Best. Gay. Week. Ever. (June 27, 2008)

TURNS OUT THE TONY'S WERE A LITTLE MORE GAY THAN WE THOUGHT
When I wrote about the Tony Awards earlier this month, I sub-titled the article "Not Very Gay". Well, it turns out the awards had more gay content than we knew as Paulo Szot (pronounced "shot") and Daniel Evans, both nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical, are out gay men. I didn't include them in the original article as I didn't yet have confirmation that either were out publicly (though judging from the comments from readers, quite a few folks knew.)

Anyhoo, I called up the publicist for South Pacific which stars Paulo as Emile De Becque and was told that Paulo is indeed gay (he also passed on doing an interview with us just now).

Szot as De Becque, accepting the Tony Award

Nonetheless, I thought folks would like to know a little more about this man who is so talented he snagged a Tony his first time nominated. Born in 1969, Szot hails from São Paulo, Brazil. As a young man, he went to Poland (from where his family emigrated) to study dance, but a knee injury at age 18 forced a change of career plans and he became an opera star. His casting as Emile in South Pacific raised eyebrows in the Broadway world, but his Tony award provided sweet vindication for all involved.

That brings me to the other gay fellow. His name is Daniel Evans who snagged stellar reviews for his turn in Sunday in the Park With George. Again, there was quite a bit of buzz on the internet that Evans is gay (but nothing official I could find), so again I called his publicist to confirm and score an interview.

Daniel Evans

Daniel passed on the interview for now as Sunday in the Park closes this week and that involves a lot of work for all involved. But no matter as AfterElton reader Wayman sent me a link to a short interview Evans gave to Backstage as part of their gay pride coverage. Also interviewed are Cheyenne Jackson, Robin de Jesus, Leslie Jordan, and Frances Jue.

Jue, De Jesus, Jordan

Evans, thirty-four years old, comes from Wales and isn't just an actor, but a director. He's worked alongside Ian McKellen, appeared in The Merchant of Venice, and even the Doctor Who episode which introduced David Tennant as the new doctor.

On being out, Evans told Backstage:

I don't suppose I was ever in. Growing up being gay is lonely enough. To take that into your adult life, that's somehow an unconscious decision that I made somewhere. To me, my life is more important, ultimately, than my work. And I think for those people who aren't out, it's the other way around.

Which brings me to a fascinating discussion that took place over on TalkingBroadway.com's "All That Chat" forum about our confirming Paulo is, in fact, gay. Some folks took issue with my asking the question at all, while others believe Szot's sexuality is completely irrelevant and that gay people who care about such things are somehow aren't fully adult. Um, okay.

As a journalist writing the sorts of articles that we do here at AfterElton.com, I find the idea I shouldn't ask about someone's sexuality to be ludicrous. Note that doesn't mean asking something sexual, but broaching it in the same way the vast majority of news outlets bring up their subject's heterosexuality. (How is that fourth marriage working out? Who is the father of this baby? Congratulations on your tenth wedding anniversary! How are you coping with the death of your wife?)

To not ask gay actors, writers, directors, etc. those same questions is to treat being gay as if it is somehow taboo or something to be ashamed of. And just as an actor's alcoholic parents, year lost on a desert Island, being Jewish in Kansas, or anything else shapes their outlook on life, so does being gay.

While acceptance of gay people has never been greater in the U.S. than it is now, the fact that this November we fight to fight a ballot initiative in California that will strip gay men and lesbians of the right to marry whomever we want, all too clearly demonstrates we have not yet achieved equality. Time and time again we hear that the number one factor influencing a person's view of gay rights is knowing someone gay.

So knowing that the Tony winning actor playing the romantic lead in South Pacific, retired NBA player John Amaechi and Olympic diver Greg Louganis are all gay not only makes a difference to that gay kid in rural Colorado, but to his parents as well.

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