Welcome to Secrets Act productions!
We are here because LGBT+ stories need to be told.
And they need to be told by LGBT+ people.
Debunking the myth of “universality”
There is a myth that's abounded for way too long that stories have to be “universal” to reach the broadest audience. When it comes to LGBT+ works, what this often means is “inoffensive.”
And what do people find offensive?
Two men kissing. Two women talking about their sex life. A same-sex wedding.
So what are LGBT+ performing artists usually asked to do?
Can you make it “universal?” Can you make it “inoffensive?”
Translation: Can you just make the characters straight and cisgender and keep the essential meaning of the story?
No.
Why can't they just be straight and cisgender?
We can't without losing the fundamental truth of these stories. A story about two men in love in the Navy in WW II is first and foremost a love story. But the fact that that love can't be acknowledged openly, that it could ruin their careers and their lives, and that they might need to keep it hidden from family or friends is central to understanding that story. And straight, cisgender people just don't have to worry about that stuff. So if you “make it universal” by making the characters cisgender and straight there's really no story left.
