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.
Contents:
- WHAT’S WRONG WH BEG “GAY”? HERE’S WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU -- AND ’S REALLY DISTURBG.
- BAD GAYS: A HOMOSEXUAL HISTORY
- 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, 2022FACEBOOKXEMAILSAVE 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 POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHHOW MADONNA TURNED THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SET INTO A THREE-RG CIRCBY ER CARLSON2023 FALL PREVIEW: 46 FILMS TO WATCH OUT FORBY 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
WHAT’S WRONG WH BEG “GAY”? HERE’S WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU -- AND ’S REALLY DISTURBG.
Go to AskGaybrosOver30.
BAD GAYS: A HOMOSEXUAL HISTORY
A straight actor givg a bad performance a gay role don't mean 's related to beg straight. If a straight actor n't play gay nvcgly, 's jt him beg a bad profsnal. A shed gay kiss bee one straight actor is grossed out, that's not good actg bee he's allowg his own emotns to affect his performance.
Throughout the '30s, '40s and '50s, the public perceptn of gays and lbians was that they were sick and disturbed -- and therefore dangero. While overt referenc to homosexualy were long prohibed film, skilled filmmakers created characters that displayed subtle yet clearly queer one handled this more ftly than director Aled Hchck, the master of spense and psychosexual anxiety -- who often st closeted gay actors gay-ish rol. As more varied imag of gay characters have appeared on film, some queer villas have bee more plex.
This stereotype of an effemate villa (seen four more tim on this list) taps to the viewer's homophobia -- makg pecially gratifyg to see them feated by the more macho hero. Damagg StereotypeWaldo Lycker -- Lra (1944)Gay actor Clifton Webb is at his most bchy and ntrollg as the evil queen who attempts to transform Gene Tierney's myster and tular Lra. Damagg StereotypePhilip and Brandon -- Rope (1948)Farley Granger and John Dall star this fictnal variatn on the real-life Leopold and Loeb se -- a story of two upper-class gay guys who m a murr jt for kicks.
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, 2022FACEBOOKXEMAILSAVE 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 POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHHOW MADONNA TURNED THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SET INTO A THREE-RG CIRCBY ER CARLSON2023 FALL PREVIEW: 46 FILMS TO WATCH OUT FORBY 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
Hch Knows BtAddison DeWt -- All About Eve (1950)Gee Sanrs earned a Bt Supportg Actor Osr as the manipulative queen bch theater cric, spirg a generatn of wty, evil, proto-gay villas. Evil But Awome{C}Bno Anthony -- Strangers on a Tra (1951)Robert Walker is a psychotic gay sociale who nvc Farley Granger's tennis pro to swap murrs.
Hch Knows BtNorman Bat -- Psycho (1960)Gay actor Anthony Perks giv his most famo performance as the ultimate mama's boy Hchck's grisly masterpiece. ) transvte killer director Brian De Palma's horror flick -- one of the first films to e a public outcry om the gay muny. Thoroughly ReprehensibleCathere Tramell -- Basic Instct (1992)Sharon Stone had her most inic role -- and triggered howls of prott om the gay muny -- as the bisexual serial killer this stylish piece of misogynist trash.
Evil But AwomePrce Edward -- Braveheart (1995)Peter Hanly plays a pathetic, simperg -- and historilly accurate -- gay prce the famoly homophobic Mel Gibson film that swept the Osrs. ) Thoroughly ReprehensibleGovernor Ratcliffe -- Pohontas (1995)Gay actor David Ogn Stiers voic the va, foppish villa (a time-honored gay stereotype) this ls than historilly accurate Disney film. Ripley (1999)Matt Damon giv his most plex and overlooked performance as a gay chameleon who revents himself to jo the high society world of Ju Law and Gwyh Paltrow -- which leads to murr.