- Non-binary celebrities cannot receive major awards
- Abolishing the male and female categories at the Academy Awards will marginalize women
- Juliet becomes a man in Shakespeare's love story
Non-binary celebrities cannot receive major awards
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Awards, are annual awards organised by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) that honour the best British and international contributions to cinema. Although the BAFTAs are not as popular as the Oscars, they are arguably as important as the Golden Globes, and their less commercialized, 'academic' nature is considered by many to make them more valuable.
The first awards ceremony took place in 1949, and the BAFTAs have been held annually ever since. Although major changes are taking place in the entertainment industry, with various policies affecting some decisions, BAFTA has recently confirmed that there will be no major changes. This dropped a bombshell that has shaken the industry, leaving non-binary performers in an unenviable position[1].
The phenomenon of inclusion has not only spread to the Olympics. However, after two years of deliberation, the British Academy has decided to stick to the traditional 'actor' and 'actress' categories and force non-binary nominees to choose one side.
Unlike the latter, the Brit Awards doubled the number of nominees in the gender-neutral categories last year. However, this also caused controversy when no female artists were shortlisted for Best Female Artist. Although some see the British move as a step forward, especially after non-binary singer Sam Smith publicly called for changes, some celebrities are not in favor.
Adele, who won the newly created Best British Female Artist award that year, made waves when she said:
"I understand why the name of this award has changed, but I love being a woman and being a female artist."
In line with the same view, BAFTA confirmed that no such categories would be introduced and that the categories for male and female performers would remain unchanged.
This is not the first time this issue has been in the spotlight; the first time the subject came up was in 2022, and since then, many "inclusive" non-binary performers such as Bella Ramsay, Emma D'Arcy, and Emma Corrin have been calling for change in this aspect. In 2022, the Oscars and the Tonys also launched a consultation on the possibility of introducing gender-neutral categories, but both organizations have retained the Best Actress and Best Actor categories.
Abolishing the male and female categories at the Academy Awards will marginalize women
Non-binary performers are effectively required to choose whether to compete as a man or as a woman, which many see as a regressive step. Disputes over gender categories at the awards are not new, but BAFTA's refusal to budge has once again sparked an avalanche of debate[2].
Emma Corrin, known for her role in The Crown, has been particularly vocal about the need for change, saying that the awards ceremonies are not "inclusive enough", calling for a future where everyone feels "recognised and represented". Inclusion, they said, cannot be limited to awards alone.
However, it is argued that the abolition of the categories of men and women could further marginalize women. BAFTA is aware of this and has responded directly to these fears[3].
Juliet becomes a man in Shakespeare's love story
The revised guidelines state that film producers must "confirm the sex/gender identity of each nominee". In doing so, they are preventing the growing number of non-binary performers.
Romeo and Juliet reflect progressivism, albeit both in the bodies of biological men—because what else? In the nudist world, they are only super, super inclusive. Progressive ideas, as can be seen, were sweeping the dust off the pedestal just a few years ago, with Eliot Kingsley and George Caple in Romeo and Juliet, both played by men[4].
The world is still speculating about William Shakespeare's sexuality: is there any chance that, if it had been acceptable in his time, Shakespeare would have written his greatest love story about Romeo and Juliet, rather than Romeo and Juliet.
One argument for this choice is that Shakespeare wrote Juliet and the other girl roles for a young actor who was once the object of his affection. Speculation about Shakespeare's sexuality stems from his sonnets, many of which are dedicated to 'Mr WH' and a mysterious young man known as the 'fair youth'. However, there is little evidence as to who this character was.
Finally, another "bowing out" is revealed.
In one version, Romeo is white and Julius is not. This raises questions about attitudes towards homosexuality in some countries and communities in general.
There are whispers from the world that they saw a production of Henry V at the Globe a few years ago which mixed genders and ethnicities. For example, Henry was played by a petite black woman and the Princess of France by a white man. It was great; the actors were talented and the story was entertaining. Ha ha ha...
However, if the protagonist's ethnicity was important to the story, and the basic human values were important to the directors, the roles would be played by people of the same ethnicity and, of course, the same gender.
