The 98th Academy Awards took place yesterday, and sadly, it looked way more straight. However, this has not been the case always. The history of LGBTQ+ representation at the Academy Awards has been marked by breakthrough moments. A major turning point came in 2005 when Brokeback Mountain earned three Oscars from eight nominations, bringing queer storytelling into the Hollywood mainstream.
More than a decade later, Moonlight made history in 2017 as the first LGBTQ+ film—and the first with an all-Black main cast—to win Best Picture. Representation milestones continued. In 2024, Spanish actor Karla Sofía Gascón became the first transgender performer nominated for Best Actress for Emilia Pérez. Despite such moments, LGBTQ+ creators and actors remain underrepresented at the Oscars. Historically, straight actors have often won awards for portraying queer characters, while openly LGBTQ+ performers receive fewer nominations. In 2024, Colman Domingo became only the second openly gay man nominated for Best Actor, following Ian McKellen.
Meanwhile, Jodie Foster remains the only queer woman to win Best Actress. Jeremy Blacklow of GLAAD told Vanity Fair, “LGBTQ+ actors have long faced blatant employment discrimination and have felt forced to hide their sexual orientation and/or gender identity if they hoped to work at all.” As the industry looks ahead to future ceremonies, advocates continue pushing for broader and more authentic LGBTQ+ representation in Hollywood. Will 2027 be any better? Only time will tell.
