The Stage: Almost half of all gay performers have not come out to their agents, with more than a third admitting they have experienced homophobia in the industry.
The figures are among the findings of a survey conducted by Equity investigating whether it is safe to be ‘out’ in the entertainment industry. The survey was open to all the union’s members, with the majority of those who took part working as performers.
6 comments:
While it is unfortunate that the theatre industry is still showing signs of homophobia, it is a reflection of a greater collection of thoughts. I do, however, find it interestibg tgat lesbians are less accepted than gay men since in both our and the UK societies have less of an issue with girls hooking up or experimenting with each other than boys. The other number that surprised me was that homophobia was a greater issue with co-performers than technicians or production team members. I would have guessed that since performers have the most interactions with gay actors they would be well-informed but I suppose also working in proximity would give the most discomfort to someone resistant to acceptibg gay men and lesbians as a standard part of society.
A performers sexual preference should have no affect on how that performer is treated professionally. once they are on stage performing they are no longer "John doe who is attracted to Guys" they are Mort steeple in spring awakening or Sky masterson. Any performer who has an issue performing a scene with another performer who is gay or lesbian is their own issue but there is a reason it is called acting. who ever the performer is in real life is not who you are actually performing what ever with. to say your uncomfortable having a gay man and a straight man play a couple it should be no different then if you have a straight girl and straight guy play a couple. everyone is who they are the next choice is whether or not your willing to accept it. if you can't find a new job
This doesn't seem like a huge deal to me. Over 80% of the people in question ARE "out"--to the people that matter. Not telling your agent is kind of like not telling your boss, and your personal life isn't really their business, anyway. I don't think that reflects on homophobia anymore than a walmart worker choosing not to comment on his/her sexuality to their superiors. I know that an agent isn't technically a "boss", but my point remains the same. In addition, it seems like a lot of those who haven't told their agents are simply trying to avoid being typecast, which totally makes sense. Other people do the same thing to avoid being typecast for all kinds of different reasons, and that's just part of the industry.
This article to me is utterly shocking. I am not sure if it is because of the extremely inviting community in which I go to school, but the fact that there is event a slight percentage that is homophobic is completely uncomprehendable. While I have worked in a number of theaters, I have yet to experience any personal situations where homophobia was an issue. The number that is most shocking is the number of performers that exhibitated homophobic ideas. Performers often have to deal with homosexual people in thier line of profession. While I understand that the world needs time to understand and accept homosecuality, it truly surprises me that a close group of professions who encounter homosexuality everyday and are, on a whole, extremely open minded, cannot be understanding of homosexuals.
Some people are homophobic, that's not news. I have not learned anything new from reading this article. I don't think that whether or not performers are out to there agent says anything at all. What good reason is there to advertise you're sexual orientation to your agent anyway? It's awful to feel that you have to hide qualities of yourself in a work environment (or really any environment), but I don't necessarily think that this is what was learned by the information collected by the survey. I'm sure it happens often. I'm sure tons of people have really unpleasant experiences in the industry that stem from others' homophobia. However, the survey's mere existence illustrates the general improvement of circumstances and a larger drive to remedy these issues. I just don't think the perfect work environment means that everyone is out to everyone else, I think it is just that everyone is free to be as public or as private as they choose about their sexuality and not suffer from discrimination.
I can't believe that any of this information is surprising. Homophobia is pervasive in American culture. Things are getting better, though, and I expect that trend to continue. Thank goodness.
I think a person should come out if they feel comfortable and keep it to themselves if they do not. I know that sounds simple but it isn't always. I have seen many gay friends go through turmoil trying to decide what to do. I think the bottom line is to be true to yourself. Do what makes you happy so you can live your life as you truly are. I'm sure the agent knows most of the time if their client is gay or not so trying to keep it a secret from them almost seems silly. We are talking about gay "actors" so hopefully they can "act" straight. People can be cruel but I feel true happiness is when you can accept who you are and be proud of it. You may lose some jobs over being out but then you won't have to "act" twenty four hours a day as a straight person. Life is too short to pretend.
Post a Comment