How much of hollywood is gay
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The crisis ravaged the queer community, and Hollywood played a shameful role in spreading misinformation and fear. Until Hollywood genuinely commits to this change, progress will remain a surface-level victory rather than a systemic transformation.
The fight is far from over, but with continued advocacy, pressure, and community support, Hollywood can become a space where all identities are seen, celebrated, and given the platform they deserve.
“Being a queer black woman in America, someone who has been in relationships with both men and women – I consider myself to be a free-ass motherfucker.” – Janelle Monáe, April 2018
Conclusion:
The Story Continues
Hollywood’s relationship with queerness has always been complicated—a tug-of-war between repression and rebellion, silence and visibility.
Many studio executives privately admit they are worried that casting gay or transgender actors could hurt the bottom line of a film in international territories — especially China — that are less tolerant of LGBTQ rights. Hence all of a sudden I was a gay actor, just because I was supporting human rights.”
Flynn is aware that he’s benefited from decades of progress.
“It feels like they still have a lot of work to be done.”
“Love, Simon” is a glaring exception in a movie world practically devoid of LGBTQ characters and stories. However, openly gay actors still struggled to find leading roles, and homophobia was deeply ingrained in the industry. I think we are gaining confidence in telling our own stories.”
One glass ceiling that still needs to be cracked is the A-list.
Meanwhile, projects like Baby Reindeer written by bisexual Scottish actor, comedian, and writer, Richard Gadd and featuring Nava Mau, a transgender actress and filmmaker, have helped bring trans relationships into mainstream narratives, further normalizing trans representation.
The film Emilia Perez, featuring Karla Sofía Gascón, a trans lead, has also gained critical acclaim and secured nominations at the Oscars, marking a significant step toward full inclusion.
And while Hollywood still has a long way to go, the progress made is undeniable.
“I am a person of color, working-class, born to a single mother, but I stand before you tonight an artist, an actress and a sister and a daughter, and I believe that it is important to name the multiple parts of my identity because I am not just one thing, and neither are you” – Laverne Cox
What Still Needs to Change in
Hollywood for LGBTQIA+ Equality
For all the progress made, challenges remain.
“I was embraced, so I never want to take that away from people who have been supportive of me, but in no way, shape or form did I say that this is me coming out,” says Flynn, who at around 15 years old had told his friends and family that he was attracted to men. The undeniable chemistry between Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge in Johnny Guitar (1954) provided another example of queerness slipping through the cracks.
That’s a lot of progress.”
Yet Cox believes that real change can only happen when the gatekeepers in Hollywood hire transgender people behind the camera too. Known for his work on Little Women (1933), The Women (1939), and The Philadelphia Story (1940), Cukor had a reputation for throwing extravagant Sunday soirées at his home, attended by Hollywood’s closeted elite.
Yet, it also could have been an opportunity for a gay actor to play a high-profile role, which went to a heterosexual star. True inclusion means investing in queer talent, funding projects that explore the depth and complexity of LGBTQIA+ identities, and moving past tokenism into fully realized, multidimensional storytelling.
Warner Bros., MGM, and other major studios actively participated in constructing these false narratives, hiring publicists to plant stories about their stars’ supposed heterosexual relationships in fan magazines. “Rocketman” has crossed the $100 million mark globally, fueled by the popularity of Elton John’s soundtrack.
Seven of the women characters and six of the men were transgender. This had a chilling effect not only on film content but also on the lives of queer performers.
Off-screen, gay actors were pressured into lavender marriages—false heterosexual unions designed to maintain their public image. I ask myself, ‘What more could I be doing?
As a result, there are mixed messages being sent in society. Despite the fear and discrimination, the LGBTQIA+ community fought back. Additionally, there are 120 LGBTQ main or supporting characters on primetime cable shows, and 75 regular LGBTQ characters on streaming shows produced by Netflix, Amazon or Hulu.
“In television, things have changed a dramatic amount,” says Berlanti, who came of age in a different time in Hollywood.