Over the years, mainstream media have been gradually making advancements in LGBT representation, and one actor is hopeful about what that will mean for the superhero genre.
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Keiynan Lonsdale, who portrays Wally West on Legends of Tomorrow and The Flash, was recently asked about the impact of LGBT representation in films. Lonsdale, who played a role in Greg Berlanti’s gay rom com Love, Simon, said he hopes it will normalize telling LGBT stories in major movies.
“I mean, I really do think that Love, Simon makes a huge difference in that,” Lonsdale said in an interview with TooFab. “The hold up is that, you know, the way the business works is so many people are mostly thinking about money and so when we have a film like Love, Simon come along and make money, it shows the audiences are ready, they are excited, they are wanting this.”
“I think it’s making the people at the top go, ‘OK, we don’t have to be so fearful,’ because I think at the end of the day they want that representation as well,” Lonsdale continued. “It’s like giving them permission to go all out and do the thing. And now it’s not just permission, but it’s like, ‘No, no, no. You better do the thing. We’re telling you, like you got to do it.’”
Lonsdale, who came out as bisexual last year, revealed that he hopes this reflects in the superhero movie genre as well.
“I’m super excited to find out where it all goes.” Lonsdale revealed. “Like 100 percent going to have queer superheroes and queer superheroes of color and it’s gonna be an incredible array of stories, I know it, for sure.”
Judging by developments over the past few months, it seems like quite a lot of people agree with Lonsdale. A study from GLAAD recently called out mainstream superhero movies for their lack of LGBT diversity, particularly with canonically-LGBT characters like Thor: Ragnarok‘s Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and DC’s Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot).
To an extent, Deadpool 2 did break the mold shortly after, showcasing a lesbian relationship between Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and Yukio (Shioli Kutsana) in its sideplot. But many will argue that there are definitely further steps that could be taken towards better LGBT diversity — and it sounds like Lonsdale is excited to see it.
What do you think of Lonsdale’s comments? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Lonsdale will bid farewell to the Arrowverse (for now) with the season four premiere of Legends of Tomorrow, which will air Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.
