Billy Porter Is First Openly Gay Black Man To W Emmy For Lead Actor In A Drama

12 OPENLY GAY PEOPLE THAT HAVE WON AN OSR
OSRS: SAM SMH ISN’T THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO W
A GROUNDBREAKG QUEER OSR WNER AND ITS VERY, VERY COMPLITED LEGACYIN 1986 WILLIAM HURT BEME THE FIRST ACTOR TO W AN OSR FOR PLAYG AN OPENLY QUEER CHARACTER. DID HE START ONE OF THE OSRS’ WORST TRENDS? BY KATEY RICHJUNE 8, 2023FROM ISLAND ALIVE PICTUR / EVERETT COLLECTNSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT’S HARD TO TELL IF WILLIAM HURT FELT THE WEIGHT OF HISTORY WHEN HE TOOK THE OSR STAGE. AT THE BEGNG OF A STRG OF HS THAT WOULD MAKE HIM ONE OF THE FIVE STARS OF THE ’80S, HE WON THE BT-ACTOR OSR FOR HIS PERFORMANCE KISS OF THE SPIR WOMAN, AN UNLIKELY DIE H. IT MA HIM THE FIRST ACTOR TO W AN OSR FOR PLAYG AN OPENLY QUEER CHARACTER, TABLISHG A TEMPLATE THAT HAS NOW BEE SOMETHG OF A CLICHé: STRAIGHT ACTOR PLAYS GAY, WS OSR. A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWBUT 1986—THE SAME YEAR THAT RONALD REAGAN DARED TO SAY AIDS FOR THE FIRST TIME—KISS OF THE SPIR WOMAN WAS A UNIQUE PHENOMENON, AND HURT’S PERFORMANCE A E FOR GENUE CELEBRATN. “A [GAY] AND A MIE A JAIL CELL, WHAT A MARKETG NIGHTMARE” IS HOW PRODUCER DAVID WEISMAN FACETLY SCRIBED THE FILM’S PREMISE, ADAPTED OM ARGENTEAN THOR MANUEL PUIG’S NOVEL BY UP-AND-G BRAZILIAN DIRECTOR HéCTOR BABEN. WEISMAN TOLD INDIEWIRE 2010, AHEAD OF THE FILM’S ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATN AT THE CANN FILM FTIVAL, THAT “ WAS A PROJECT SIGNED TO EVERYONE’S REER.” WEISMAN AND BABEN SPENT YEARS GETTG THE FILM OFF THE GROUND, CLUDG A LONG PERD OF VELOPMENT WH ’50S AND ’60S IN BURT LANSTER. EVENTUALLY THEY WENT TO PRODUCTN WH HURT AS MOLA, A GAY MAN IMPRISONED ALONGSI LEFTIST REVOLUTNARY VALENTíN, PLAYED BY RL JULIA. THE FILM IS LARGELY A SERI OF NVERSATNS BETWEEN THE TWO, TERSPERSED WH CLIPS OM A FICTNAL NAZI PROPAGANDA MOVIE, WHICH MOLA RETELLS TO VALENTíN AS A WAY TO PASS THE TIME AND PE SOMEWHERE ELSE. AS JA MASL WROTE HER RAVE REVIEW, “WHAT STARTS OUT AS A MPY, FACET TALOGUE OF HOLLYWOOD TRIVIA BE AN EXTRAORDARILY MOVG FILM ABOUT MANHOOD, HEROISM AND LOVE.”THE DIE FILM WORLD WAS A PERD OF TRANSFORMATN THE MID-1980S, WH THE EXPLODG HOME VIO MARKET SPURRG MAND FOR ALMOST ANYTHG THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. SO UPSTART DISTRIBUTOR ISLAND ALIVE PICKED UP SPIR WOMAN AT CANN, WHERE HURT WON THE BT-ACTOR AWARD, AND RELEASED FOR AN EXCEPTNAL BOX OFFICE N THE SUMMER OF 1985, EVENTUALLY GROSSG $17 LN. (FOR NTEXT, THAT’S HOW MUCH THE WHALE AND THE FABELMANS HAVE MA DOMTILLY, WHOUT ADJTG FOR FLATN.) YEARS BEFORE MIRAMAX WOULD PERMANENTLY OPEN THE DOOR FOR DIE FILMS AT THE OSRS, SPIR WOMAN WAS THE UPSTART THE 1986 RACE, NOMATED FOR BT PICTURE ALONGSI MASSIVE STUD EFFORTS LIKE OUT OF AI AND THE COLOR PURPLE. HURT’S SPEECH, WHICH REX REED SNIPED WAS “MERCIFULLY” SHORTER THAN SOME OF THE MORE LONG-WD TERVIEWS HE’D GIVEN THAT SEASON, BEGAN WH A SIMPLE SENTENCE: “I SHARE THIS WH RL.” JULIA, WHO, LIKE HURT, HAD GOTTEN HIS START NEW YORK THEATER, SHARED A BT-ACTOR AWARD WH HIS STAR OM THE NATNAL BOARD OF REVIEW AND A GOLN GLOBE NOMATN, BUT WAS LEFT OUT AT THE OSRS. BUT HIS PERFORMANCE MAY BE THE BIGGT REVELATN TO A MORN DIENCE. SIMMERG WH RAGE AND TRATN AS VALENTíN WATCH OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS LEFTIST MOVEMENT BROUGHT TO THE PRISON, JULIA REFULLY TRACKS VALENTíN’S GRADUAL SOFTENG, NOT JT WILLG TO PE TO MOLA’S STORYTELLG BUT FD FORT—AND MAYBE A SPARK OF ROMANCE— HIS CELLMATE’S PRENCE. AND FOR MORN VIEWERS BRACG FOR IMPACT WATCHG HURT—WHOSE REPUTATN FOR TENSY AND DAMAGG BEHAVR ONLY GREW MORE PRONOUNCED AFTER THIS—HIS PERFORMANCE MAY BE A SURPRISE AS WELL. MOLA IS A FLAMBOYANT CHARACTER, SPIRED BY THE ’40S SCREEN SIRENS WHOSE PHOTOS ARE PASTED ON HIS WALL, A MAN WHO SOMEHOW HAS A LLECTN OF SILK ROB SI A PRISON. YOU MIGHT FD, AS SOME OF THE HOSTS ON THIS WEEK’S LTLE GOLD MEN DID, THAT HURT ERRS ON THE SI OF UNRPLAYG MOLA. BUT THERE’S A REASON THAT HIS PERFORMANCE SO PTIVATED DIENC AND OSR VOTERS; MOV PAST MOLA’S THEATRILY TO FD A MAN LOOKG FOR LOVE AND PURPOSE, AND RIGHT ON THE BRK OF FDG . IN AN ERA WH SO, SO LTLE QUEER REPRENTATN EVEN DIE FILMS, MOLA RONATED. AS WEISMAN TOLD INDIEWIRE OF HURT’S PERFORMANCE, “IF HE AND THE FILM HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PULL OFF TO GAY DIENC, THEN WOULD HAVE CERTALY DIED.”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHHOLLYWOOD ELE RH TO GET PLASTIC SURGERY BEFORE THE STRIKE ENDSBY MARIE LODION THIS WEEK’S LTLE GOLD MEN PODST, CHRIS MURPHY JOS TO DISCS KISS OF THE SPIR WOMAN, WHICH MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT FILM TO SHOW A GROUP A FIRE ISLAND RENTAL HOE—WHICH IS WHAT CHRIS ACTUALLY DID!—BUT HAS SURPRIS STORE NEARLY 40 YEARS SCE S RELEASE. THE SUPERSIZE EPISO ALSO CLUS A NVERSATN WH CHRIS, RICHARD LAWSON, AND GUTS ESTHER ZUCKERMAN AND JACKSON MCHENRY TAKG A LOOK AT THIS YEAR’S TONY NOMATNS, AND MAKG THEIR PREDICTNS ABOUT WHO WILL PREVAIL AT SUNDAY’S AWARDS. LISTEN TO VANY FAIR’S LTLE GOLD MEN PODST NOW.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)KATEY RICH
SAM SMH, THE ONLY OPENLY GAY OSR WNER? NOT REALLY
IS SAM SMH REALLY THE FIRST OPENLY GAY OSR WNER?THE SPECTRE SONGWRER WON FOR ORIGAL SONG.BY JULIE MILLERFEBARY 28, 2016FROM GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWHEN SAM SMH TOOK THE STAGE ON SUNDAY NIGHT TO ACCEPT HIS OSR FOR BT ORIGAL SONG, FOR THE SPECTRE THEME HE -WROTE WH JAM NAPIER, HE RRECTLY PARAPHRASED A STATEMENT IAN MCKELLEN MA ABOUT THE LACK OF OPENLY GAY OSR WNERS. DURG HIS SPEECH, SMH SAID THAT HE HEARD MCKELLEN MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE AMY AWARDS NEVER BEFORE REGNIZG AN OPENLY GAY MAN, NFSG THAT HE WAS NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT THAT WAS TE. EHER WAY, SMH NTUED, “I STAND HERE TONIGHT AS A PROUD GAY MAN AND I HOPE WE N ALL STAND TOGETHER AS EQUALS ONE DAY.”WH SENDS, THE TWTER-SPHERE EPTED, WONRG WHETHER OR NOT AN OPENLY GAY MAN HAD WON THE AWARD. THE ANSWER TO THAT IS Y, AN EXAMPLE BEG DT LANCE BLACK, WHO WON THE 2009 ORIGAL-SCREENPLAY AWARD FOR MILK. BUT SMH ALSO MISHEARD MCKELLEN’S QUOTE.LAST MONTH, THE ACTOR TOLD THE GUARDIAN THAT HE SYMPATHIZED WH BLACK ACTORS BEE, “NO OPENLY GAY MAN HAS EVER WON THE OSR; I WONR IF THAT IS PREJUDICE OR CHANCE.” REFERRG TO THE ACTG TEGORI, MCKELLEN POTED OUT THAT STRAIGHT ACTORS HAVE WON THE AWARD FOR PLAYG GAY—LIKE TOM HANKS, JARED LETO, SEAN PENN, AND PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN. “HOW CLEVER, HOW CLEVER,” MCKELLEN SAID. “WHAT ABOUT GIVG ME ONE FOR PLAYG A STRAIGHT MAN?”MCKELLEN, WHO HAS BEEN NOMATED TWICE—FOR GODS AND MONSTERS AND THE LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RGREVEALED THE SAME TERVIEW THAT HE PLANNED ON ADDRSG THAT FACT IF HE HAD WON.“MY SPEECH HAS BEEN TWO JACKETS. . .‘I’M PROUD TO BE THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO W THE OSR.’ I’VE HAD TO PUT BACK MY POCKET TWICE.”WHILE SMH’S STATEMENT MAY HAVE BEEN SCERE, WAS NOT ENTIRELY TTHFUL. THREE OPENLY-GAY SGER/SONGWRERS WON SMH’S TEGORY CLUDG MELISSA ETHERIDGE, ELTON JOHN, AND STEPHEN SONDHEIM. AS FOR THE ACTG TEGORI, SEVERAL GAY WNERS HAVE WON, BUT BEFORE G OUT CLUDG JOEL GREY AND JODIE FOSTER.OSRS 2016 BT-DRSED CELEBRI1 / 16CHEVRONCHEVRONFROM GETTY IMAG.CATE BLANCHETT ARMANI. SCIENTISTS HAVE PROVEN IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LOOK AT THIS DRS AND NOT GASP AND THEN REMA SPEECHLS FOR AT LEAST 10 SENDS.MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJULIE MILLER
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 POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHCONDON, 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
BILLY PORTER IS FIRST OPENLY GAY BLACK MAN TO W EMMY FOR LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA

12 OPENLY GAY PEOPLE THAT HAVE WON AN OSR

Sam Smh has ed ntroversy durg his Osrs victory speech by claimg he was the first openly gay man to get a nod. * first gay actor to win an oscar *

Sam Smh has ed ntroversy durg his Osrs victory speech by claimg he was the first openly gay man to get a nod. The movie told the story of Harvey Milk, a gay in who served openly polics and was eventually assassated. Pickg up the bt director Osr 1964 for ‘My Fair Lady’, featurg Audrey Hepburn, he was openly gay.

In a bgraphy of his life, he was scribed as headg a gay subculture Hollywood durg the 1930s. “But if you have to put a label on , I’m a gay man. “It was never easy beg a homosexual”, he said an terview 1998.

OSRS: SAM SMH ISN’T THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO W

The bt origal song wner ced an article om Ian McKellen which the actor claimed, "No openly gay man has ever won the Osr," but there are several gay wners non-actg tegori. * first gay actor to win an oscar *

In the end, the famo gay in and Tim Rice won for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight? 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.

"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.

A GROUNDBREAKG QUEER OSR WNER AND ITS VERY, VERY COMPLITED LEGACYIN 1986 WILLIAM HURT BEME THE FIRST ACTOR TO W AN OSR FOR PLAYG AN OPENLY QUEER CHARACTER. DID HE START ONE OF THE OSRS’ WORST TRENDS? BY KATEY RICHJUNE 8, 2023FROM ISLAND ALIVE PICTUR / EVERETT COLLECTNSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT’S HARD TO TELL IF WILLIAM HURT FELT THE WEIGHT OF HISTORY WHEN HE TOOK THE OSR STAGE. AT THE BEGNG OF A STRG OF HS THAT WOULD MAKE HIM ONE OF THE FIVE STARS OF THE ’80S, HE WON THE BT-ACTOR OSR FOR HIS PERFORMANCE KISS OF THE SPIR WOMAN, AN UNLIKELY DIE H. IT MA HIM THE FIRST ACTOR TO W AN OSR FOR PLAYG AN OPENLY QUEER CHARACTER, TABLISHG A TEMPLATE THAT HAS NOW BEE SOMETHG OF A CLICHé: STRAIGHT ACTOR PLAYS GAY, WS OSR. A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWBUT 1986—THE SAME YEAR THAT RONALD REAGAN DARED TO SAY AIDS FOR THE FIRST TIME—KISS OF THE SPIR WOMAN WAS A UNIQUE PHENOMENON, AND HURT’S PERFORMANCE A E FOR GENUE CELEBRATN. “A [GAY] AND A MIE A JAIL CELL, WHAT A MARKETG NIGHTMARE” IS HOW PRODUCER DAVID WEISMAN FACETLY SCRIBED THE FILM’S PREMISE, ADAPTED OM ARGENTEAN THOR MANUEL PUIG’S NOVEL BY UP-AND-G BRAZILIAN DIRECTOR HéCTOR BABEN. WEISMAN TOLD INDIEWIRE 2010, AHEAD OF THE FILM’S ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATN AT THE CANN FILM FTIVAL, THAT “ WAS A PROJECT SIGNED TO EVERYONE’S REER.” WEISMAN AND BABEN SPENT YEARS GETTG THE FILM OFF THE GROUND, CLUDG A LONG PERD OF VELOPMENT WH ’50S AND ’60S IN BURT LANSTER. EVENTUALLY THEY WENT TO PRODUCTN WH HURT AS MOLA, A GAY MAN IMPRISONED ALONGSI LEFTIST REVOLUTNARY VALENTíN, PLAYED BY RL JULIA. THE FILM IS LARGELY A SERI OF NVERSATNS BETWEEN THE TWO, TERSPERSED WH CLIPS OM A FICTNAL NAZI PROPAGANDA MOVIE, WHICH MOLA RETELLS TO VALENTíN AS A WAY TO PASS THE TIME AND PE SOMEWHERE ELSE. AS JA MASL WROTE HER RAVE REVIEW, “WHAT STARTS OUT AS A MPY, FACET TALOGUE OF HOLLYWOOD TRIVIA BE AN EXTRAORDARILY MOVG FILM ABOUT MANHOOD, HEROISM AND LOVE.”THE DIE FILM WORLD WAS A PERD OF TRANSFORMATN THE MID-1980S, WH THE EXPLODG HOME VIO MARKET SPURRG MAND FOR ALMOST ANYTHG THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. SO UPSTART DISTRIBUTOR ISLAND ALIVE PICKED UP SPIR WOMAN AT CANN, WHERE HURT WON THE BT-ACTOR AWARD, AND RELEASED FOR AN EXCEPTNAL BOX OFFICE N THE SUMMER OF 1985, EVENTUALLY GROSSG $17 LN. (FOR NTEXT, THAT’S HOW MUCH THE WHALE AND THE FABELMANS HAVE MA DOMTILLY, WHOUT ADJTG FOR FLATN.) YEARS BEFORE MIRAMAX WOULD PERMANENTLY OPEN THE DOOR FOR DIE FILMS AT THE OSRS, SPIR WOMAN WAS THE UPSTART THE 1986 RACE, NOMATED FOR BT PICTURE ALONGSI MASSIVE STUD EFFORTS LIKE OUT OF AI AND THE COLOR PURPLE. HURT’S SPEECH, WHICH REX REED SNIPED WAS “MERCIFULLY” SHORTER THAN SOME OF THE MORE LONG-WD TERVIEWS HE’D GIVEN THAT SEASON, BEGAN WH A SIMPLE SENTENCE: “I SHARE THIS WH RL.” JULIA, WHO, LIKE HURT, HAD GOTTEN HIS START NEW YORK THEATER, SHARED A BT-ACTOR AWARD WH HIS STAR OM THE NATNAL BOARD OF REVIEW AND A GOLN GLOBE NOMATN, BUT WAS LEFT OUT AT THE OSRS. BUT HIS PERFORMANCE MAY BE THE BIGGT REVELATN TO A MORN DIENCE. SIMMERG WH RAGE AND TRATN AS VALENTíN WATCH OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS LEFTIST MOVEMENT BROUGHT TO THE PRISON, JULIA REFULLY TRACKS VALENTíN’S GRADUAL SOFTENG, NOT JT WILLG TO PE TO MOLA’S STORYTELLG BUT FD FORT—AND MAYBE A SPARK OF ROMANCE— HIS CELLMATE’S PRENCE. AND FOR MORN VIEWERS BRACG FOR IMPACT WATCHG HURT—WHOSE REPUTATN FOR TENSY AND DAMAGG BEHAVR ONLY GREW MORE PRONOUNCED AFTER THIS—HIS PERFORMANCE MAY BE A SURPRISE AS WELL. MOLA IS A FLAMBOYANT CHARACTER, SPIRED BY THE ’40S SCREEN SIRENS WHOSE PHOTOS ARE PASTED ON HIS WALL, A MAN WHO SOMEHOW HAS A LLECTN OF SILK ROB SI A PRISON. YOU MIGHT FD, AS SOME OF THE HOSTS ON THIS WEEK’S LTLE GOLD MEN DID, THAT HURT ERRS ON THE SI OF UNRPLAYG MOLA. BUT THERE’S A REASON THAT HIS PERFORMANCE SO PTIVATED DIENC AND OSR VOTERS; MOV PAST MOLA’S THEATRILY TO FD A MAN LOOKG FOR LOVE AND PURPOSE, AND RIGHT ON THE BRK OF FDG . IN AN ERA WH SO, SO LTLE QUEER REPRENTATN EVEN DIE FILMS, MOLA RONATED. AS WEISMAN TOLD INDIEWIRE OF HURT’S PERFORMANCE, “IF HE AND THE FILM HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PULL OFF TO GAY DIENC, THEN WOULD HAVE CERTALY DIED.”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHHOLLYWOOD ELE RH TO GET PLASTIC SURGERY BEFORE THE STRIKE ENDSBY MARIE LODION THIS WEEK’S LTLE GOLD MEN PODST, CHRIS MURPHY JOS TO DISCS KISS OF THE SPIR WOMAN, WHICH MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT FILM TO SHOW A GROUP A FIRE ISLAND RENTAL HOE—WHICH IS WHAT CHRIS ACTUALLY DID!—BUT HAS SURPRIS STORE NEARLY 40 YEARS SCE S RELEASE. THE SUPERSIZE EPISO ALSO CLUS A NVERSATN WH CHRIS, RICHARD LAWSON, AND GUTS ESTHER ZUCKERMAN AND JACKSON MCHENRY TAKG A LOOK AT THIS YEAR’S TONY NOMATNS, AND MAKG THEIR PREDICTNS ABOUT WHO WILL PREVAIL AT SUNDAY’S AWARDS. LISTEN TO VANY FAIR’S LTLE GOLD MEN PODST NOW.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)KATEY RICH

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. * first gay actor to win an oscar *

"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.

Sign up to BFI Flare emailsGet the latt #BFIFlare news and ticket release the most egreg example of a gay movie beg snubbed, the crass race-relatns drama Crash beat Brokeback Mounta to the bt picture award 2006, spe the romantic wtern beg heavily favoured by crics and other awards ceremoni. Gay pri!

But the gayt bt picture wner to date has to be Midnight Cowboy (1969).

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

Peter Fch was the first to be regnized by the Amy for his role as a gay doctor the 1971 film Sunday Bloody Sunday and the groundbreakg nomatn paved the way for dozens of straight thpians to receive nods for takg on gay, lbian and transgenr rol. Before the 94th annual Amy Awards take place on Sunday March 27, here’s a look back at 10 standout performanc of LGBTQ+ characters that won Osr gold. * first gay actor to win an oscar *

The queer polics of the films aren’t great – the gay clients of Joe, a sex worker played by Jon Voight, are an unappealg para of gawky closet s. Rebec (1940)Gay reprentatn at the Osrs improv when we browse through the actg tegori.

IS SAM SMH REALLY THE FIRST OPENLY GAY OSR WNER?THE SPECTRE SONGWRER WON FOR ORIGAL SONG.BY JULIE MILLERFEBARY 28, 2016FROM GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWHEN SAM SMH TOOK THE STAGE ON SUNDAY NIGHT TO ACCEPT HIS OSR FOR BT ORIGAL SONG, FOR THE SPECTRE THEME HE -WROTE WH JAM NAPIER, HE RRECTLY PARAPHRASED A STATEMENT IAN MCKELLEN MA ABOUT THE LACK OF OPENLY GAY OSR WNERS. DURG HIS SPEECH, SMH SAID THAT HE HEARD MCKELLEN MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE AMY AWARDS NEVER BEFORE REGNIZG AN OPENLY GAY MAN, NFSG THAT HE WAS NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT THAT WAS TE. EHER WAY, SMH NTUED, “I STAND HERE TONIGHT AS A PROUD GAY MAN AND I HOPE WE N ALL STAND TOGETHER AS EQUALS ONE DAY.”WH SENDS, THE TWTER-SPHERE EPTED, WONRG WHETHER OR NOT AN OPENLY GAY MAN HAD WON THE AWARD. THE ANSWER TO THAT IS Y, AN EXAMPLE BEG DT LANCE BLACK, WHO WON THE 2009 ORIGAL-SCREENPLAY AWARD FOR MILK. BUT SMH ALSO MISHEARD MCKELLEN’S QUOTE.LAST MONTH, THE ACTOR TOLD THE GUARDIAN THAT HE SYMPATHIZED WH BLACK ACTORS BEE, “NO OPENLY GAY MAN HAS EVER WON THE OSR; I WONR IF THAT IS PREJUDICE OR CHANCE.” REFERRG TO THE ACTG TEGORI, MCKELLEN POTED OUT THAT STRAIGHT ACTORS HAVE WON THE AWARD FOR PLAYG GAY—LIKE TOM HANKS, JARED LETO, SEAN PENN, AND PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN. “HOW CLEVER, HOW CLEVER,” MCKELLEN SAID. “WHAT ABOUT GIVG ME ONE FOR PLAYG A STRAIGHT MAN?”MCKELLEN, WHO HAS BEEN NOMATED TWICE—FOR GODS AND MONSTERS AND THE LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RGREVEALED THE SAME TERVIEW THAT HE PLANNED ON ADDRSG THAT FACT IF HE HAD WON.“MY SPEECH HAS BEEN TWO JACKETS. . .‘I’M PROUD TO BE THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO W THE OSR.’ I’VE HAD TO PUT BACK MY POCKET TWICE.”WHILE SMH’S STATEMENT MAY HAVE BEEN SCERE, WAS NOT ENTIRELY TTHFUL. THREE OPENLY-GAY SGER/SONGWRERS WON SMH’S TEGORY CLUDG MELISSA ETHERIDGE, ELTON JOHN, AND STEPHEN SONDHEIM. AS FOR THE ACTG TEGORI, SEVERAL GAY WNERS HAVE WON, BUT BEFORE G OUT CLUDG JOEL GREY AND JODIE FOSTER.OSRS 2016 BT-DRSED CELEBRI1 / 16CHEVRONCHEVRONFROM GETTY IMAG.CATE BLANCHETT ARMANI. SCIENTISTS HAVE PROVEN IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LOOK AT THIS DRS AND NOT GASP AND THEN REMA SPEECHLS FOR AT LEAST 10 SENDS.MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJULIE MILLER

* first gay actor to win an oscar *

The first actor to receive an Osr nomatn for playg a gay role was Judh Anrson as the sister hoekeeper Mrs Danvers Aled Hchck’s Rebec. In an era where homosexual characters were treated as monsters or victims, the Osrs mtee followed su, nomatg the subtly queer performanc by Clifton Webb Lra (1944) and Sal Meo Rebel whout a Cse (1955).

Ian McKellen Gods and Monsters (1998)In the last uple of s has bee a b of a cliché for actors to be reward wh a nomatn for playg gay characters, alongsi anyone playg someone wh a disabily and anyone whose name is Meryl Streep. Ian McKellen, still the only gay man to be nomated for playg a gay man, was nomated for his marvello portrayal of director Jam Whale Gods and Monsters (1998), while Jaye Davidson, who played the queer character of Dil The Cryg Game (1992), was nomated the bt supportg actor tegory. Jared Leto Dallas Buyers Club (2013)While straight actors playg gay characters shouldn’t be of much nsequence, the ty number of gay performers is still disfortg a world where actors are reluctant to e out for fear of g their reers.

Durg his acceptance speech for the bt origal song Osr, Sam Smh suggted that he might be the first openly gay man to w an Amy Award.

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 POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHCONDON, 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

Sam Smh remarked that he might be the first openly gay man to ever w an Osr while acceptg the award for Bt Origal Song * first gay actor to win an oscar *

“I read an article a few months ago by Sir Ian McKellen and he said that no openly gay man had ever won an Osr, and if this is the se, even if isn’t the se, I want to dite this to the LGBT muny all around the world, ” Smh said. “I stand here tonight as a proud gay man, and I hope we n all stand together as equals one day. While Smh’s w is certaly worth celebratg, he’s not the first openly gay Osr wner.

Elton John, Dt Lance Black, Howard Ashman and Stt Rud were all openly gay when they accepted their Osrs.

Is Sam Smh Really the First Openly Gay Osr Wner? | Vany Fair

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12 OPENLY GAY PEOPLE THAT HAVE WON AN OSR

OSRS: SAM SMH ISN’T THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO W

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