Hollywood 2021: Gay Figures–Lil Nas X, Rapper–Songwriter, 22,

Rapper-Songwriter 

Lil Nas X, the 22-year-old pop wunderkind behind “Old Town Road” debuted his campy, scandalous video for “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” back in March.

A homoerotic journey through heaven and hell that climaxes in Satanic lap dance, the visual fantasy was a throwback to the days when LGBTQ+ artists were less interested in fitting in than in shocking the mainstream.

The controversy paid off, resulting in his second No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 and nearly 240 million YouTube views.

The Rhinestone Cowboy then capped things off with a sultry pole dance on Saturday Night Live, with chorus of shirtless male dancers, a display intended to inspire young, queer viewers.

Montero, the LP, is expected to arrive sometime this summer.

Actor-TV Host 

The three-time Emmy-nominated Nash, who shines in everything from improv (Reno 911) to black comedy (Claws) to historical drama (When They See Us, Mrs. America) surprised just about everyone — herself included — when she announced she was getting married for a third time to singer Jessica Betts, 38, in August. “I loved men until I didn’t,” is how Nash, 51, describes her entry into the LGBTQ+ community. “I was the first lady of a church. I was married to an engineer. And now I’m married to a musician who just happens to have a different gender from the first two.” Outside of their bubble of wedded bliss — she calls Betts her “hersband” — the adjustment has taken a little getting used to. “People want me to know their sexual orientation: ‘I just wanted you to know that I’m a lesbian,’ ” Nash says. “Well, that’s great. But are you a good person?” Next up for Nash, she appears in Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Ryan Murphy’s miniseries about one of history’s most notorious serial killers.

Actor-Producer 

After a long career on camera, starring in the features Juno and Inception and on TV in The Umbrella Academy, Page came out as transgender in December — announcing on social media that he would now go by Elliot Page and couldn’t “begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self.” Page instantly became one of the biggest transgender stars in Hollywood. Since the announcement, Page has moved into an activist role — one he has previously occupied as an environmental advocate — appearing as the first openly trans man on the cover of Time, sharing his transition milestones online and fighting for trans rights in the political sphere. “I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society,” he said in December. Page next returns to the small screen for the third season of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, which is currently filming in Canada.

Civil Rights Leader 

As president of Color of Change, a civil rights advocacy organization focused on bettering the lives of Black Americans, Robinson leads dozens of campaigns pursuing criminal justice, voting rights and economic reform. But, in the wake of the 2020 police killing of George Floyd and the unrest that followed, it was his renewed efforts to make the entertainment industry confront its portrayals of cops that had the biggest impact on Hollywood. Reality shows COPS and Live PD were canceled, and more than a dozen TV shows brought on Color of Change to rethink depictions of policing, the justice system and racism. Robinson, who previously held a leadership role at GLAAD, next wants to see people of color get their due in LGBTQ stories. “I would love to see Stonewall told through the eyes of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera and the other Black and brown gay, trans and nonconforming liberation luminaries who made that moment possible,” he says, “to see a story in which they are the protagonists and fully portrayed.”

Dancer-Singer 

If there’s a human embodiment of a rainbow, it’s 18-year-old JoJo Siwa. The always bright, usually glitter-clad singer took the tween world by storm in recent years, breaking out from her Dance Mom days to land an overall deal at Nickelodeon (at just 13), launch merch lines and sell out arenas. After dropping hints via social media, Siwa officially confirmed that she’s a member of the LGBTQ community during a 15-minute Instagram video in January — a big moment and a huge risk for a performer whose fan base is largely children and teens. No matter the gender, “I always believed that my person was going to be my person,” she said in the post, since viewed nearly 9 million times. She didn’t put a label on her sexuality in the video and told fans that she’ll keep her love life largely private, but she wanted them to know that “no matter who you love that it’s OK.” The response has been overwhelmingly supportive, among fans and corporate partners alike — she recently launched an anti-bullying campaign with Walmart and GLSEN to support LGBTQ+ youth.

Actor-Singer 

Breaking out as the comic relief in 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Smith segued to leading-man status this year with Generation — HBO’s Gen Z drama about sexuality and identity. In June 2020, amid last summer’s racial justice protests, Smith went public with his own sexuality, coming out as queer on Instagram after participating in a Black Lives Matter protest in New Orleans. “As a Black queer man myself, I was disappointed to see certain people eager to say Black Lives Matter but hold their tongue when Trans/Queer was added. … If your revolution does not include Black queer voices, it is anti-Black.” On top of his activism, Smith has continued to grow his résumé, starting with the second part of Generation and a dinosaur return in Jurassic World: Dominion. In March, he moved into the music space with his debut single, “Bed.” He’s also in production on Paramount and eOne’s Dungeons & Dragons feature adaptation alongside Chris Pine, Hugh Grant and Regé-Jean Page.

Comedian-Podcaster

Recently wrapping his second season on Saturday Night Live, Yang has achieved undisputed scene-stealer status (and a bit of Emmy buzz as well), with his impressions running a wide gamut covering Fran Lebowitz, Kim Jong-un and, perhaps most viral, the iceberg that sank the Titanic. Since becoming the show’s first Chinese American star and one of its few openly gay castmembers, Yang has landed roles in Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens and Girls5eva and maintained the pop culture podcast Las Culturistas. An activist for the Asian community during the past year’s rise in hate crimes, he brought the issue to “Weekend Update.” As his SNL star continues to rise, the comedian has plenty to keep him busy in the off-weeks: He’s headlining Audible scripted podcast Hot White Heist, a queer action comedy directed by Alan Cumming set to debut at the Tribeca Film Festival. Alongside Henry Golding and Sandra Oh, Yang also is lending his voice to Paramount Animation’s upcoming adaptation of The Tiger’s Apprentice.