John Barrowman receiving the Human Rights Campaign award

[dieastra]

Some friends here know that I recently struggled a bit with my love for John Barrowman, you know how it is, little things start to grate, and you start to wonder about some of his decisions and general over the top behavior (I'm still not over that weird stripey suit with short pants he wore when presenting an award show). But then he goes and does something awesome and I am back.

Today he got the Human Rights Campaign award for being out and proud and helping the community in every way possible. I hadn't known that he actually helped shaping UK laws (I only knew that they changed the music charts counting system when he started to sell his CDs at QVC). That's pretty big. Here is the video of his acceptance speech and it is a really good one. This is why we love him:

https://www.facebook.com/GayStarNews/videos/1184590711617244/

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Comments

[arashinoookami]

Wow, I never new he was so active in the gay community either! I think his character in Torchwood was one of the first openly gay/ bi characters I saw in a (relatively) mainstream tv series.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

My first one was in "Six feet under" and I fully admit that it felt a bit weird first seeing two men kiss, but the more I saw it, the more I got used to it. TV can do great things like that.

Later, when I watched "Queer as Folk" (which I also watched before "Torchwood") I got so used to men kissing all the time, that it felt wrong when I saw a man and a woman doing it LOL

But yes, Jack Harkness is something special, as he is an action hero first and not just defined as a gay man as the other characters I mentioned. His sexuality doesn't define him.

I had that recently in "The Family" also. The FBI guy investigating the case casually mentioned his husband once. But it had no impact on the story, he was still the same police guy. I hope things get more normal this way.

[arashinoookami]

But it had no impact on the story, he was still the same police guy. I hope things get more normal this way.

Agreed. I hope for the day when being gay is simply accepted, just like being straight currently is.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

And yet it always makes huge news before a movie is released, be it in the recent Star Trek movie, Disney Beauty and the Beast or the new Doctor Who companion. I really did not want to read about all these ahead of time. And at least in the Star Trek case, it was much ado about nothing. There was only a public hug, not even a kiss. It could be interpreted any kind of ways.

[chamilet]

And now I need to go and find the video of Scott he's talking about.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid you won't find it - Facebook deleted it after it was online for several days.
Some news pages picked up on it and also posted it but pixelled the exact moment ;)

[bk_forever]

JB isn't perfect, he doesn't always get things right, but watching this made me wish there were more people willing to stand up and say "This is who I am, I'm proud to be who I am, and I won't back down, no matter what anyone says." He deserves that award, and I admire him so much for all he's done to make the world a fairer place. He's an inspiration.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

No, nobody is perfect. We tend to forget that, and want our heroes to be perfect, but they are just human and sometimes make mistakes.

But yes, it was a great speech, and we all should try to be a bit more like that and help and respect each other. It's sad that this even needs pointing out.

[owensheart.livejournal.com]

What a lovely speech

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Really wonderful and very moving!

[quarryquest.livejournal.com]

I never knew this about John and am impressed to see him doing the standing up and being counted. I remember him starting out in the West End when I knew people there and AIDS was decimating everything. I'm glad John was sensible enough not to catch anything and survive all that. We lost a lot of people who were gay and out but we didn't like or dislike them any more because of who they were. This was despite some of the things people said.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

I think as much as he likes to talk about things, he also does a lot in quiet we don't know. A while ago in an interview also came out that instead of giving Christmas presents to each other, he and Scott went to a family in need and gave them some money so they could buy Christmas presents for the kids. If the interviewer hadn't asked about it, we would have never known.

Wow, didn't know you knew him back then already. Must be nice to have followed his career since.

A while ago I watched "The normal Heart" with Matt Bomer, and there is a very emotional speech in there about all the lost art which we never came to know because of all the dead dancers, singers, song writers, actors, authors. Truly a lost generation. I don't remember who it was that said he was going to a funeral every week. What a sad time to live through.

There was a time when John thought he had caught it as well, and was very ill. He flew home to America to go to the doctor to get checked out, and that was also when he came out to his family which he hadn't properly done before, explaining why he was there. They were like "We already knew". Must have been a scary time though.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

He really is an exceptional man!

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

If everyone was just a little like that, the world would be a better place.

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

What a great speech. I'm proud to be part of his "team"!

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Yes, something to be proud of!

[niviene.livejournal.com]

Well I just learned something...didn't know he was changing UK laws either...he's making a difference!

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

He really is! There is also something new now where he took part, just came out yesterday.

It's a video where they talk about the bible and things: http://www.holymusicvideo.com/

When downloading, the money goes to Orlando.

[niviene.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link...will check it out...I'm so behind in my LJ responses :/

[alumfelga.livejournal.com]

I didn't know he lost his job because he was openly gay, that's horrible. He's right: we have to fight back and speak back when someone says we're not allowed to be ourselves. It's good there are people like John who do whatever they can to change the world. Wonderful speech and well deserved award.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

I didn't know he lost his job because he was openly gay, that's horrible.

That was in the early Nineties, a soap opera in America. The series was shortly after cancelled altogether so it wasn't a big loss. Made it only to one season and a few episodes.

Ironically, later he didn't get another job as he wasn't gay enough. He auditioned for "Will & Grace" but they wanted a stereotypical over the top gay. But if he had gotten the job, who knows, we might have had never Jack Harkness! So it all turned out well in the end.

Yes, it's good that we have all those people on TV (and they become more and more) who show the kids from today that there is no shame in being different.

I just wish that one day there is no need anymore to shout to the world "I'm gay!" I mean, no straight man is announcing that, right? Real equality is only reached when everyone can talk about their husband just casually, without getting any raised eyebrows.

Also, there are interviews with John where he gets described as "the gay actor". I've never heard anyone say "the straight actor".

I watched "The Family" recently. The FBI guy there was like that. He mentioned his husband once or twice, but it was not important and did not define him. Important was how he was solving the case.

[alumfelga.livejournal.com]

I just wish that one day there is no need anymore to shout to the world "I'm gay!" I mean, no straight man is announcing that, right?
Exactly. It's still assumed you're straight unless you say otherwise. It can easily be seen in how fictional characters are being introduced - if they're gay, it's said straight away. God forbid we watch the main character for a season, and then the character starts dating someone and we find out he's gay. "Suddenly they made him gay!" During that season, the character's orientation wasn't revealed so the viewers already assumed he was straight.
This is not fair. But it's a phase, I think - after being forced to hide now it's time to shout about it and be visible. Then maybe comes time when you don't have to shout anymore.

I've never heard anyone say "the straight actor".

Yeah, it sounds ridiculous. And so should "gay actor" seem.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

But it's a phase, I think - after being forced to hide now it's time to shout about it and be visible. Then maybe comes time when you don't have to shout anymore.

Yes, I agree. And it is understandable I guess. But even in the gay community, there are those that want to march at prides and shout out, and those that just want to live an ordinary life and be left alone.

Do you know how Matt Bomer came out? It had been rumored for quite a while. A friend actually told me about these rumors back when I watched "White Collar". I didn't mind either way. The most riduculous thing is if girls say they can't admire an actor anymore when he is gay - as if they had a chance with him if he wasn't! Get real.

They also say they cannot believe his character woeing women on screen - but I think he does it very believeable! It's called acting after all. Otherwise only real murderers would be allowed to play murderers. Sheesh.

So, it was rumored, and the rumor had foundation, at least his friends and Hollywood in general knew (his husband is in the industry). But it was never talked about in interviews. I don't know the reason for that - if he did not want to, saw no reason to it or if he was not allowed to by the studio. It might be the latter, they might have been afraid of people stopping watching.

Anyway, a few years ago he got an award and in his thanks speech on stage he thanked his family, three sons and his husband. Just like that. And all hell broke loose in the internet, that he finally had made it officially. And he was a bit surprised by that, apparently hadn't expected it being that big news. I think I even read a tweet by John congratulating him at the time.

Since then he also speaks out more about issues and takes part in stuff, for example that theatre play a lot of Hollywood actors did about Prop. 8.

But, and that is the downside of it all, he also seems to play more gay roles. If that is his choice or if he just doesn't get anything else anymore, I can't say.

The speech is here, not very good quality I'm afraid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpXHJFVnW8Q

[alumfelga.livejournal.com]

The most riduculous thing is if girls say they can't admire an actor anymore when he is gay - as if they had a chance with him if he wasn't!
It is ridiculous.

They also say they cannot believe his character woeing women on screen - but I think he does it very believeable!
Me too. When I found out Matt was gay, I only admired him more as an actor because he played heterosexual Neal so well. I probably shouldn't even think of it, since it's obvious straight actors play gay characters and vice versa, but I did. I think we, or some of us, still have a thought back in our minds that onscreen attraction and chemistry can't be entirely faked - because if they can, how can we be sure of people in real life? So those situations only show they can, and are, faked.

But, and that is the downside of it all, he also seems to play more gay roles.
Maybe that's why he didn't want it to be public news - so he's not seen as a "gay actor" and can play more various roles. If some stupid people can't believe him playing a straight character once they know he's gay, the producers would know the tendency.