The GLAAD Awards, which annually recognize realistic, complex depictions of LGBT life and issues that affect the community, aired this past week to commemorate the best media of the year. In the category for Outstanding Film- Wide Release, the films nominated were Blockers, Crazy Rich Asians, Deadpool 2, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, and Love, Simon.
Love, Simon ultimately took home that top award. Directed by Greg Berlanti and starring Nick Robinson, the film was the first from a major studio to tell a gay coming out and coming of age story. Fox 2000 produced the film, but as announced earlier this week, will be discontinued by Disney as part of the Fox/Disney merger.
Many were surprised that Bohemian Rhapsody, wide release of 2018 with a bisexual lead character, was not nominated for an award. GLAAD responded with a statement that the allegations against Bryan Singer were the reason that the film will not be recognized, as they cannot reward a film associated with that behavior.
“We are in the midst of a cultural reckoning. Though there was once a time when business as usual could continue amid credible allegations of sexual assault and violence, that era has ended forever. The recent allegations regarding Bryan Singer’s behavior are horrifying and MUST be taken seriously and investigated.”
The remaining winners in the film categories will be announced on May 4 in New York. As award season winds down to a close, it is clear that there has been no one clear approach to dealing with the complexity of films tainted by the behavior of a member of the cast or crew. GLAAD took a bold stand in this debate, making it clear that they will continue to assess films based on merit both within the world of the film and regarding those who made it to ensure that harmful behaviors that may have once been passable will no longer fly under the radar.
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