Are there any real gay role models? Amandla Stenberg is one such person. She’s an Academy Award-nominated actress and out campaigner for LGBTQ rights. Elliot Page is another. She came out as a lesbian in 2014.
Amandla Stenberg
Amandla Stenberg is a multihyphenate and a major role model in the LGBTQ community. She is currently starring in the highly anticipated feature film adaptation of The Hate U Give, the critically acclaimed YA novel written by Amandla Stenberg. She came out as gay in June 2018, and is a strong advocate for LGBT+ rights. Her story shows how art and activism can be mixed together to create a powerful, inspiring message for everyone.
Before stepping onto the big screen, Stenberg spoke to a group of young girls in a school workshop. She encouraged them to explore their sexuality and embrace their identity as an LGBT person. Stenberg, who starred in the film “Hunger Games,” also discussed her “big gay sob” moments. She explained that she had never truly understood their sexuality until she had a “big gay sob moment.”
David Rose
The characters of The Big Bang Theory and David Rose are real-life gay men. David is a pansexual who dates Patrick Brewer. Patrick is David’s sister, and the two share an awkward relationship. Like in real life, they’ve been involved with each other but have had some awkward disagreements over their future plans. But what makes David and Patrick a real gay role model? Here’s a closer look at both of these characters.
The actors, Daniel Levy and Noah Reid, who play David Rose, discussed the show’s ambiguous portrayal of homosexuality. Daniel Levy said that the show was able to present David’s sexuality without overshadowing the storyline. Noah Reid also said that the show’s writers deliberately didn’t make the queer storylines prominent and tended to focus on the straight ones.
Elliot Page
Elliot Page, the lead actor of “Hard Candy” and the Oscar-nominated film “Juno,” has not been your typical Hollywood star. The actor came out as queer in 2014 and has been playing queer characters in films and television since. In addition to playing trans characters in films and television, Page also hosted a docuseries about queer people from around the world, “Gaycation.”
Transgender advocate Elliot Page came out as a lesbian in 2020. He discussed the process of transitioning and the harassment he endured because of it. He also talked about the negative effects of societal expectations and how he learned to accept himself. In this interview, Page shares his experiences of coming out as transgender. He gives a great example for other trans people to follow.
Dan Choi
Korean-American actor Dan Choi has been a public figure for gays in Hollywood for several years now. He has had memorable roles in films and television, and has also been a father to a young son. He recently premiered his new comedy-concert film, Alec Mapa: Baby Daddy, at the Outfest Fusion Film Festival. Choi also came out as gay in 2009, and is a public advocate for ending the discriminatory policy.
Ana on Gentefied
The new season of Gentefied is centered on the contrasting identities of the titular characters, Bree and Ana. Ana, a lesbian, is a self-proclaimed artist, who wants to display the family patriarch Casimiro, who is on the verge of final deportation. Her portrait shows Casimiro wearing an ICE ankle monitor and a pair of clean black Nike Cortezes.
The Netflix original series Gentefied is filled with queer and nontraditional characters that accurately represent the Latinx community. The main character, Ana, is the only woman in the show and is openly gay. She is an accomplished artist, and her art honors the LGBTQ community. Will & Grace is another comedy with LGBTQ characters, including Will Truman and Ana. The series explores the tension between individual and community, and the challenges of being a marginalized minority.
David Archuleta
While many of us don’t think of ourselves as LGBT, the Mormon church has long held strong views against same-sex marriage. Although having an attraction to the same sex is not a sin, the church has made it clear that it is not acceptable to marry someone of the same sex. Archuleta took on the role of a role model at an early age, and he now says that God loves him.
In August, pop star David Archuleta, a former Murray resident, came out as LGBTQ+ on Instagram. He has since spoken out publicly on the importance of being open about his sexuality. Archuleta’s admission was surprising, as he had previously thought of himself as bisexual, even after coming out on stage. His revelation also coincides with Pride Month, which celebrates LGBTQ and lesbian rights.
