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I like the thoughtful way the article addresses the issue, but I wonder whether the same objection applies to a gay actor playing a straight role. Is that idea that actors should play on roles that match their sexual orientation? That seems unduly restrictive — they are, after all, *acting*, and if a gay actor can deliver a credible performance in a straight role (cf. Rock Hudson in the Doris Day comedies), I don't think the actor should be denied the part simply because of a mismatch between the actor's sexuality and that of the character.

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Fantastic article. Feels like the *brand* of queer audiences are used to is successfully executed by straight actors but the nuance is frightening since the public would have to identify with and empathize with (outside of tragedy) a queer person who is a lot like them. I almost believe that if there were space for more queer actors to have the luxury of “suspending disbelief”, we’d be forced to start having the same respect for queer sexuality we do for straight people.

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