[Tom4784]

What's your view on it? There's been a steady number of controversies over the years with outrage aimed at straight or cis actors playing these roles (For example, Scarlet Johansen stepped down from a trans role, Nick Robinson was criticised for playing the lead in Love, Simon and Darren Criss has said recently that he won't play any more gay characters after ACS) do you think the controversy and anger is warranted?

For me I think it's a silly thing to get angry about and to do so is basically an attempt to limit the art form and segregate what people can do based on their gender and sexuality. There's also a hypocrisy angle since, especially recently with trans, I recall a movement where trans actors wanted to be cast in roles that weren't trans. I think you've got to have it one way or the other, either anyone can play any sexuality or gender or everyone has to stick to their own. I prefer the former tbh.

I also see it get compared to blackface a lot which I think is a ridiculous comparison, dousing people in makeup to make them look like a different ethnicity will always seem like mockery but I think as long as an actor can understand and empathise with what it's like to be LGBT then there's nothing stopping a straight/cis actor playing these roles.

It comes across as outrage for the sake of outrage tbh.