Is it time to boycott some of the LGBTQ movies coming out where they can’t bother to cast LGBTQ people?

Timothée Chalamet was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his role as Elio, but neither Chalamet, nor his co-star Armie Hammer, identify as queer. It’s not the first time straight actors have won praise for going gay ‘” last year’s Best Picture winner Moonlight and previous nominees like 2015’s Carol, 2008’s Milk and 2005’s Brokeback Mountain all earned accolades for how well they told queer stories using straight actors.

The message we get from Hollywood is clear: ‘œWe love queer stories, we just don’t want to cast you in them.’ No actor has won an Oscar while publicly out of the closet. The last few years have proved that LGBTIQ movies can gain accolades and rake in big bucks at the box office, just not when the roles are given to queers.

And not only do the big gay roles keep going to straight actors, but once actors come out, they often stop being considered for straight roles. Just ask Ellen Page.

To make things worse “Love, Simon” is making a star out of another straight lead actor. This is a
movie about a closeted gay teen struggling in high school which stars Nick Robinson, a 22-year-old actor. Robinson revealed on the Ellen DeGeneres Show that one of his brothers came out around the same time he started filming the movie. While he said the timing was a coincidence, he admitted that the role helped him connect to his brother in that moment.

While we all love that the movie “Love, Simon” was made in the first place we would have loved an openly gay actor play Simon. We’re also happy that a straight actor would play a gay role and gain empathy for others in taking the role. The outrage or insult comes to us because it keeps happening.

We don’t know who auditioned for the role. If he was the best for the role and was the best suited person to help carry out the message maybe that’s what matters. While it’s acting, we deprive an actual gay or Asian or whatever from a role, for authenticity sake. The auditions could’ve reached out to the gay community in the first place and that should be thought of for the future casting in films. Call Me by Your Name stars two straight leads.. you mean to tell us they couldn’t find one gay?

Here are some comments we’ve seen online to bring in more perspective about straight people playing LGBTQ roles:

For arguments sake, to use “it’s just acting” then why were people all bent out of shape that Scarlett Johansson was chosen to play the lead in Ghost in the Shell? It was called whitewashing because it was based on an Japanese manga character…so is this straight washing?

I do think it matters! I think it matters because time gay actors don’t get roles because they are gay. So we finally have a gay role and it still doesn’t go to a gay man

Darren Criss didn’t bother me in Glee… Sean Penn and Emile Hirsch didn’t bother me in Milk… Hasn’t this been happening for a while?

Look at Will and Grace. Eric who plays will is a straight man IRL that plays a pretty gay character.

I don’t find it any worse than a cis female being cast as a trans male in 3 generations but no one seemed to care about that.

It’s insulting that every “gay” movie coming out has to get a straight guy. Maybe at least get a bisexual to play the part.

Here’s the T. In the past when movie stars took on a character that was gay, it was really taboo. The only way they really were portrayed was in the “Oscar” worthy roles and it seemed like the brave choice for that actor to be seen as gay. Now that our generation has more of a voice in mainstream media, there are roles being written for gay men but not having their whole character being based on the fact the are gay, just an aspect. It bothers me when movies like Simon come out only cause this story line has been beaten to death. It’s 2018 and there still is discrimination, however I think that as a community if we want to elevate ourselves, let’s control the narrative and push forward.

It’s straight privilege. We should boycott it.

All three of the love interests are bi/gay I believe. Joey Pollari, Miles Heizer I think, and Keiynan Lonsdale.

I think excluding someone from playing a part because of their orientation would very much send the wrong message.

There are gay actors playing gay characters in this film though ! I don’t mind. It was well done. The film was great imo

If we’re constantly saying straight actors can’t play gay roles, then at the same time, we’re saying gay actors can’t play straight roles and limiting our own opportunities. What we should be focused on is the fact that this story is being told in the first place and that we have allies who are willing to work outside their sexuality to tell it.

Hold auditions and hire the best. And to the perennially outraged: direct your energy into projects that can actually make a difference.

I don’t think it’s wrong or bad that the actor isn’t gay…only disappointing. In this case, it isn’t merely a gay role but an entire narrative. Straight actors can and should take gay roles but for these types of films (that center on gay lives), it is a bit disappointing that finding a queer actor wasn’t a priority. Still, I’m glad these films exist and I’m glad for the visibility!

Some see it as a non-issue. Many shows on mainstream TV have gay characters such as Will & Grace, Modern Family but just because discrimination is the status quo doesn’t mean it’s a non-issue… Hollywood has white and straight washed films for decades. It’s a huge issue.

“As an actor, being able to look through another character’s perspectives is a way in which we find empathy and relate to someone we may not have in the first place. Saying we can only have gay characters being played by gay actors is opening up a whole new can of worms. Plus in auditions it’s not legal to ask your age or sexual orientation.. just saying it’s a form of discrimination.” Stated in a comment online about the outrage.

He has a good point but why in every singly popular show or mainstream marketed movie? It’s not saying gay characters can only be played by gay actors. It’s affirmative action by at least allowing minorities that have been marginalised for decades to play characters that they’re more representative of. It also has to do with gays feeling like they have some authentic representation.

Of course this all boils down to talent. Just like with any job we don’t want someone to get the part just because they’re gay, black, transgender or hispanic right? Or wait isn’t that affirmative action? Everyone gets offended at particular Halloween costumes but not this? If others are showing acceptance and empathy in wearing Halloween costumes of different ethnicities or cultures isn’t this comparable to the sexuality we were born with? Something to think about. I realize we get offended over everything these days but at some point we need to stand up.