LGBTQ men and women have been behind the scenes and in front of the cameras in movies since forever, but until relatively recently the Oscars didn’t reflect it. The Academy Awards hits a new level for 2019 with what the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation calls the most LGBTQ-inclusive nominations list in history.
Five of this year’s eight Best Picture nominees have queer themes and/or characters. Here they are, plus five more LGBTQ nominees up for a Little Gold Man.
A Star Is Born
LGBTQ hero Lady Gaga plays a singer working drag bars in attempts at extending her faded dream of pop stardom. (Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Original Song and others)
Green Book
The movie explores the intersectional black, queer identities of real-life musician Don Shirley. (Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor, more)
The Favourite
Lesbian love triangles never looked so period-piece perfect. (Picture, Actress, Supporting Actress x 2, Director, more)
Vice
Mary Cheney’s sexual orientation plays a big role in the dramatic story of her dad, former VP Dick Cheney. (Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor, Actress, more)
Bohemian Rhapsody
The career, loves and music of queer rock icon Freddie Mercury. (Picture, Actor, more)
If Beale Street Could Talk
Based on the book by legendary gay author James Baldwin. (Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, more)
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Melissa McCarthy’s real-life character was a lesbian, Richard E. Grant’s grifter Jack Hock was gay, and gay screenwriter Jeff Whitty is up for a co-writing trophy. (Actress, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay)
End Game
Queer filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman created this heartbreaking but hopeful Netflix short that’s up for Best Documentary.
Mary Poppins Returns
Queer powerhouse composing duo Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman are up for Original Song with “The Place Where Lost Things Go, and Shaiman is up for the same Original Score.
Black Panther
While it marks “firsts” in multiple categories for its nomination, Hanna Beachler is the first black person — male, female, straight or queer — to be nominated for Production Design.
The 91st Academy Awards telecasts Sunday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. on ABC. Out on Film hosts a Big-Screen LGBTQ Watch Party at Plaza Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.
Sources: glaad.org, oscars.org, variety.com
A version of this feature originally ran in Q magazine. Read the latest issue below for even more.
Pick up a new issue of Q each week at queer and LGBTQ-friendly venues around town.
