LGBTQ Pride in Theatre: Progress Made and Paths Forward for Improvement

(Photo: Historic Elitch Theatre)

Hannah Crawford, Guest Editorial

As an LGBTQ individual, I believe we should celebrate who we are year-round, not just in June. However, I love this month so much because I hear the stories and testimonials of those who have come out and the journey they had to take. I find so much inspiration in the history of people’s lives. 

As an LGBTQ theatre person, I am proud of how far we have come as a theatrical community. Although I always believe that we can do better as a collective community, my experience, frankly, has been mostly very positive.

As an LGBTQ kid who grew up in an extremely religious household, I spent years being forced to hide who I was. And it wasn’t until I did more in theatre that it gave me the strength I needed to come out and be proud of who I am and not care what others think.

Over the years, I’ve been proud to see more youth programs and community productions support the LGBTQ community, whether through more inclusive casting or allowing LGBTQ people to feel at home in theatre. 

One of the best examples in my experience was when The Prom came out in 2016 and went on Broadway in 2018. This musical is a perfect production for members of the LGBTQ community to perform in. Not only that, but also an opportunity to bring awareness to issues that the LGBTQ community faces. 

Just this past month here in Florida, a young LGBTQ person was denied entrance to their prom because “she” wore a suit. We need to know that real-world issues like this still exist for the LGBTQ community. I love the fact that we can use the stage as our platform to make our voices heard. I think of the thousands of audience members that have seen this show produced around the United States; hopefully, it will continue to help make real change. 

I worked on this show in 2023, and it was so encouraging to see the LGBTQ roles in ‘The Prom’ authentically cast. To me, this is a prime example of how we, as a theatre community, are continuing to provide inclusiveness in shows for the LGBTQ community in an authentic way, rather than forcing it. 

However, as far as we have come, I think it is important to share the bigotry that we, as LGBTQ members, face in theatre, whether it is by the hand of fellow actors, audience members, leadership, or sponsors. 

The Reality of Bigotry Towards Gay People in Theatre

About eight years ago, I was working at a youth theatre and was the only gay person on staff.  I’m a pretty confident individual; I couldn’t give two flying fluffs what others might think of my sexual orientation, so it never really crossed my mind that someone might have an issue with it. 

The theatre often shared space with other organizations, including a pastor who frequently helped out in exchange for using the space. He supported our shows and programs, promoting them and offering assistance. During one particular season, we contracted him to fix our stage.

One day, while working from home, I received a call from the executive director informing me about an incident that just happened. The pastor had shown up at the theatre, ranting about the devil and expressing his outrage over the fact that I was working there due to my sexual orientation.

The owner tried to calm him, but the pastor became increasingly heated, claiming to be on a mission from God to tell them it was wrong for me to work there and that the devil was in this place.

His behavior escalated to the point where the staff had to remove him and lock the door for their safety physically. The police were called, and a trespassing order was filed against him.

To say I was shocked would be putting it lightly. The fact that my sexual orientation bothered him so much that he was willing to harm others potentially blew my mind. 

To this day, I always wonder what might have happened had I been present that day, or if the several students I had who were LGBTQIA+ had been in a class during that time. 

I share this story with you to let you know that despite how far we as a collective theatrical community have come, there are still experiences like this that LGBTQ theatre people have, whether it's a serious life-threatening situation, harassment, mocking others, or banning them for religious purposes we’re tired of being treated differently in theatre just because of our sexual orientation.

For the most part, I do believe that we, as a theatre community, have come extremely far in providing a safe space for the LGBTQ community. Although the term “safe space” can often be cliche, for those of us who are LGBTQ, it means the world to know we have a safe place to be ourselves. 

Unfortunately, I cannot include every theatre organization in this. I still know of religious theatre organizations and collegiate institutions that have theatre departments that strictly prohibit any LGBTQ people or shows that even hint at anything other than heterosexual love. It makes me sick to my stomach, but it is a harsh reality that we need to know still exists in some theatres. 

Listen to the Experience of Others

As we enter Pride Month, I think one of the most important things we can do for the LGBTQ community in theatre is listen to their experiences.

Yes, inclusion, support, and advocacy are all important. However, if we take the real-world experiences that the LGBTQ community faces in theatre and start to make changes based on them, we will continue to make even more changes and improve the outlook for the LGBTQ community in theatre. 

It is important not to diminish the experiences that others have had. Just because it is an experience that you may not have had does not mean that it is not an experience that another has had. 

June is a perfect time for LGBTQ theatre people to “come out” and share their stories and experiences in theatre with us all. Honestly, this is one of the main reasons I followed OnStage Blog long before I started writing for them. 

They allow their national platform to share the experiences of many. Sometimes, these are positive experiences, and other times, they are negative. The important thing is that this blog gives people a voice to be heard, regardless of their story. 

So, as we celebrate Pride Month, let’s reflect on our strides as a theatre community and the challenges that still lie ahead. I desire to see this blog flooded with LGBTQ theatre stories this month so that we, as a collective community, can learn where we can do better. 

Please send us your experiences as an LGBTQ individual in theatre at onstageblog@gmail.com