Actress Jameela Jamil Comes Out as Queer
After receiving backlash from getting cast on HBO Max’s ballroom voguing competition show Legendary, Jameela Jamil has come out as queer.
The actress came out after experiencing criticism for being cast in the show, which she addressed in her statement.
“I know that my being queer doesn’t qualify me as ballroom,” she said. “But I have privilege and power and a large following to bring to this show … Sometimes it takes those with more power to help a show get off the ground so we can elevate marginalized stars that deserve the limelight and give them a chance.”
She also cites her “11 years of hosting experience, being fully impartial … and being a longtime ally of the LGBTQ community” as her qualifications for being included in the show, adding that she is “a newcomer to ballroom (like much of the audience will be) and therefore a window in for people who are just discovering it now.”
For some LGBTQ activists, her casting was not welcomed warmly — like from Transparent star Trace Lysette:
Legendary starts shooting Friday, and while her coming out might not have been what she hoped… we still think the show is going to be fierce.