We have all heard of and seen a few gay actors in and around Hollywood. Yet, what do we actually know about them? What do we know of these members of queer town? Hopefully, after reading this, you should feel a little more empathy for them and watch their movies with the same attitude that you watch most movies which include straight men and women.
Most gay celebrities don’t reveal their homosexual nature until they are well placed in their field. This is mainly due to the fact that a lot of discrimination exists in Hollywood that discourages the career advancement of anybody who is gay. While this scenario is easily understandable in the mid-70s and 80s, such a scenario in the current generation is still prevalent and should not be tolerated.
The discrimination which these actors sometimes face is sometimes truly unbearable. From getting roles which they are good at rejected to the verbal abuse they face during filming and the blame they have to shoulder if the film is not a block office success gay actors are getting a lot of heat which is uncalled for.
But let us introspect for a moment. What is it about these famous gay actors that churn our stomachs? Is it only their sexuality that is the problem? Or are we inherently conscious of the fact that they are just as talented as the rest of us and deserve the same success. There are actors such as Sir Ian McKellan who have taken acting to a whole new dimension simply due to their raw skill at the trade. There are also others such as Neil Patrick Harris who is able to hoodwink most people into believing that he is straight simply out of the brilliance of his straight roles. There are several such famous gay male actors who are shining in their field today, but all of them took a rough road to success.
Then there is the popular misconception that gay people are weak and are cowards. Nothing can be further from the truth. The very fact that gay people take such strong measures to find and follow their dreams and aspirations, is proof and testament to the courage they have within themselves. So next time you find a movie by a gay actor, watch and judge the worth of the movie by the quality of acting and not by the sexuality of the actors involved.