Lessons in Communication from LGBTQ+ Icons
By Tabitha Gilbert, in collaboration with the Dramatic Resources trainer team
In celebration of Pride Month, the Dramatic Resources team has been thinking about inspirational LGBTQ+ figures and what they can teach us about communication, authenticity and power – some of the key tenets of our work. Here are a few inspiring examples and stories selected by our brilliant trainers.
Jake Daniels is a 17-year-old football player at Blackpool FC. He made history this year as the first male player in the UK to come out as gay since Justin Fashanu in 1990. Jake’s brave decision to live his truth publicly can teach us a great deal about the power of authenticity, as well as leading by example. In an interview with Sky Sports, he said “I told my mum and my sister. The day after, we played Accrington and I scored four, so it just shows how much of a weight off the shoulders it was.” He has since received thousands of messages of support from fans across the country. Fear and anxiety can weigh us down and inhibit our performance, whilst the courage to show up as your truest self can create new opportunities for connection and success – and can inspire others to do the same.
Laverne Cox, the celebrated trans actress (as seen in Orange is the New Black), gave a spectacular honoree speech at Variety’s Power of Women event (watch the speech here). She quotes Brenee Brown on storytelling: “Stories are data with emotion” - an ever-important reminder of the power of sharing your unique story. In an article for the Queer Bible, Paris Lees (another inspirational communicator and writer who was the first openly transgender person to appear on the UK’s Question Time), explains why she sees Cox as a trailblazing icon and powerful communicator: "As Laverne told me back in 2013: “I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can construct a message so that people can hear it.”
Halsey is an American singer who is famously outspoken about their bisexuality and has sold over 1 million albums. They also delivered a powerful speech at the 2018 Glamour ‘Women of The Year’ awards. Halsey’s poem references women who have felt unable to use their voices (watch the speech here). Their message is clear: “You were not put on this world to make everybody’s life convenient. So please, be inconvenient”. Encouraging people to step into their power, take up space, and share their brilliance with the world really struck a chord with us as coaches and trainers.
Billie Jean King is a former world No. 1 tennis player and social justice champion. Among her hundreds of accolades, King was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 1999, and in 2000, she received an award from GLAAD for "furthering the visibility and inclusion of the community in her work". King once said, “Be bold – if you are going to make an error, make a doozy.” As champions of rehearsal and experimentation, we could not agree more!
In Almodóvar's film, All About My Mother, Agrado (a warm and witty transgender sex worker) lists her various cosmetic procedures. The monologue closes with “It costs a lot to be authentic, ma’am, and one can’t afford to be stingy with these things. You are more authentic the more you resemble what you dream of being.” Agrado’s speech speaks to the trans struggle of identity and sex presentation but is also an interesting take on authenticity. How do we show up, physically, in the world? What does this say about us? The idea that we are “more authentic” when we “resemble what we dream of being”, resonates with many of us, but this takes courage. Watch the monologue here (Spanish with English subtitles).
Hannah Gadsby’s live comedy performance Nanette (2017), which won a Primetime Emmy Award, talks extensively about LGBTQ and women's perspectives, as well as mental illness. In Nanette, Gadsby says “Do you know why we have the sunflowers? It’s not because Vincent van Gogh suffered. It’s because Vincent van Gogh had a brother who loved him. Through all the pain, he had a tether, a connection to the world. And that is the focus of the story we need – connection.” Connection is such a powerful tool which, as Gadsby suggests, can drive the heart of a story. At DR, we often reference E. M. Forster’s quote, “Only connect”, when thinking about communication.
We end with a longer piece, shared from Armistead Maupin’s More Tales of the City, in which Michael writes a coming-out letter to his parents. It is an utterly beautiful excerpt and a masterful piece of communication, which we want to share in its entirety. You can listen to the talented Ian McKellan read it here.