German LGBT actors come out en masse in plea for diversity

A group of 185 LGBT German actors staged a mass coming-out in a national newspaper on Friday in an appeal for more diversity in the worlds of TV, film and theatre. The gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender actors published a joint manifesto in the Süddeutsche Zeitung magazine calling for a change in attitudes and more LGBT characters in scripts. “Until now, we have not been able to talk openly about our private lives without fearing repercussions on our professional lives,” they said. Interviewed by the newspaper, many said they had been warned not to declare their sexuality because it would prevent them from being considered for heterosexual roles. “We are actors. We don’t have to be what we play. We act as though we were – that is our job,” they said.