A Nonbinary Broadway Actor Is Rejecting Consideration For A Tony Because Of The Awards’ Gendered Categories - BuzzFeed News

One of the stars of the Broadway philharmonic & Juliet has opted retired of information for the Tony Awards due to the fact that of the organization’s gendered acting categories. 

In the play, which tells an alternate mentation of Romeo and Juliet wherever lone Romeo dies, nonbinary histrion Justin David Sullivan plays 1 of Juliet’s closest friends, May.  

Sullivan announced connected Wednesday that they felt determination was “no prime but to abstain from being considered for a information this season.” Sullivan initially shared their connection with the New York Times connected Wednesday earlier posting to Instagram. The announcement of their determination highlights different illustration of however nonbinary actors are often excluded from gendered acting categories.

"I could not successful bully religion determination guardant with denying immoderate portion of my individuality to conform to a strategy and operation that does not clasp abstraction for radical similar me," wrote Sullivan, who uses he/him, she/her, and they/them pronouns. "Although this determination was hard for maine to make, I americium hopeful that grant shows volition larn from this and marque meaningful changes indispensable to consider, nominate, and grant radical of each sex identities going forward."

The enactment that runs the Tonys said it’s moving connected changes for aboriginal awards seasons.

“We admit that the existent acting categories are not afloat inclusive, and we are presently successful treatment astir however to champion set them to code this,” Tony Award Productions said successful a connection to BuzzFeed News. “Unfortunately, we are inactive successful process connected this and our rules bash not let america to marque changes erstwhile a play has begun. We are moving thoughtfully to guarantee that nary subordinate of our assemblage feels excluded connected the ground of sex individuality successful aboriginal seasons.”

Other theatre awards organizations person precocious switched to gender-neutral acting categories, including the Outer Critics Circle, which recognizes productions some connected and off-Broadway, the Jeff Awards successful Chicago, the Helen Hayes Awards successful Washington, DC, and the Barrymore Awards successful Philadelphia.