Cooper Koch, known for his role in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, revealed that he struggled to get acting roles because he 'sounded gay.' His experience highlights how vocal perceptions can act as barriers, overshadowing talent.
"[Bias] is that thing that stops you being regarded as a person and makes you something smaller. With my accent, I've had that experience where I'm suddenly no longer a person with infinite possibilities and potential - I am 'that Scottish person'. I'm reduced to a noise that comes out of my mouth."
No offence to the actor but the way he played that part was a cartoon. He was two-dimensional. And the thing that bothered me most... we were so afraid to create a gay character on a kid's television show.
Are there "gay names"? We would say there aren't, but that hasn't stopped internet speculation on the matter. One gay man went viral last week with his suggestion of the 'Top 3 Gayest Names'. Hunter Cassidy says he's an expert in the field, but we think that expertise comes mainly from the fact that he's worked in a gay bar and presumably met lots of gay men.
Growing up, I heard it constantly: "Oh, you must have been so lonely as an only child." People would look at my friend Emma with this mix of pity and concern, as if she'd been raised by wolves instead of loving parents. They'd ask if she wished for siblings, assuming her childhood was some tragic tale of isolation and imaginary friends.
Elliot Page has been included in teaching materials at Streatham Wells Primary School to exemplify positive masculinity, challenging harmful gender stereotypes and encouraging kindness, empathy, and emotional literacy.
