‘GLEE’ Star Darren Criss Claims He’s ‘Culturally Queer’

Zayn Williams
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‘GLEE’ Star Darren Criss Claims He’s ‘Culturally Queer’ 










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. 





Related: LGBT Stars Light Up Washington D.C.





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






  

  

  
  
  
  



                

            


        

            

            

                

                    
                        Stark: Hints for Years That 9-1-1 Buck’s Bi, Tommy May Not Last                    
                


                

                    

                    

                        Zayn Williams
                        
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                            Stark: Hints for Years That 9-1-1 Buck’s Bi, Tommy May Not Last
                        
                    

                
                

                    











‘9-1-1’ is one of the most watched shows on primetime television and recently there has been new interest in the show after one of the main characters, Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley, came out as bisexual.





Played by British actor Oliver Stark, who has fast become a fan favorite for his intense performances and charismatic screen presence, Buck is the charming heartthrob on the show.





Stark recently sat down to talk with Tommy DiDario on his show “I’ve Never Said This Before With Tommy DiDario,” about the new direction of the series and about Buck’s sexuality.





DiDario asks Stark about why is was so excited to take on this new part of who Buck is.





“I think for a number of reasons, right? So first of all, I do think, and not in any kind of like intentional way, but I do think if you, you know, look back through the years of the show, there are breadcrumbs that have been leading to something, right? To some kind of I’m not happy with myself or there’s a side of myself that I am not quite in tune with yet,” Stark says.





“So I was excited from that perspective, like purely a kind of storytelling perspective. But then I also think this is a really uniquely positioned character to do this with, right? Where, listen, we’re on a network television show.”





Stark was considering if he should even bother responding to haters that didn’t like the new plot line, but decided it was important to show that he had absolutely nothing against it.





“You know, so I wanted to kind of just say something as a show of solidarity and be like, no, there’s nothing about this plot, about this story, about this character, about this community that I have any shame in portraying. And I think it’s a beautiful thing that the show is doing,” he said.





“And listen, I get comments where people will go to the extreme of saying things like, wait, I don’t want to see any relationships, straight, gay, any, I just want the emergencies.





And it’s like, well, that’s not a TV show. That’s a documentary. Like you want to go watch Cops.”





Related: Stark: Attraction Spurred Buck’s ‘9-1-1’ Tension with Eddie





Stark also talks about Buck’s relationship and kiss with Tommy, and says that Buck has a lot of exploring to do with this new direction in his life.





“So there’s still a lot of this story left to be told. But I would think that there’s a world where maybe he has opened this door for Buck. And now Buck needs to, you know, walk through it and see what there can be and explore and see what more there is to discover.”





“So, I mean, that’s certainly one route that I could envision. Or maybe not, you know, maybe, maybe this sticks around for a while and Tommy really helps him, you know, understand more about himself and his feelings. But, yeah, I think maybe there’s also an in-between almost, right?





“Where Tommy is still in his life, but also understands that this is new for Buck and that there are some things that he has to go and figure out and maybe he can help guide him through that a little bit.”





It’s clear that Stark’s off-screen persona is as fiery as his on-screen character. He remains unfazed by negative comments and continues to champion for accepting love in all its forms. In this modern era, Stark’s hopeful attitude is a glimmering light of positivity that’s as captivating as his on-screen performances.





Related: Oliver Stark on Possible ‘9-1-1’ Romance Between Buck & Eddie