More than half of the 2019 Academy
Awards best picture nominees announced Tuesday are LGBT inclusive.
LGBT-inclusive films The Favourite,
Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star is Born, Vice and
Green Book received best picture nominations. The other three
films competing in the category are Black Panther, Roma,
and BlacKkKlansman.
Lesbian period film The Favourite
received 10 nominations, matching Roma as the year's most
nominated film. The Favourite's three lead actresses, Olivia
Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz, each received an acting
nomination.
A Star is Born received eight
nominations, including acting and best song nominations for Lady
Gaga, who is bisexual.
Rami Malek's portrayal of Freddie
Mercury, the iconic bisexual singer from Queen, in Bohemian
Rhapsody earned him an acting nomination.
Mahershala Ali earned an acting
nomination for his portrayal of queer musician Don Shirley in Green
Book.
In Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Melissa McCarthy plays real-life lesbian author Lee Israel and
Richard E. Grant plays her accomplice, Jack Hock, who is gay. Both
received acting nominations for their work in the film.
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate
Ellis cheered Tuesday's nominations.
“Today’s list of Oscar nominees
reflect a banner year for LGBTQ inclusion in film and a signal that
the Academy and its members are rightfully prioritizing diverse
storytelling at a time when audiences and critics alike are calling
for more,” Ellis said in a statement. “The diversity across the
full list of nominations should be celebrated and will no doubt lead
to more inclusive, culture-changing films. The majority of the LGBTQ
inclusive films highlight the stories of LGBTQ people throughout
history showing that LGBTQ people and issues have always existed and
that now is the time to tell these powerful and moving stories.”
This year's Oscars will take place on
February 24 in Los Angeles.