German actors came out in mass?
In a Friday manifesto with German magazine Süddeutsche Zeitung, titled “I Come From A World That Didn’t Tell Me Anything About Myself,” 185 German actors together to jointly come out and change perspectives on what it means to be an LGBTQ actor.
“We identify, among other things, as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, inter and non-binary,” the statement reads. “Until now, we have not been able to talk openly about our private lives without fearing repercussions on our professional lives.”
In interviews with the publication, the actors discussed talking with each other as a group. The actors soon found several common lived experiences like being told by agents, directors, producers, and more to stay in the closet.
“I wanted to attend an awards show and walk the red carpet with the woman I love, but I was strongly advised against it, warned it would ruin my career,” says International Emmy nominee Emma Bading (Play).
The actors then noted that there’s a lack of diverse LGBTQ stories in the entertainment business.
“Of course I want to play characters that were originally written white or hetero,” said Lamin Leroy Gibba, a Black theatrical star. “At the same time, I ask: Where are the Black and queer characters standing in the center of their own stories?”
“Reality should be as diverse onscreen as it is in real life,” said Eva Meckbach, an actress in the number one German TV drama Tatort. “Society is much wider and more diverse than the decision-makers think.”
After coming to these realizations as a group, the 185 actors decided to come out together and demand change.
“When we talked about it as a group, it suddenly became clear that this was how we could change something — as a group, as a big group,” added Meckbach’s Tatort co-star Karin Hanczewski.
Here’s hoping the industry listens to these talented actors. Until then, we thank them for sharing their truth.
Source: Sueddeutsche Zeitung
