Recently many straight Hollywood stars have been adding their two cents into the continuous debates of coming out, what it does to one's career, as well as who should play gay characters. Maybe we should hear from some out actors in Hollywood instead of those that do not face the issue themselves.
To take it one step further, The Los Angeles Times has interviewed Out Black Actors to find out how they deal with the race and sexual orientation hurdles of the industry. In a piece entitled "In Their Own Words, Actors On Being Black And (Openly) Gay In Hollywood" Contact Reporter, we get to see these amazing and honest responses.
Diversity has been the buzzword in Hollywood for the better part of the last year. With Viola Davis’ recent historic Emmy win for “How to Get Away With Murder” (and the equally historic co-nomination of “Empire’s” Taraji P. Henson) and the continual sprinkling of LGBT people and characters on screens large and small, Tinseltown paints itself as a progressive paragon in a world not yet there.
But true progress in Hollywood has yet to trickle down for those at the intersection of their non-white race and non-heterosexual identity.
In an effort to chronicle the experiences of openly gay black actors in Hollywood, I reached out to all those that I could think of, a relatively small list. Though many of the more well-known actors were not available or declined to be interviewed (Wanda Sykes, Raven-Symoné, Jussie Smollett, Samira Wiley, Tituss Burgess), I was able to speak to a number of people eager to discuss their thoughts on the industry.
Below are six openly gay (or bisexual) black people who have been in front of and/or behind the camera, in their own words: – latimes.com
For more from these astounding individuals, go to source at latimes.com. There, you will find their feelings on the following topics:
On the gay black best friend role:
On straight roles in the future:
On gay characters on television:
On straight actors playing gay roles:
On young black talent in Hollywood:
On gay actors playing gay and straight roles:
On turning down stereotypical roles:
On straight black actors not playing gay:
On the importance of seeing oneself reflected on TV:
On the future of diversity in Hollywood:
Thanks again
It’s all marketing. If a show
It's all marketing. If a show's target audience is African Americans then odds are the characters will be straight because of how negativily many AAs views gay people. It's not always whitey's fault.
Yet another reason for actors
Yet another reason for actors to whine incessantly about why you do or don't get certain roles. If your black, white, pretty, ugly, fat, thin, average… you're going to get some roles and not others. Get over it or choose another career.