Lukas Gage has a message for people making assumptions about his sexuality: Stop.
Gage, 27, has risen to prestige television prominence in shows like HBO’s Euphoria and The White Lotus, as well as Hulu’s Love, Victor and Peacock’s Queer as Folk.
If you’re noticing a queer theme running through those titles, you’re not alone. Several characters Gage has played aren’t straight, and with so much recent attention given to the idea that only openly queer people should play queer roles, he’s facing some criticism.
There’s no denying that more opportunities should be given to LGBTQ actors, but requiring performers to disclose their sexuality before taking a job gets into sticky territory.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Last week, someone took to Twitter to write: “If Hollywood can stop hiring non LGBTQIA+ actors like @lukasgage to play LGBTQIA+ characters, that would be great. He has played 4 so far. 1 was enough.”
If Hollywood can stop hiring non LGBTQIA+ actors like @lukasgage to play LGBTQIA+ characters, that would be great. He has played 4 so far. 1 was enough.
— goobie (@rightwingedgoob) June 9, 2022
Related: Kit Connor is “perfectly confident” with his sexuality and he’s not here for anyone’s assumptions
Gage clapped back: “U don’t know my alphabet.”
u dont know my alphabet
— lukas gage (@lukasgage) June 9, 2022
That should have been that, but the Twitter user apparently thought this was their opening to pry further.
“Then please, enlighten the whole world,” they wrote.
Then please, enlighten the whole world
— Camden JW (@JamesWuske) June 9, 2022
To which the actor simply replied: “No.”
no❤️
— lukas gage (@lukasgage) June 9, 2022
Fans quickly chimed in to defend Gage:
actors do not owe that piece of personal information to anyone
— matt (@TheMattGrimes) June 10, 2022
trying to force people out of the closet during pride month is not the move that you think it is
— scooby doo (@thelilhuman) June 10, 2022
Why do some of you feel it’s okay to demand for someone to come out like what’s it to ya Camden?
— joanna (@deiligbaby) June 10, 2022
You can’t ask people to explain their sexuality to you, wtf. That’s so wrong.
— Vale (@ValeWolf) June 10, 2022
johncp56
Yes is it as bad for us to assume someone is str8 and not have that be insensitive
bftlguy
I suppose I am old and out of touch (wasn’t even up to speed on the current initials LGBTQIA+) but if gay men demand that only gay men can play gay men and trans women say only trans women can play trans women how can they also demand they be cast as straight men or cis women? I thought Neil Patrick Harris was a convincing straight jerk in How I Met Your Mother. What “activists” say had he been fired when he came out? That would be wrong but the same people would have had Eric Stonestreet banished from Modern Family. I was out when I began working at an insurance company which even back in 1981 included sexuality in their non discrimination policy. Still the company’s executives were predominantly people who leaned right. I was known as an intelligent, hard working team player, well liked by both my bosses and thise
CatholicXXX
That’s the problem… OPENLY gay men/women/etc. aren’t given the opportunity to play mainstream roles and the only roles they stand a chance on getting are being taken by non-LGB+ actors.
Neil was in the closet when he started playing barney, and well into it, and Matt bomer was in the closet and told to remain in it when he was in white collar.
…and then there are the characters that are made gay or trans when the actor playing them or hired for them are gay or trans.
bftlguy
(I hadn’t posted above comment but somehow it got their and I can’t edit or delete it) What I was getting to was that my visibility and that of others like me formed the foundation of the advance made my our community but now “activists” seem to be threatening these advances with strident new all or nothing demands that require people get on board with everything they want and do it right now. Scarlett Johansen cannot play a trans woman because she is not one is bullshit. Jen Richards was recently cast as a cis woman and yet she complains about Matt Bohmer cast as trans. How can she have it both ways? Then there is the issue that it has been a violation to inquire about a potential employees sexuality for a very long time. Sure actors are often in the public eye but with the younger men and women new to the business they don’t need to report that they are gay, straight, bi, questioning or even trans for that matter. Who is Jen Richards to decide Matt Bohmer is not trans? People who have been out for two days need to try to evaluate how our community has gotten as far as it has.
bftlguy
CatholicXXX I agree that openly gay actors or trans actors have difficulty being cast as straight men and women and trans people have difficulty being cast in cis roles but demanding gay roles go only to gay people and trans only to trans is also discrimination. Unfortunately most people do not take the time to evaluate activist demands on the merits of those demands so those who oppose us can employ their fear tactics and dog whistles to continue to hurt and marginalize us. It seems to me positive changes come slowly but can be taken away in a moment.
scotty
hey lucas, go get ezra miller and bring your sweet asses to vancouver island so…alphabet, schmalfabet…you have an ass, ezra has one too and i think you both fit on my face simultaneously. consider it an open invitation.
Donston
About half of the entertainment industry have queer dimensions/are within the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, relationship, commitment spectrum. Yet, only about 20% of those people will ever be publicly “out” or will ever adhere to an identity. While actors generally do not owe the public an identity or a gateway into their personal lives. They don’t. On the other hand, these actors do have the tendency of pretending to be naive and pretending like industry biases, hetero privilege, closet pressures, internalized phobias just no longer exist in entertainment. Both sides are basic and cringe-y.
Fahd
What is this “prestige television prominence” mentioned in the article?
Heywood Jablowme
Is one of those three words unfamiliar to you?
Neoprene
That’s why it’s called acting, Camden JW. Hope that helps.
cuteguy
It’s called acting ppl. It’s pretend. Why limit lgbtq actors to only lgbtq roles? Rupert Everett ruined his career bc he was out. He could’ve easily played a straight leading role. Activists should be pushing for gay men playing straight roles like Anthony on Bridgerton. Straight guys have been playing gay roles for years. It’s time for equality, not limitations
Joshua333
I hate this situation. Cisgender heterosexuals (usually men) get to cast for shows/films with one or two queer characters and get to deem what is too queer/not queer enough. Queer actors then miss out on their own roles but you might be wondering, can’t they play the other roles? Well, it’s simple, they’re usually seen as too queer for straight roles and not queer enough for gay roles.
The exception is that when it comes to productions that involve a lot of queer people behind the scenes you get better representation, ie more queer people getting roles on screen.
Another dimension I hate about this situation is the whole straight men riding on the “am I gay” thing to get views, followers and likes. Maybe he isn’t straight but it’s also very mainstream now for straight people (men who are conventionally attractive in particular) to get popular by pretending that they might be gay to get the attraction of (a) gay men who are desperate/alone and (b) women who want to turn gay men straight or bi with the power of their ‘love.’
Heywood Jablowme
After “White Lotus” I just assumed he was gay! Kudos, Lukas, that was a VERY convincing acting job. And rim job. Although I guess you had the easier role with that, lol.
Donston
Well, we don’t really know his sexual experiences or his place in the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, relationship, commitment spectrum. People assume he’s “straight” because he hasn’t publicly attached to any identities. While folks assumed he was dating a girl some time back. We still have the tendency of viewing everyone who isn’t overtly “queer” through a hetero-normal assumption filter. While most of Hollywood can be convincingly “gay” if they wanted to be.
The actual point is that “straight presenting” actors or actors who are fine with the public viewing them as hetero-leaning can play as many “queer” roles as they like. And then they can more easily transition to “straight” roles when they feel like it and get bigger opportunities. There are certain biases and a certain degree of privilege that a lot of folks have a difficult time acknowledging.
Heywood Jablowme
@Donston: “we don’t really know his sexual experiences or his place in the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, relationship, commitment spectrum.”
Yes, but most of us don’t really KNOW that detailed information with even our closest gay friends. Heck, one of my ex-boyfriends, who’s still a friend, I doubt he’s told me ALL of that info even though we’ve known each other for over 30 years.
I don’t disagree with you but it’s impractical to expect to know a great deal of personal info about an actor none of us will ever meet. Even the guys we DO know in real life, we mostly “know” the version they tell us.
Donston
Well, these are actors. So, assuming because someone is convincingly “gay” on camera means that they’re “gay” is almost always a mistake. While there is still a tendency to filter people through hetero-normalcy if they’re not overtly “queer”. My point is that he’s not publicly embraced any identities, and we don’t even know his dating history. So, branding him any identity is shortsighted. And yes, all we can ever truly know is what people present and do guesswork/speculate beyond that.