Jamie Lee Curtis, who won Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for her role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” spoke out on Hollywood’s tendency to separate award nominees into binary categories based on gender. The conversation on gender categories has been gaining traction in recent years, with more performers and filmmakers speaking out in favor of gender-neutral categories.
Curtis expressed her desire for gender equality throughout the Academy, recognizing the difficulty of inclusion when there are only two choices. She drew on her experience as the mother of a trans daughter, acknowledging the challenges of gender inclusivity. However, she also expressed concern that eliminating gender categories could reduce opportunities for women, stating that “to de-gender the category, I’m concerned will diminish the opportunities for more women, which is something I also have been working hard to try to promote.”
Despite these concerns, Curtis emphasized the importance of inclusivity and promoting more opportunities for women in the film industry. She stressed the need for “inclusivity” generally, and for including women specifically, both in the awards race and society at large.
Other nonbinary performers, such as Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Janelle Monáe, have also spoken out in favor of gender-neutral categories and greater inclusivity. Clemons-Hopkins, the first openly nonbinary performer to be nominated for an acting Emmy, considers the term actor to be one of trade, not gender. Monáe, who publicly came out as nonbinary early last year, stated that gender-neutral awards categories would make people feel like the category “feels like them.”
The conversation on gender categories comes at a time when films like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” are leading the charge for more diverse storytelling. The film, directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, won seven awards at the Oscars, including Best Picture. Curtis beat out co-star Stephanie Hsu and other nominees for the Best Supporting Actress award.
As the conversation around gender categories and inclusivity continues, it’s clear that there is a growing push for greater diversity and representation in the film industry. Whether this will lead to changes in the way awards are categorized remains to be seen, but it’s clear that performers and filmmakers are leading the charge for more inclusivity and diversity.
