Kristen Stewart Ariana DeBose Are First Openly Queer Performers Nominated For Acting Oscars In 20 Years
As the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the nominees for the 2022 Oscars on Tuesday (Feb. 8), the LGBTQ+ community was greeted with some good news: for the first time since Sir Ian McKellen was nominated in 2002 for Best Supporting Actor in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, an openly queer-identifying performer was nominated in an action role. Actually, twomembers of the Alphabet Mafia were nominated Tuesday morning: Ariana DeBose, who scored a Best Supporting Actress nod for her role of Anita in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story; and Kristen Stewart, who was nominated for Best Lead Actress for her turn as Princess Diana in the historical fiction drama, Spencer.