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Darren Criss, the star of GLEE, known for his impressive roles in American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, and Hollywood, has recently made headlines by identifying himself as ‘culturally queer.’ This statement made waves in the LGBTQ+ community, coming from an actor who has portrayed noteworthy gay characters but identifies as a straight man in his personal life.
Criss, who played the queer character Blaine on ‘GLEE’, was a favorite of LGBTQ+ audiences, although in real life Criss identifies as a straight, cisgender man
The controversial statement came at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo over the weekend, where Criss was asked about his “Glee” character being in a gay relationship on the show.
“It was f—ing awesome…. Nowadays, we just call it a relationship on TV. But to contextualize it, a gay relationship on mainstream Fox, that’s a pretty cool thing to be a part of,” Criss said.
He continued, “There was an awareness of the gay experience that was not a foreign concept to me. I have been so culturally queer my whole life. Not because I’m trying — you know, actually, I was gonna say not because I’m trying to be cool but I’m gonna erase that, because I am trying to be cool. The things in my life that I have tried to emulate, learn from and be inspired by are 100 percent queer as f—.”
Criss, who married his long-term girlfriend Mia Swier in 2019, has also previously said that although he doesn’t identify as queer regarding his sexual orientation, he feels closely connected to the queer culture due to his roles and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. He stated, “I may not be queer in my personal life, but I have lived a queer life in the company of dear friends who are, quite proudly, very queer, and in a profession that warmly embraced queer culture.”
While some have criticized Criss’ statement as problematic and opportunistic, it also sparked a conversation about whether individuals can identify with a culture different from their own personal experiences. This concept, dubbed “cultural queerness,” is becoming increasingly prevalent, especially in the industry inhabited by Criss.
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Recently, Criss has kept his career focus within the queer narrative; he is currently working on a new musical project that deals with LGBTQ+ themes. The actor maintains a thriving career while continuing to show support to the queer community.
Although he has stirred the pot with his latest comment, it is evident Darren Criss continues to contribute positively to queer culture representation through his active roles and public advocacy. It will be interesting to see how Darren Criss’ career and ‘cultural queerness’ evolve in the future.
Related: Former Glee Star Darren Criss Tweets Naked Sunburn Photo
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