A coalition of celebrities has launched a foundation to support LGBTQ filmmakers whose projects may be rejected or canceled as studios scale back their diversity efforts under pressure from cultural conservatives.
necessary basics was created to provide funding and other opportunities for LGBTQ filmmakers to establish themselves in the industry. Founding board members include Alan Cumming, Bowen Yang, Lena Waithe and Adam Goldman, the latter of whom will serve as the foundation’s executive director. hollywood reporter.
“Queer filmmakers don’t need permission, but they do need opportunity, and that’s what the Necessary Foundation is building,” Yang said in a statement. “I am very honored to be able to support new artists as they stand on the starting line.”
According to someone,Studio Responsibility ReportAccording to GLAAD, an LGBTQ media advocacy group, 59 of the 250 films released by the 10 major distributors in 2024 (about 23.6%) will feature LGBTQ characters, down 3.7% from 2023. The report also found that 37% of LGBTQ characters appeared on screen for less than one minute.
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, studios increasingly rubbed Projects that feature diverse representation, including projects that focus on LGBTQ characters. This shift is occurring amid a widespread backlash against liberalism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and political correctness.
Critics argue that cutting back on diversity efforts will make it harder for LGBTQ filmmakers and films featuring LGBTQ themes and characters to break into the industry and reach broader audiences.
“This is a real crisis,” Cumming said of Hollywood’s retreat from promoting inclusion. “If we don’t take action now to support young queer and transgender filmmakers, LGBT+ people will disappear from American film and television screens. It’s that simple.”
The Necessary Foundation awards $20,000 annual grants to emerging LGBTQ filmmakers to produce pilots, short films, or other proof-of-concept projects. Winners will also be able to connect with notable filmmakers who can serve as mentors, including John Cameron Mitchell, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, and Indya Moore.
The foundation will also provide additional support to emerging filmmakers, including covering festival application fees and hosting screenings of LGBTQ-themed films in New York City and Los Angeles.
“Right now, we need to lift each other up,” Weiss said in a statement. “Authors and storytellers need our support, and I’m always happy to help. I’m excited to see what this organization will become.”
Necessary Foundation co-founders argue that audience interest in LGBTQ content remains strong, even as studios try to appease the Trump administration and its allies in the ongoing culture wars. They point to the success of HBO Max streaming series fierce rivalry As an example. The show was popular among viewers in the United States and also found an audience in Russia, which regularly cracks down on depictions of homosexuality in the media.
“At this time, there is tremendous political pressure to remove gay people from American media, including young filmmakers who are being shut out of the film industry,” Goldman said in a statement. “That pressure is working. Now it’s time to fight back.”
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
