Revisiting this post as I continue to work in new ways that help reflect community, LGBTQ lives, women, diversity, and our collective stories that have yet to be told. I wrote this before the Weinstein story broke, and a wave of voices in the #metoo movement shattered the glass. To change! May we keep up the work so that all people, including my LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters, can see reflections of themselves through culture and never feel “less than” again. I know, we have a long way to go, and it’s a lofty dream, but lofty dreams are needed along with passion, to change what is not working and blow out the cobwebs and gatekeepers so that all of us can live with dignity, respect, in a just and equitable world. One step at a time…
LGBT artists, actors, directors and writers, all have a unique and steep hill to climb. Being a female actor who is lesbian, is no less challenging as the years advance. Why, we only have to look at sexism in the film industry itself to know how difficult it is to find work. Only 12% of all protagonists are female in film and the stats are worse if you are Black, Latina or Asian, something like 4%. Horrible. Female characters are always younger than male counterparts and women are sexualized and objectified. There are no percentage stats on lesbian characters in film that I am aware of. We are invisible. It does not matter how many nominations one has or how many decades of experience, it does get harder if you are an out lesbian actor. Period.
Certainly the same can be true for women who are out in other industries, but I…
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Joanne Vannicola Blog 