March 29, 2024 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

COLUMN – A Call To Action: Hollywood, We’re Looking at You

By Elijah Sanchez

The entire spectrum the of the LGBTQ+ community needs to be represented on screen, not just the Cis White Man.

As society baby-steps toward inclusivity, it is crucial to be mindful of the intersectionality of the LGBTQ+ community.

Queer and trans people of color continue to be underrepresented when it comes to film and television. 18.4 percent of films contained characters who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer and only 20 percent of them were people of color, according to a 2017 GLAAD report.

This is a recurring problem with representation of the LGBTQ+ community. Films and television continue to choose gay, white, cisgender males as the sole representatives of the queer individuals. Gay males account for 83 percent of LGBTQ+ characters on screen.
A fresh change of pace, “Orange is the New Black” has been challenging this trend since 2013 and continues to do so in its recent sixth season on Netflix. The show has consistently cast women of color to play characters that have substantial influence in the plot of the show.

Right off the bat, the show has a trans women of color character who is played by trans icon, Laverne Cox. With the recent publicity of Scarlett Johansson accepting and then later rejecting the role of a trans character for a movie, it is important to be reminded that yes, there are highly skilled trans actors able and willing to tell their own stories.

“OITNB” has previously showcased white lesbian affairs. In the newest season, though, the show explores other types of relationships. Dayanara Diaz, played by Dascha Polanco, explores a new “gay for the stay” relationship with Donita ‘Daddy’ Duarte, played by lesbian woman of color Vicci Martinez. This not only highlights the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community’s melanin but also highlights the various personalities and relationship structures that can be found amongst the Queer community.

“OITNB” is one of the most popular shows in the United States. Over 5.37 million U.S. viewers watched the new season in the first three days of availability, according to Variety Magazine. The show’s success, as wells as the success of other recent LGBTQ+ shows – like “Queer Eye” and “Pose” – proves that LGBTQ+ stories certainly can be told by people of color and be extremely successful in the mainstream.

It is time to give queer and trans people – especially trans people of color – the opportunity to tell their own stories. There has been too much potential greatness wasted on blatant racism and transphobia within Hollywood. These actors deserve to have their talents shown to the world in mainstream films and television.

Related Posts

If You Have a Loved One Experiencing Severe Mental Illness, We Can Help

February 15, 2024

February 15, 2024

By Lisa H. Wong, Psy. D Many families across Los Angeles County know what it’s like to watch a loved...

Film Review: Down Low

July 30, 2023

July 30, 2023

FILM REVIEWDOWN LOWRated R90 MinutesReleased March 11, 2023 By Dolores Quintana “Down Low” is funny. It’s a lean 90 minutes...

Film Review: The People’s Joker

July 23, 2023

July 23, 2023

FILM REVIEWThe People’s JokerUnrated92 MinutesReleased September 13, 2022 (Toronto Film Festival) By Dolores Quintana “The People’s Joker” is a heartfelt...

The Problem with Pride Outfits and How You Can Change It

February 20, 2023

February 20, 2023

Since pride month’s official declaration in 1999, we’re reminded every June of how far America has come following New York...

LA City Controller Ron Galperin Endorses Traci Park for Council in CD-11!

August 22, 2022

August 22, 2022

Galperin joins Villaraigosa, Ma in Support of Venice employment attorney By Nick Antonicello Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin, the...

Happening Now: West Hollywood’s LGBTQ+ Arts Festival

May 23, 2022

May 23, 2022

By Susan Payne Happening now through the end of June, WeHo Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival celebrates the artistic contributions of...

WeHo Premieres the ‘Moving Image Media Art’ Exhibition Series

February 2, 2022

February 2, 2022

The City of West Hollywood announces the premiere of the Moving Image Media Art (MIMA) program and the worldwide debut...

Green Qween New Queer-Owned Cannabis Shop Will Open Downtown

February 2, 2022

February 2, 2022

Green Qween, a new queer-owned and queer-driven cannabis shop, will open in downtown on April 20th.  The shops owners, Andrés...

2022 ‘WeHo Reads’ Series Celebrates the ‘Road to Joy’

February 2, 2022

February 2, 2022

The City of West Hollywood invites community members to celebrate literature and local authors with its 2022 WeHo Reads literary...

New Injectable HIV Prevention Drug Approved By FDA

January 18, 2022

January 18, 2022

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first long-acting injectable medication for use as pre-exposure prevention, or PrEP, against...

MJ Rodriguez, 1st Openly Transgender Actress to Win Golden Globe

January 18, 2022

January 18, 2022

Michaela Jae “MJ” Rodriguez has made history by becoming the first openly transgender person to win a Golden Globe.  The...

AIDS/LifeCycle 2022 Needs More Volunteers

January 18, 2022

January 18, 2022

AIDS LifeCycle is back with more than $4 million raised so far for the 2022 ride benefitting the HIV/AIDS-related services...

Long Beach Named One of the Best LGBTQ Cities

January 18, 2022

January 18, 2022

For the 10th year in a row Long Beach has been named one of the best cities in the nation...

LGBTQ Haven in Long Beach

January 18, 2022

January 18, 2022

Long Beach is quickly becoming more and more of a safe haven for LGBTQ individuals with its queer spaces exploding...

Netflix Launches LGBTQ Podcast ‘The Gay Agenda’

January 6, 2022

January 6, 2022

Netflix has launched “The Gay Agenda,” a new podcast that will look at the lives of LGBTQ+ creatives at the...