALE ACTOR NOMATED SEEMS LIKELY TO NTUE, AND THERE ARE ONCE AGA NO TRANS PERFORMERS THE NVERSATN.DETERMG A PERSON’S INTY IS, OF URSE, TRICKY. GLAAD’S BLACKLOW NOT THAT REMAS ILLEGAL TO ASK ABOUT ONE’S LGBTQ+ INTIFITN AT A JOB TERVIEW OR DN, AND THAT SOME QUEER ACTORS LIKELY “DON’T FEEL READY TO DISCLOSE THEIR GENR INTY OR SEXUAL ORIENTATN THE WORKPLACE.” BUT THE NTUED LACK OF OSR REGNN FOR OPENLY LGBTQ+ ACTORS MONSTRAT THAT HOLLYWOOD HAS FURTHER TO GO THAN SOME WOULD LIKE TO THK. AS CZ ARGU, “THE WAY PEOPLE VIEW THE WORK OF OPENLY QUEER ACTORS OPENLY QUEER ROL NEEDS TO CHANGE.”IN 2016, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE #OSRSSOWHE MOVEMENT HOLLYWOOD, IAN MCKELLEN WRYLY TOLD THE GUARDIAN, “NO OPENLY GAY MAN HAS EVER WON THE OSR; I WONR IF THAT IS PREJUDICE OR CHANCE.” THE MORE THE YEARS ADD UP, AND THE FURTHER WE GET OM HIS HISTORIC SPEECH THAT WASN’T, THE CLEARER THE ANSWER APPEARS.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— CARíONA BALFE’S CELTIC CONQUT, FROM OUTLANR TO BELFAST— WHAT VIVIAN VANCE DIDN’T LOVE ABOUT I LOVE LUCY— INSECURE’S NATASHA ROTHWELL CAN DO IT ALL— INSI THE LOST DGHTER’S HYPNOTIC, SUBVERSIVE CEMATOGRAPHY— HOW THE WHE LOT’S LOATHABLE ENSEMBLE CAME TOGETHER— SIGN UP FOR THE “AWARDS INSIR” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE.DAVID CANFIELD

Sean Penn plays the tle role G Van Sant’s bgraphil film about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office California. Philip Seymour Hoffman domated the awards season 2005 for his role as openly gay, larger-than-life wrer Tman Capote as he stggl to wre his masterpiece, “In Cold Blood. Although this Osr-wng drama do not centrally foc on LGBT issu, do take a close look at the effects of homophobia.

Chris Cooper plays a former Mare lonel whose rampant homophobia is actually a mask for his own reprsed sir, which leads him to a tragic teractn wh the film’s protagonist (played by Kev Spacey). Bill Condon’s drama follows the last days of director Jam Whale (Ian McKellan), the openly gay director of the classic horror films “Frankenste” and “Bri of Frankenste. Tom Hanks stars as Andrew Beckett, a gay lawyer livg wh AIDS who su his former lawfirm after he is fired.

In this prison drama, a gay wdow drser (William Hurt) shar a Brazilian prison cell wh a revolutnary (Rl Julia), and the two beg a awkward iendship that velops to a sexual relatnship. This documentary tails the life of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office California, who was later murred along wh San Francis mayor Gee Mosne.