The gay double-standard?

Update: I’ve written a follow-up post to this, but it’s worth reading this one, before moving on to the next.

Newsweek has a pretty strange piece that was posted last week about why gays can’t play straight characters. Straight actors do it all the time, and typically to much acclaim, but somehow gay actors fail. The author’s words, not mine.

He claims that Sean Hayes (most known for his protrayal of Jack on “Will & Grace”, and who recently came out as gay) isn’t believable in the Broadway revival of “Promises, Promises” because we all know he’s gay. Another target of Ramin Setoodah? Jonathan Groff of “Glee” (Jesse St. James), who happens to be gay.

Argument after argument of his centered on his belief that closeted star’s appearances were rendered as no longer believable once their sexuality was known. Really? It seems to me that’s more of his problem, than a worldwide phenomenon. My mom, who is extremely tolerant, and my grandmother (who is less so) both still watch Rock Hudson movies and swoon. I never once watched The Brady Bunch and thought that somehow Robert Reed’s performance as Mike Brady was lessened because he was actually gay.

( Read the rest of this entry » )

Originally published at The Wired Mom. You can comment here or there.