Hollywood Stars Discuss The Progress Happening For LGBTQ+ Storytelling

Forbes

09-06-2025

In a world that can often times feel rather divisive lately, the sharing of LGBTQ+ stories in films and on television have created not only a more inclusive feeling of better representation for those within its community, but it has allowed people from all walks of life to better understand both the victories and the struggles that these individuals have had to endure over the years.
This past Friday, the Critics Choice Association had its second annual Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television event, honoring LGBTQ+ entertainment leaders that have paved the way to ensure that authentic portrayals of their community continue to be widely shared with audiences everywhere.
Speaking with several honorees, presenters and attendees, I asked all of them one specific question - What are you enjoying most about the ways of the LGBTQ+ community's exposure within Hollywood today, and what do you feel still needs to be improved upon most within the entertainment industry?
Nathan Lee Graham, who stars on Hulu's Mid-Century Modern comedy series, said, 'That is a big question! Well, what I love is that we exist, period, right? That many stories are being told from many different perspectives, and that we're not a monolith. So, we have coming-of-age stories, discovery stories, horror films - we also have wonderful comedies where people are over 25, like my show Mid-Century Modern, where you can see people existing in real life, speaking like real people. What we need, though - we need more projects greenlit. That's the most important thing. The content is out there, but they have to be greenlit and it has to be the wealth and the experience of all the people that bring the stories to these studios, or to these producers or the companies that are producing TV shows, like Amazon or Apple. So, greenlit our stories. There are lots of them.'
Megan Stalter, who currently stars on Hacks on HBO Max, said, 'I think it's just so amazing to see so many queer stories and characters, because I feel like growing up, I didn't see half as many as I do now. The Hacks creators do such a good job of that. Broad City is one of the first bisexual characters I've ever seen. I just want more, more, more!'
Sherry Cola, who hosted the evening and stars on Netflix's Nobody Wants This, said, 'Listen, I love seeing queerness on the screen because it's just so colorful - the way we express and the way we show people who we are, and we've been through so much. It's a sign of resilience, it's a sign of the victories and it's the sign of the fire. Every single time we celebrate like this, we're reminded that we're all in this together and we won't stop until we get what we deserve. There is still so much work to be done, especially in the intersectionalities. I'm obviously an immigrant - I'm Chinese-American, I'm bisexual, I'm a woman. I feel like we're all representing so much and we just want to make sure no one is left out.'
Tramell Tillman, who stars on the Apple TV+ Severance drama series and can be seen in the new Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning film alongside Tom Cruise, said, 'One thing that needs to improve is that we deserve to be heard. One thing that I love to see is that there are so many diverse voices in many different stories that are being told. We need to continue to protect our trans brothers and sisters - and so, I hope that environments like this and media persons will help to uplift the voices of the trans community.'
Josh Greenbaum, who is the director of Netflix's Will & Harper documentary film, said, 'Oh, that's a good question. What I am enjoying is that it just continues to grow, in terms of people consciously thinking about how do we have LGBTQ stories out there, characters out there and representative. I am thinking all the way back to my very first film, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar - it was an interesting process because I think the GLAAD media report had been out and around prior, but I don't know how many years. I remember the time and an interesting experience where the media report had just come out and I was making that film for Lionsgate, and as a result to that report that said Lionsgate, the year prior, had zero LGBTQ characters in its project. Granted, in their defense, I don't think they had a lot of projects but it still was indefensible. That report then caused them to turn to me and Kristen Wiig and Annie [Mumolo] and say, 'Hey, let's look at this movie Barb and Star - are there characters and places where we can represent queer culture in a way that maybe you hadn't thought about?' That to me was a very big, transformative moment. I love that, that has been growing and happening. In terms of your second question, we just need a lot more. We need to keep saying this louder and louder and louder, and not backing down. It's so joyful to see - and by the way, queer stories are the best and trans stories!'
Sasheer Zamata, who stars on the Disney+ Marvel series Agatha All Along, said, 'I think my favorite thing is that we are getting so much queer content by queer people. I think it's really wonderful that we're seeing so many writers-performers create things, so many directors. You want to hear stories from people who understand that perspective. I think it's wonderful that they're getting so many opportunities today. I would say I would hope more of that is happening. It's not just the performers and not just the writers, but it's also the producers and also the directors. I want more representation throughout.'
Benito Skinner, who created and stars in Prime Video's Overcompensating comedy series, said, 'Well, I think we need more stories. Right now, I feel lucky that I was able to make my story into a show and that it's on a place like Prime Video where people can see it. I think we just need more stories. I need more and I am feeling like there are less, and that I think is scaring me. So, I'm glad we have something like this tonight to celebrate these stories that we need desperately at a time right now, when so many people are feeling ostracized and attacked and unsafe. So, to have something like this tonight to celebrate people who want to make art about queer people, because we need it and it's the best art.'
Liv Hewson, who stars in Paramount Plus with Showtime's Yellowjackets drama series, said, 'What I like the most is the variety. I want to be one of many and I count myself very lucky that I am, and I want more. I want continued variety because that to me represents the almost infinite diversity of the queer community in real life. So, that's important to me.'
Tonatiuh, who will soon debut his breakout role alongside Jennifer Lopez in Roadside Attractions' much-anticipated Kiss of the Spider Woman film, said, 'The one thing that I see that I'm loving - the jokes are joking. The comedy scene is incredible in the queer community. We've infiltrated mainstream culture - we're here! What could be improved? You know what I would love? I love melodramas and I want more raw, naturalistic, queer dramas. I think that would be really fun.'
Michael Urie, who stars on the Apple TV+ Shrinking series, said, 'The only way to improve LGBT content in Hollywood right now is for more of it, but I feel like we're doing some really special things. If this night is any indication, it's across the entire medium of television and we have infiltrated all the genres, and there's enough of us now to fill a whole night of celebration and that's really exciting. So, I feel we're doing a lot right and the only thing that would make it better is more of it.'
Danielle Pinnock, who stars on the CBS comedy series Ghosts, said, 'First of all, it is an honor to have a seat at this table. I am honoring and presenting Niecy Nash - her Groundbreaker Award. She is truly my North Star and I'm just going to lean really into the Black LGBTQIA+ community. I would not be here without my girls. As a theater geek who was plus size and no one was checking for, it was the queer community that said, 'No, we're choosing her and she is going to win.' So, I'm so grateful for the LGBTQIA+ community.'
Niecy Nash-Betts, who most recently can be seen starring in Ryan Murphy's FX series Grotesquerie, said, 'I love the fact that I've gotten play queer characters on television. Not only that, but I got to do it with the love of my life. So, we got to be a couple on television, which I thought was super cool. I also thought it was cool that particular character that I played on The Rookie: Feds was an equal opportunity dater. She dated everybody, you know what I mean? She was like a living apostle of love is love.'
Tim Bagley, who stars in the HBO Max Somebody Somewhere series, said, 'I love that there's a lot of visibility in the LGBTQ+ world. I feel like, collectively, all of us in the community need to kind of center around our trans and nonbinary brothers & sisters because they're being kind of sought out and demonized. And so, I am at an age where I grew up hearing all those same things, like this is a choice and you're asking us adjust to you and all this kind of nonsense that I remember hearing when I was growing up as a gay man. Now, they don't really say that as much about gay people, but I just feel like as a community, we need to center around our trans and nonbinary brothers & sisters right now.'
Wanda Sykes, the longtime comedian and the evening's Career Achievement Award recipient, concluded by saying, 'What I love the most is the number, you know? We've had such tremendous growth, as far as with our stories being told and representation. I look around tonight and I look at this amazing group of people. Ten years ago, it wasn't like this, as far as like this level and the amount of people. This is growth. I'm very proud and very happy to see it.'
As for improvements still needed surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, Sykes added: 'I think right now, it's more support for the trans community. They're really being attacked, especially from the government. So, I really think that we need to look out for our trans brothers & sisters.'