This past weekend, Colton Haynes shared some personal thoughts on being a gay actor in Hollywood.
In what’s now a string of deleted tweets, the “Arrow” star said he thinks its odd that Hollywood is run by the LGBTQ community, yet its hard to be an openly gay actor.
“Hollywood is a very odd place. I've been here for 12 yrs. I just pray that the LGBTQ+ community gets more chances to star in roles. We've had amazing trailblazers & ppl who've made it thru the criticism thk god. It doesn't have to be me, but this town is run by our community.
— Colton Haynes (@ColtonLHaynes) May 20, 2018”
But according to Queerty, Colton Haynes’s late Saturday night/early Sunday morning tweet session didn’t end there. Haynes also shared that his childhood worries of being an outsider are often revisited due to a similar atmosphere in Hollywood.
“Lets just realize that we all have so much to give. It's not easy being gay. Its not easy growing up being an outsider & having to watch your back. Just because you like the same sex doesn't mean you can't carry a film. It's acting. Execs need to start giving more opportunity. ?
— Colton Haynes (@ColtonLHaynes) May 20, 2018”
Haynes then commented on how Hollywood needs to work harder to give LGBTQ actors, actors of color, and other minorities the chance to shine in entertainment media.
"I can't believe that no one has figured this out yet. It's not just the LGBT+ community but it's also ppl of color, minorities…give us all a chance. Thk god its in the works. Every single person deserves a shot at their dreams no matter their sex, ethnicity, or background. ?
— Colton Haynes (@ColtonLHaynes) May 20, 2018"
We mostly agree with Haynes. Despite him being one of the lucky ones in Hollywood, he can see all of the struggles that openly gay actors go through.
That said, those lucky opportunities that he got have created visibility for openly gay actors. One would hope that would then trickle down into opening doors for upcoming actors.
At least, one would hope.
h/t: Queerty