Medal count has a Team LGBT at the Tokyo Olympics and finishes 7th

By outsports.com:

Medal count at the Tokyo Summer Olympics is something that everybody watch. And this year, there’s an LGBT rainbow twist.

There are over 180 publicly out LGBT athletes at the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Then, would be possible to tracking them as though they were a country: the Team LGBT.

Rankings are determined by: 1) gold medals; 2) silver medals; 3) bronze medals. So far, the medal winners are:

Gold Medalists 🥇

• Tom Daley, Great Britain, diving
• Stefanie Dolson, USA, 3x3 basketball
• Emma Twigg, New Zealand, rowing
• Kelly Brazier, Gayle Broughton, Ruby Tui, Portia Woodman, New Zealand, rugby
• Amandine Buchard, France, judo
• Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela, triple jump
• Ana Marcela Cunha, Brazil, swimming - 10km
• Quinn, Kadeisha Buchanan, Erin McLeod, Kailen Sheridan, Stephanie Labbe, Canada, soccer
• Sue Bird, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart, Dianna Taurasi, USA, basketball
• Kellie Harrington, Ireland, boxing
• Alexandra Lacrabère, Amandine Leynaud, France, handball

Silver Medalists 🥈

• Amandine Buchard, France, judo
• Ally Carda, Amanda Chidester and Haylie McCleney, USA, softball
• Katarzyna Zillmann, Poland, rowing
• Erica Sullivan, USA, swimming
• Jasmin Grabowski, Germany, judo
• Raz Hershko, Israel, judo
• Astrid Guyart, France, fencing
• Raven Saunders, USA, shot put
• Hannah Roberts, USA, BMX freestyle
• Nesthy Petecio, Philippines, boxing
• Jolanta Ogar, Poland, sailing
• Magdalena Eriksson, Lina Hurtig, Hedvig Lindahl, Caroline Seger, Sweden, soccer
• Ramsey Angela, Netherlands, track 4x400 relay
• Ana Carolina, Carol Gattaz, Brazil, volleyball

Bronze Medalists 🥉

• Carl Hester, Great Britain, equestrian - team dressage
• Larissa Franklin and Joey Lye, Canada, softball
• Sanne van Dijke, Netherlands, judo
• Lucilla Boari, Italy, archery
• Megan Rapinoe, Tierna Davidson, Adrianna Franch, Kelley O’Hara, USA, soccer
• Susannah Townsend, Leah Wilkinson, Sarah Jones, Great Britain, field hockey
• Tom Daley, Great Britain, diving

The Team LGBT at the Tokyo Olympics finished 7th overall.

Congrats to the winners!!!

Record number of LGBT athletes at the Tokyo Olimpics

The legend of the underground

In 2013, Nigeria enacted the anti-LGBT law and in the years since, it has been used to harass, imprison, extort, and commit violence against anyone seen as not conforming to Nigerian societal and cultural norms. 

The Legend of the Underground (2021) is a look at the struggle against rampant discrimination in Nigeria today, as seen through the lens of several bold and charismatic, non-conformist youth who fight to live out loud.

The documentary follows two tight-knit groups of chosen families: In New York, a man named Micheal Ighodaro lives with his friends who are part of the Nigerian diaspora and works to advocate for the people and communities he left behind in Nigeria after having been attacked for his identity. Meanwhile in Nigeria, a circle of friends struggle with the option to either search for a safe haven abroad, or to stay and fight a system that seeks to silence them.

The film, which premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, is directed by Nneka Onuorah and Giselle Bailey, executive produced by Mike Jackson, John Legend, Ty Stiklorius, and Austyn Biggers of Get Lifted Film Co.

Watch the trailer below:

'I am gay and an Olympic champion'

Britain’s Tom Daley got his long-awaited gold medal in diving at the Tokyo Olympics and delivered an inspiring message: "I feel incredibly proud to say that I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion. When I was younger I didn’t think I’d ever achieve anything because of who I was. To be an Olympic champion now just shows that you can achieve anything. I hope any LGBT person can see … you can achieve anything."

Congrats Tom!!!

Tom Daley, the golden guy!

The LGBT Equality Act in Japan, how soon?

 

The Japanese government’s failure to pass a national nondiscrimination law to protect LGBT people before the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics was a lost opportunity to advance the rights of everyone in Japan, J-ALL, Athlete Ally, All Out, and Human Rights Watch said, releasing a video of five Japanese longtime LGBT activists. 

The Olympic Charter expressly bans “discrimination of any kind” as a Fundamental Principle of Olympism. However, despite promises from Japan’s ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that they would pass the country’s first national LGBT law during the 2021 Diet session, the legislature failed to pass a law during the session, which ended in June.

“LGBT people in Japan, including athletes, are entitled to equal protection under the law, but currently there are a very limited number of openly out professional athletes in the country, and many remain in the closet from fear and stigma,” said Yuri Igarashi, director of the Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation (J-ALL), an umbrella organization of more than 80 LGBT organizations in Japan. “We expected the Olympic Games to be a wonderful opportunity to introduce and pass legal protections so that everyone in society can live openly and safely. It is extremely disappointing that this law did not pass this time.”

The Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games started this week, and they have a Pride House, but not a single openly LGBT athlete will compete for the host country, reflecting Japan’s need to create a safe and inclusive environment for LGBT people. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga should immediately and publicly commit to enacting an LGBT Equality Act.

Watch the video of LGBT activism in Japan below:

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Thousands join Pride event in Hungary supporting LGBT rights

 

Some 40,000 of Hungarians joined the annual Budapest Pride march today to support LGBT people and protest against a law that limits teaching about homosexuality issues in schools.

Demonstrators at the march through the streets of central Budapest said the legislation was dividing the former Soviet-bloc nation and now a member of the European Union. A law came into force earlier this month that bans the portrayal of LGBT themes to children, with huge implications for education, art and entertainment in the country.

More than 40 embassies and foreign cultural institutions in Hungary issued a statement backing the Budapest Pride Festival.

Organisers said in a statement the rally would show opposition to "power-hungry politicians" and reject intimidation of LGBT people.

Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in power since 2010, has introduced social policies that he says aim to safeguard traditional Christian values from Western liberalism, stoking tensions with the EU.

The European Commission has launched legal action against Mr Orban's government over the new law, which came into force this month, saying it is discriminatory and contravenes European values of tolerance and individual freedom.

Today, Budapest is rainbow!!

Tokyo Olympics 2021 are open!

Pita Taufatofua, from Tonga

Tokyo Olympics also have their Pride House

 

Pride House acts as a refuge for LGBT people and an information centre in the build-up to and during sporting events, and the concept has been present in some form at every Olympic Games since Vancouver 2010.

Pride House Tokyo is the first permanent LGBT centre in the city and will provide various events and contents related to diversity at a limited hospitality facility during the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Pride House Tokyo will spread information about LGBT people and LGBT people in sports, through various interactive initiatives, as well as provide information to sports-related groups and organizations.

Pride House Tokyo will procure operating funds by collecting donations and will distribute information related to sexual health, provide media guidelines, and provide a support network for anyone in need. 

Although same-sex marriage and adoption are still illegal in Japan, a majority of Japanese show their support, and a number of municipalities issue partnership certificates for LGBT couples.

Diversity is Pride!!

Embassies around the world show support for LGBT community in Hungary

 

Ahead of Budapest Pride, embassies and cultural institutes from across the world have demanded “freedom from violence” for queer people in Hungary.

The open letter has signed by 30 embassies of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has also signed by 12 cultural institutes in Hungary: the General Delegation of Flanders, Austrian Cultural Forum Budapest, British Council, Czech Center, Estonian Institute, FinnAgora, Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, Instituto Camões, Instituto Cervantes, Italian Cultural Institute, and Wallonie-Bruxelles International.

The embassies and cultural institutes wrote: “Concerned by recent developments that threaten the principle of non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, we encourage steps in every country to ensure the equality and dignity of all human beings irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and stress the need for elected leaders and governments to show respect for and protect the rights of LGBT+ persons.”

Read the full letter here.

 We still protest against the Hungary’s anti-LGBT law

Luke Prokop, the first NHL's active player to come out

Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop, 19, has come out, becoming the first active player under contract to an NHL team to do so.

"It has been quite the journey to get to this point in my life, but I could not be happier with my decision to come out," Prokop said in an Instagram post.

"From a young age I have dreamed of being an NHL player, and I believe that living my authentic life will allow me to bring my whole self to the rink and improve my chances of fulfilling my dreams," he added.

Prokop's team and league officials congratulated him on social media, saying the defenseman was setting an example for others.

"The Nashville Predators organization is proud of Luke for the courage he is displaying in coming out today and we will support him unequivocally in the days, weeks, and years to come as he continues to develop as a prospect," the team tweeted.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman thanked Prokop for coming out and said he hoped more professional hockey players and staff members would feel comfortable enough to do the same in the future.

Recently, Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out.

Prokop's statement on Instagram

Record number of LGBTQ athletes set to compete at the Tokyo Olympics

Over 186 publicly out gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and nonbinary athletes are headed to Tokyo for the Summer Olympic Games, more than double the number who participated at the 2016 Rio Games.

The number of publicly out LGBTQ athletes in Tokyo is greater than the number athletes who have participated in all of the previous Summer Olympic Games combined while publicly out.

The massive increase in the number of out athletes reflects the growing acceptance of LGBTQ people in sports and society. The rise of social media, especially Instagram, has given athletes a forum where they can live their lives openly and identify directly with their followers.

This year, at least 25 different countries will be represented by at least one publicly out athlete in 26 sports, including the first trans Olympians. The United States has the most out athletes at these Olympics, with the more than 30 out athletes. Team USA is followed in the number of publicly out LGBTQ athletes by Canada (16), Britain (15), Netherlands (14), New Zealand (9), Australia (10) and Brazil (9).

Some athletes like Sue Bird (basketball), Tom Daley and Anton Down-Jenkings (diving), Isadora Cerullo (rugby), Amandine Buchard (judo), Tom Bosworth (track and field), Ari-Pekka Liukkonen (swimming), Megan Rapinoe, Magda Eriksson and Erin McLeod (soccer), and Astrid Guyart (fencing), and many more.

But so far, none of the LGBTQ Olympians participating this year will represent host country Japan, a 126 million people nation. Japanese LGBT activists and athletes had hoped that the Games, whose charter forbids “discrimination of any kind,” would be a catalyst for their government to enact a law to protect LGBT people from discrimination, but no legislation to protect gay or transgender people passed ahead of the Olympics.

Viggo Mortensen's directorial debut with a stunning drama about dementia

 

Viggo Mortensen has written and directed his first movie, and it’s a really valuable work, beautifully edited and shot, a clear-eyed look at the bitter endgame of dementia. 

Mortensen plays John, a Los Angeles airline pilot with a lovely-looking life that includes a supportive husband Eric (Terry Chen) and a young adopted daughter Monica (Gabby Velis). But John is committed to the task of moving his widowed dad Willis (Lance Henriksen), in the early stages of dementia, from his remote New York farm into warmer retirement in California.

Early on, the film shifts between scenes of John as a boy, forced by Willis into regular tests of masculinity, and John as an adult, living happily as a gay man. But when Willis descends back into John’s life, his usual vitriol and rancid homophobia flow unchecked. As a son still bound by duty, John must care for the man who hurts him the most.

What follows is a domestic drama focused on the never-healthy relationship between the homophobic father, who can't control himself, ​and his gay son, who responds to the old man's attacks with patience and kindness. Anybody who's tried to care for a loved one with dementia will recognize the situation that John's been put in.

A very stunning drama movie!!!

European Commission takes actions against Hungary and Poland because their anti-LGBT policies

The European Commission (EC) announced that it will take landmark infringement procedures against both Hungary and Poland, because their attacks against LGBT rights.

The procedures against Hungary concern the censorship of a children’s book portraying LGBT characters, and the legislation which prohibits the inclusion of LGBT people in material in schools or in media for under-18s. On the day the Hungarian legislation came into force, the European Parliament voted in favour of urgent legal action against its member state, saying that the law was "another intentional and premeditated example of the gradual dismantling of fundamental rights” in the country.

The procedures against Poland has been launched because of the non-cooperation of Polish authorities in clarifying the question in how far the so-called Family Charters and LGBT Free Zones, which over 100 Polish local governments have adopted since 2019, might lead to discriminationon the grounds of sexual orientation and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, specifically ensuring non-discrimination in access to and in the labour market in line with EU anti-discrimination law, and also regarding management of the Structural and Investment Funds. 

By opening infringement procedures, the EC clearly states that the Polish and Hungarian government are violating fundamental rights and, as they are unwilling to engage in sincere cooperation, is now stepping up and opening a clear procedure to ensure the full respect of the Treaties and EU legislation. This could ultimately result in the EC bringing both countries in front of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

EC President, Ursula von der Leyen, recently condemned 

Hungary's new anti-LGBT law

Israeli Supreme Court removes same-sex surrogacy ban

The Supreme Court of Israel has cleared the way for same-sex couples to have children through a surrogate in an historic ruling hailed as a victory for LGBT rights.

The High Court of Justice ruled that legislation denying surrogacy rights to same-sex couples is unlawful, and must be lifted within six months.

Under existing regulations, Israeli same-sex couples looking to become parents cannot engage a surrogate, and are often deterred by the additional costs of finding one abroad.

The decision brings to an end a legal battle that has gone on for more than 11 years since a petition was first filed at Israel’s top court in 2010.

The court said  ruled that continuing to exclude same-sex couples was illegal as it “disproportionately harmed the right to equality and the right to parenthood.”

Israel stands in sharp contrast to the rest of the Mideast and becomes an exception in the region on acceptance of LGBT rights. 

Four names we have to keep fighting for

Four men have been murdered for being gay in the last 4 months, lost to hatred for being homosexuals:

• 10th April, Andile ‘Lulu’ Ntuthela, 40, in South Africa

• 23rd April, Normunds Kindzulis, 29, in Latvia

• 4th May, Alireza Fazeli Monfared, 20, in Iran

• 3rd July, Samuel Luiz, 24, in Spain

Say their names, remember them and keep fighting!!!

First Olympic diver in New Zealand since 1984 is proudly gay

 

Anton Down-Jenkins, 21, has made some history by becoming the first diver from New Zealand to qualify for the Olympics since 1984. And he has done it while being out and proud to identify as LGBT.

“I never felt the need to ‘come out’. I’ve never felt the need to explicitly tell people ‘I’m gay.’ I’m very fortunate because I know that’s not the reality for a lot of people,” Down-Jenkins said.

“I grew up having that LGBT representation in sport. There’s Tom Daley who is a multi-Olympic medalist, you have Matthew Mitcham who won gold in Beijing and was the first openly gay athlete to win Olympic gold. They definitely helped pave the way for LGBT representation in our sport,” he added.

Down-Jenkins qualified for the Games in the 3-meter springboard during a Diving World Cup Olympic qualifier in Japan in early May. He will compete in Tokyo as the first diver from New Zealand in 37 years.

What’s cool is that Down-Jenkins is very vocal about representing LGBT athletes, knowing many of them do not feel as comfortable as him in being out. “There isn’t enough LGBT representation in the sport media, which is why I felt the need to bring it forward and to publicly announce that I am a member of the LGBT community, I want to be that representation. I want people to see that I’m out here,” he said.

Good luck Anton!!!

A giant rainbow heart erected outside Hungary's parliament to protest anti-LGBT law

Activists have erected a giant rainbow coloured heart outside Hungary’s parliament to protest against the country’s anti-LGBT law.

Hungary’s anti-LGBT law came into effect on 8 July, following weeks of international backlash. The law has been labelled ‘a disgrace’ and will serve as “a breeding ground for attacks, intimidation and self-censorship” in Hungary.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called on MEPs to condemn the country’s shameful law in the strongest possible terms. “Homosexuality is equated with pornography,” she said. “This legislation uses the protection of children […] to discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation. It is a disgrace,” she added. 

Just one day after the bill went into effect, European Parliament lawmakers voted 459-147 with 58 absentations for a resolution that sent a clear signal that the bloc “condemns in the strongest possible terms” the anti-LGBT law.

MEPs described the law as being a “clear breach of EU values, principles and law”, referring to those enshrined by the EU Charter of fundamental rights, the Treaties and EU internal market legislation.

The European Parliament has also warned that Hungary could face legal consequences if it continues down its anti-LGBT path. The parliament is reportedly considering inviting individual countries to sue Hungary over the law, which has been widely compared to Russia’s “gay propaganda” law.

WeChat deletes LGBT accounts across China

Chinese social media and messaging app WeChat has allegedly removed hundreds of LGBT accounts, prompting concerns of a wider crackdown. The blocking of WeChat accounts triggered an outrage on Chinese social media.

WeChat is operated by Chinese tech giant Tencent and allows users to do everything from video calling and messaging other users to making payments for everyday purchases. The app is extremely popular in China with over a billion reported monthly users in 2020.

LGBT rights supporters protested the abrupt closure of these accounts by the company. The deleted accounts were run by LGBT people across China. Several followers posted screenshots of the notice that greeted them when they landed on the accounts' empty pages: "After receiving relevant complaints, all content has been blocked and the account has been put out of service," the notice read, citing violation of a government regulation on the management of online public accounts.

Some of the deleted LGBT accounts were registered as student clubs at their universities, while others operated unofficially. Most of them had existed for years, offering students a sense of community and much-needed support, with posts ranging from LGBT-themed book and movie recommendations to resources for psychological assistance.

China decriminalized homosexuality in 1997 and removed it from its official list of mental disorders in 2001. But people who identify as LGBT continue to face discrimination in both personal and professional spheres. Activists fear that the Communist Party may further clamp down on safe spaces for sexual minorities in the country.

Being gay cannot be banned

Young gay man beaten to death by brutal mob in Spain

 

Young gay man, Samuel Luiz, was brutally beaten to death by a dozen men at A Coruña, Spain, in a suspected homophobic killing.

Samuel, a 24-year-old nursing assistant described by pals as a loving man who always wanted to make people laugh, was killed outside a nightclub in the bustling port town of the Galician city.

At around 3am on Saturday (3 July) during Pride weekend, Samuel and his friend Lina stood outside a local nightclub and began FaceTiming a friend. A man then approached him and said: “Stop filming me or I’ll kill you, fa**ot.”

But before Samuel could even reply, the man set upon him and Lina watched helplessly as the man beat him: “The man punched him very hard and Samuel began to scream,” she told.

Some civilians stepped in to help Samuel during the brawl, managing to push his attacker away. But, the man returned with 12-strong men who fatally injured him. They left Samuel unconscious on the ground and did run away. Emergency services struggled to save Samuel for two hours, dying later that early morning of his injuries at hospital.

LGBT groups across Spain arranged street demonstrations to call for justice for Samuel. In the Spanish capital, Madrid, thousands of people took the central Puerta del Sol square, and there were also crowded protests in multitude of cities.

Activists were warning that attacks on LGBT people increased in Spain in recent times, but this is intolerable, enough is enough!

Rest in peace, Samuel. 

Thousands demonstrated around Spain against this killing

#JusticiaPorSamuel

Pride march under attack in Georgia's capital

LGBT activists in Georgia have cancelled a Pride march in the capital Tbilisi after violent clashes ahead of the parade.

Violent groups stormed and ransacked the office of gay rights campaigners. Activists posted photos and videos of people breaking into the premises and some journalists had reported that their equipment was broken in the attack.

After scuffles between anti-LGBT groups and the police, the organisers of the 2021 Pride said they would be cancelling the event because the authorities could not ensure the security of the community and supporters.

Organisers said they had been actively communicating with the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs about security ahead of the march. They declared: "The actions of the government have clearly shown that they don't want to perform its direct duty. The inaction of the executive power has put the health and lives of Georgian citizens in real danger."

The country remains under the influence of the powerful Orthodox Church, which has been a vocal critic of governments deemed too progressive. Campaigners also called on the international community to oppose "radical groups" and pro-Russian anti-LGBT voices in Georgia.

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili himself had spoken out against the event, saying that holding a Pride March is "not reasonable" and would create "the threat of civil confrontation". Organisers of the event have described the Prime Minister's comments as "shameful".

Russia, Poland, Hungary... now Georgia... where are the European values?

Watch some of the violents attacks in Tiblisi against LGBT activists and journalists:

A Brazilian presidential candidate comes out as gay

 

A Brazilian presidential hopeful came out as gay this week in a country ruled by a self-described “proud homophobe.”

Eduardo Leite, 36, the governor of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, made the announcement during a TV interview with Globo TV.

“I’m gay, and I’m a governor who is gay rather than a gay governor. Just as Obama in the United States wasn’t a black president, but a president who was black. And I’m proud of this,” said Leite, a member of the center-right Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB).

The announcement was treated with a huge outpouring of support in the South American country, both from politicians and LGBT activists.

Leite plans to challenge Brazil’s right-wing leader Jair Bolsonaro, who once told an interviewer in 2013 that “Brazilian society doesn’t like homosexuals.” Presidential elections are scheduled to take place next year in Brazil.

Good luck Eduardo!!!

Lesbians can finally access fertility treatments in France

Lesbian couples and single women will finally be able to access fertility treatment in France, after the French parliament voted through measures ending archaic laws that favoured only heterosexual couples.

Up until now, lesbian couples and single women have had to fly abroad to access fertility treatment such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), egg freezing or using donor sperm.

But after 500 hours of debate and two years of protests around the subject of women’s fertility, a new bill introduced by President Emmanuel Macron’s government is set to change that. Finally, France’s National Assembly voted in favour of the new law, with 326 MPs voting in favour and 115 against, including 42 abstentions.

Under the new law, France will cover the cost of fertility procedures for all women under 43, whether single or in a relationship. Women will be able to access treatments by August. 

France joins numerous European countries that do not discriminate against single and lesbian women when it comes to fertility treatment, including Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. 

President Macron's tweeted in French: 

“medically assisted procreation is now accessible to all French people”

Second Pride Parade takes place in Skopje, in North Macedonia

The second Pride Parade in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, took place on the 26th of June, under the motto “Beyond the Walls.” This year, the Skopje Pride Parade was attended by President Stevo Pendarovski and some ministers.

After a one-year pause due to the pandemic, over a thousand supporters gathered in the city center this year and, in their own words, protested oppressive policies, homophobia and transphobia, but, at the same time, celebrated the hope for a society with greater solidarity and justice.

The high temperatures didn’t prevent the the LGBT community and their allies from coming out and raising their voices in celebration of differences, love, equality, and freedom.

With flags, banners and music, the Pride Parade started at 10 o’clock at the Zhena Borec Park in front of the Parliament, and, from there, the attendees marched through the city center toward the City Park, where the later an open air party with a concert and dancing took place.

Happy Pride!!!

President Pendarovski, his wife and some ministers attended Parade

George Sear is proud to play gay in Love, Victor

 

Love, Victor is back for a second season, and this time, the show isn’t afraid to tackle gay sex, homophobia and parental acceptance.

The trailblazing series follows gay teenager Victor Salazar (Michael Cimino) as he comes to terms with his sexuality. Along the way, he finds love with Benji (George Sear), has a reckoning with his mother (Ana Ortiz), and faces homophobia in sport. All in all, Love, Victor‘s second season is much more grown up than the first.

Second season is unafraid to show its two main stars kissing, holding hands, and even sleeping together. Both Cimino and Sear are straight, but the chemistry they exude on-screen is undeniable and that intimacy came naturally to both actors. 

While Sear and Cimino are believable as a gay couple on-screen, the show has faced some flak for casting two straight actors as gay characters. Love, Victor has ended up right in the middle of an ongoing debate around whether queer roles should be reserved for queer actors. What does Sear think of that discussion?

"Well, look, I think it’s part of the conversation, isn’t it, and it’s a very nuanced conversation. I never want to be disrespectful and just discard someone’s perspective on that either. I don’t want to do that. I feel really lucky to be playing this character, I’m really proud to be part of this show. I think the show has a great message for LGBT youth about celebrating who you are, embracing your truth."

Sear hopes that people watching at home will see Love, Victor as “a message about embracing who you are”, and he hopes it helps to inspire LGBT young people.

Watch the trailer of second season below and some cute moments: