Anna Camp: A Deep Exploration Of The Newly High Rise In The Support And Acceptance Of The LGBTQIA+ Community – And Why Hate Crimes Still Exist To This Day

In my previous post, I heavily discussed friendships, particularly female friendships, and the complexities that come with missing business with friendships. After all, Taylor Swift is the most influential and powerful figure in today’s world of celebrity. At this point in her career, nothing will seemingly ever stop her from achieving her goals and dreams; not even a friend, or a person who claims to be her friend, will do anything that could ever stop her. But all this was discussed in my previous blog entry, which you can read after you read THIS one.

Getting to write about Taylor Swift’s friendships and business attributes reminded me so much of Anna Camp, who recently went public with her new relationship with stylist Jade Whipkey. This marks her first relationship with a woman, as she’d been previously only known to have been with men. Swift has been a great advocate for the LGBTQ+ community since 2019 since the release of her song You Need To Calm Down, inspired by inspired by a conversation with a friend about her perceived lack of education on the topic. But to go back to our conversation on Anna Camp, she was previously married to Michael Mosley between 2010 and 2013 and Skyler Astin, her Pitch Perfect co-star, between 2016 and 2019. She was also in a 4+ year relationship with Michael Johnson. News of their breakup wasn’t ever confirmed until Camp went public with her new relationship with Whipkey. Camp, on her part, never came out as queer. She simply said during an interview released in February, that went viral three months later, that she wasn’t looking for anything in a man anymore because she was dating a woman. Camp’s fans around the world were excited for her, and showed their endless support on social media.

Camp’s Pitch Perfect co-star Rebel Wilson, who will also be starring alongside Camp in the upcoming movie Bride Hard, like Camp, also went public with her queer relationship with Ramona Agruma in 2022 after dating only men publicly. She announced her relationship on Instagram, introducing Agruma as her “Disney princess”. They’ve since married and had a daughter together via surrogate. Wilson also shared insights into her sexuality journey, noting that she didn’t always consider herself as a lesbian but that her relationship with Agruma helped her understand and embrace her true self. In a 2023 interview with People, Wilson said of her sexuality, ‘I never thought I was 100 percent straight. I don’t quite know how to define my sexuality, but I do know there’s a lot of people out there that don’t want to totally define it either.’

That same year, Wilson launched a new dating app, Fluid. In the same interview with People, she said, ‘This is the first dating app where you don’t have to actually define yourself or tick a box to say ‘I’m straight, I’m gay, I’m bisexual,’ and you don’t have to describe what you are looking for. What’s really cool is, it’s open to everyone. You might just be interested in checking out a wider dating pool like I was. It covers a lot of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, but I think even if you’re straight you could use the app and have an amazing time. The algorithm just picks up who you are vibing with and how much time you spend on certain profiles and it’s open enough so that if your sexuality moves into a different direction, it will follow because of what you are preferring on the app. The algorithm works on interests as well. I wish that this was around five years ago. Something like this would have really helped me and maybe I would have stumbled upon a female’s profile and been like, ‘OK, maybe I do want to message them.’ I totally would have joined up for Fluid because you don’t have to label yourself in any way. You just see who you connect with. I know that, to me, it doesn’t matter about the gender, it just matters about the person.’

Wilson said she was inspired to create the app after getting to work with her Gen-Z co-stars on the Netflix movie, Senior Year. She said, ‘It’s funny, the younger adults who were the cast, they’re so open about their sexuality and that freedom is so awesome and should be celebrated. I did learn a lot from them.’ This leads me to believe that the new generation is now becoming more and more accepting and celebratory of others no matter their gender, sexuality, disability, etc. But not only that, this has now become an age where more and more people are coming out. A recent survey found that nearly 30% of Gen Z identifies as LGBTQ — reporting on a public figure’s sexuality is less cut and dried than it used to be. Nearly half of those Gen Zers who identify as LGBTQ specifically identify as bisexual, and many don’t want to have previous generations’ labels, restrictions or rules around coming out thrust on them. Mel Woods, senior editor of audience engagement at Xtra Magazine, said, ‘That embrace of fluidity by younger generations [has meant] people are a bit ahead of where the media is in covering these stories and these narratives.

On her part, Wilson was forced to come out before she was ready to make her same-sex relationship public when an Australian journalist threatened to publicize it. She said she and Agruma didn’t hide their relationship, but the couple wanted to share the news at their own pace due to varying levels of family support. Wilson told The Australian in 2022, ‘Across our two families, not everybody is as accepting as what you’d hoped for, and we were trying to be respectful to those people and tell them in our own way. Basically, with the situation where a journalist is threatening to out you, you’ve got to hurry, and some people we didn’t get a chance to tell before it came out publicly. And that’s not ideal.’ Even more so, she was worried about Agruma’s well-being in her coming out, as she wasn’t used to a public life.

This reminded me so much of a particular storyline on Glee (on a side note: Anna Camp actually had a cameo role in season 1 of the show) And so the story goes…it was season 3. Santana Lopez, played by the late Naya Rivera, who passed away in 2020 due to a drowning accident, was seen as angry and easily ticked off, but she was also repressing her feelings for Brittany, her best friend. She already knew she was a lesbian. Everyone at Glee club already knew she was a lesbian, and no one cared. She’d already confessed her feelings for Brittany, but she was turned down. Not because Brittany didn’t return those feelings, but because she was with someone else at the time. They eventually became a couple, and everyone accepted them and celebrated them unconditionally. The road to the openness, however, wasn’t easy for Santana, and if things had gone her way, her coming out story wouldn’t have happened the way it did.

It was just a random Tuesday. Santana was being her feisty self and taking her anger out on everyone else in her high school hallways. She was particularly taking her anger out on Finn, played by the late Cory Monteith, who passed away in 2013 due to an accidental drug overdose. After she was done with yet another rant of hers at his expense, Finn, in retaliation, publicly outed her. It started with, ‘Hey Santana, why don’t you just come out of the closet?’ The heartbreak in Santana’s face at that moment was truly hard to watch. The high school halls suddenly went radio silent. Everyone stopped; glaring and glancing in disbelief. Finn continued, ‘You know I think I know why you’re so good at tearing everyone else down. It’s because you’re constantly tearing yourself down because you can’t admit to everybody that you’re in love with Brittany, and she might not love you back. That must hurt, to not be able to admit to everyone how you really feel. You know what I think you are? A coward.’

But that wasn’t even the worst part. It was then revealed that their Santana and Finn’s exchange of words was overheard by someone in power of a political campaign who was at the school at the time. Santana’s sexuality was outed in Sue’s, the school’s cheerleading coach, campaign ad for congress. While Sue, as well as Will, her teacher and Glee coach, and Burt, Kurt’s who was openly gay, father, all offered Santana support, she ran from the office in tears and yelled, ‘I can’t believe this is happening. I haven’t even told my parents yet!’ Following her performance of her rendition of Adele’s Rumour Has it, she saw Finn whispering in Rachel’s, played by Lea Michele, ear. Automatically assuming he was talking about her, she stopped her performance and ran to his direction to confront him. Out of anger, she ended up slapping him.

Santana and Finn were called to the principle’s office. Santana was told she was being expelled from school. Finn, hearing this and feeling responsible for it happening, yelled out that the slap was rehearsed and part of a stage play that the two of them were doing together. But Finn didn’t stop there. He wanted Santana to know that she was loved and accepted, and that no one cared about her sexuality. It took a lot of time to do so. With a rendition of Girls Just Want To Have Fun, she saw a spark; and they embraced in a hug. Of course, there was bullying that she had to endure at the hands of some random jocks, but she also had the Glee club members to support her. Following the performance of I Kissed A Girl, also featured the female members of the Glee club, Santana happily revealed that she came out to her parents and they supported her. Then came time for Santana to come out to her grandmother, with whom she was very close. But when she did, her grandmother kicked her out and told her she never wanted to speak to her again because in her mind, wasn’t ‘the right way to live’. She viewed Santana’s sexuality as a sin.

Though I found Finn’s Girls Just Want To Have Fun performance and Santana’s fast forgiveness of his doing wish-washy, as well as the girls’ I Kissed A Girl performance to be tacky, Santana’s entire coming out story was a significant because it offered a rare glimpse of a queer woman’s journey, challenging conventional narratives and providing visibility for marginalized communities. Her character’s journey, particularly her struggle to overcome internalized homophobia and conservative cultural barriers, resonated deeply with many, offering a powerful message of acceptance and self-discovery. While we put aside Finn’s performance to Santana and her performance of I Kissed A Girl with the rest of the girls thereafter, let’s break down the significance of Santana’s coming out and Finn outing her, as well as why exactly her storyline was so impactful to the LGBTQ community:

• Visibility and Representation: Santana provided a platform for queer Latinas, who were often underrepresented in media. Her character’s joy, talent, and love were portrayed positively, challenging stereotypes. 
• Complex Coming Out Journey: Santana’s coming out wasn’t a simple “good-news” scenario. She grappled with internalized homophobia and the challenges of confronting societal expectations, making her journey relatable to many. 
• Cultural Context: Santana’s journey was deeply intertwined with her cultural background, particularly her relationship with her Abuela (grandmother), who represented a strong, yet conservative, figure. This aspect of her story provided insights into how queer identity intersects with family and cultural norms. 
• Outing and its Consequences: The way Santana was outed by Finn (a character she often clashed with) highlighted the negative impact of public outing on LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly when it’s not their choice. 
• Inspiration and Role Model: Many queer women and Latinas found inspiration in Santana’s journey, seeing a part of themselves in her story and finding validation in her journey of self-acceptance. 
• Broader Impact: Santana’s story also helped to normalize queer relationships on television, showcasing a healthy and loving relationship between two women. 
• Challenging Narratives: Santana’s story broke from the typical narrative of queer characters in media, which often focused on trauma or struggle. She demonstrated the possibility of thriving and finding happiness as a queer person. 

Santana’s storyline of the consequences of being forced to come out by Finn continued on until the end of her time on Glee, when she and Brittany got married. We learned that she and her grandmother were still estranged because of her outdated view on queer relationships. When Brittany attempted to reunite the two and Abuela still refused, Brittany, without hesitation, said to her, ‘Good. I’m glad you’re not coming. You know, the New York Times says that half the increase in support of gay marriage is due to generational turnover. That’s what smart people call crazy uptight bitches dying. You guys lost, okay? And honestly the rest of us are just going about our business being normal and waiting for you to not be around, not because you can stop us from getting married, but because you’re kind of annoying.’ Abuela was shocked and astounded that someone could speak to her like that, and when she asked Santana if she was really going to allow to let her speak in that manner to her, Santana held Brittany’s hand said yes.

In my eyes, that particular moment was the most admirable one we’d ever seen throughout their relationship. It showcased the true essence of a healthy relationship – lesbian or otherwise. When two become one, your partner becomes your family; the person you love most; the most important person in the world to you. And yes, more important than a parent or any other immediate family. Through thick and thin, you choose them no matter what. And that’s exactly what Santana did at that moment. No matter how hard it was for her to do, she didn’t hesitate to show her grandmother that she’d always choose Brittany over her. Eventually, with Sue’s insistence and persuasion, Santana’s grandmother came to her senses and even attended Santana’s wedding. Santana and her grandmother reconcile and accept each other as they are.

It was a happy-ending to a beautiful, complex story of two women in love. But even more so, it was a happy-ending to a story of a young woman finding joy and acceptance within herself in being true to herself – in love with another woman – and not being afraid to show it. Santana was a prime example of a queer character coming to terms with their identity and sharing it with family and friends. While Santana’s story is specific to the show, her experiences resonate with many queer individuals who face similar challenges, including fear of family rejection and navigating social dynamics. To break it down more thoroughly:

• Fear of Family Rejection: Santana’s initial fear of coming out to her abuela and then facing her rejection is a common fear for many queer people, especially those from conservative backgrounds. “A Latina queer icon”. 
• Navigating Social Dynamics: Santana’s relationship with Brittany, her coming out to the school, and her romantic experiences, reflect the social challenges of being a queer person in high school. 
• Finding Acceptance and Support: Santana’s eventual acceptance by her mother and the unwavering support of Brittany provide a sense of hope and resilience, which can be inspiring for those struggling with their own identities. 
• Representation Matters: Santana’s character and her journey were significant because they offered a rare and powerful representation of a lesbian Latina character, according to The Guardian. This representation helped many queer individuals see themselves reflected on-screen for the first time. 

Santana’s story most certainly inspired me. I’ve always known I was attracted to women the same way I was attracted to men. I’ve always appreciated women’s bodies and found them to be very beautiful. I was never in a longterm relationship with a woman, but I did sleep with women. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be in a relationship with one; but rather that I didn’t get the chance to. My husband was my first real relationship; one where I felt genuine love. I wasn’t ready to allow someone else in and open my heart to someone else beforehand. I wasn’t even ready to do so when I met my now-husband. He gave me the time to do so at my own pace.

I’ve known that I was attracted to women since adolescence. I remember watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer, particularly Willow’s coming out story when she fell in love with Tara. Willow gradually fell in love with Tara after the heartbreak she faced at the hands of her high school boyfriend, Oz, when he left town after he’d cheated on her with another werewolf (longggg story…). When he came back in hopes to resume their relationship, she realized that, even though she loved him, she didn’t feel the same type of love for him as she did for Tara. She was less confused about her feelings for Tara than terrified for her friends’ reaction to her potentially being with a woman. When she opened up to Buffy about her growing feelings for Tara, she was petrified she’d lose Buffy as a friend. Buffy, however, showed Willow unconditional love and acceptance no matter who she chose to love, as did Xander and everyone else Willow was friends with.

I myself never had a coming out moment like Willow did or Santana did on their respective shows. I never felt the need to, with my family especially. I just casually told them I’d slept with women in my years of dating. They had zero reaction to my admission, because to them, it was no big deal. It was the same with friends. To me, it was no big deal to admit that I was bisexual. I didn’t care whether anyone had an issue with my sexuality or not. Most of my friends, from all walks of life, embraced it and accepted me for exactly the person I was. There was one time when I was shamed for my sexuality by someone who claimed to be my friend. This person laughed and asked another friend of mine who I didn’t open up to about my sexuality yet, ‘Did you hear that Stacie’s a lesbian?’ He did so in a degrading way; as if it was a something that wasn’t normal. The friend that he told this to responded by saying, ‘No, but even if she is, the only person that should care about this is (my husband).’

Opening up about one’s sexuality can a sacred moment. It can be scary. It can be liberating. But it can also be dangerous. You just never know how others are going to react to who you choose to be your partner. For the most part, I think homophobia comes from what the bible emphasizes sexuality, as well as the old-school notion that it was people’s responsibility and life’s destiny to get married to someone of the opposite sex and have children with them. While the Bible doesn’t explicitly address homosexuality as a sin in a specific way, the general condemnation of sexual immorality is often applied to it. One’s interpretation and overall views of biblical passages regarding sexuality can vary, and it’s important to consider the context and overall teaching of the Bible. The Bible teaches readers that any type of sexual activity outside the God-ordained marriage of male and female is sinful. Therefore, specific activities such as premarital sex, adultery, or homosexual sex are inconsistent with God’s holy purposes for sexual expression. For instance, the injunction that “man must not lie with man” (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13) coheres with the context of a society anxious about their health, continuing family lineages, and retaining the distinctiveness of Israel as a nation.

Times are changing, and we’ve come a long way since the tale-as-old-as-time believing that love and marriage is only possible to be shared between a man and a woman; even since Glee days. That’s because at times are progressing, people are becoming more accepting and more open-minded, and because of this, more and more people are starting to be open about their sexuality. In 2012, 3.5% of U.S. adults identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The figure increased to 4.5% in 2017, 5.6% in 2020 and 7.1% in 2021. Rates among young people have also increased, from an average 18.8% of Gen Z adults in 2020 through 2022 to an average of 22.7% over the past two years. As for older generations, there was a a nearly two-point increase among millennials (from 10.3% to 12.0%) and a one-point increase among Generation X (from 3.8% to 4.8%). There has not been meaningful change among baby boomers or the Silent Generation.

In the same interview that went viral on TikTok where she revealed she was dating a woman, Anna Camp revealed that being married to a man by the age of 30 was one of life’s biggest conspiracies. She said, ‘That in order to be happy, you have to be married to a guy, with children, at like 30 or something. That’s a conspiracy. That’s not true. I grew up in the south and people told me that I basically had to do that.’ Camp is now 42 years old. She has a sister who’s 7 years older than her. Her parents are aging. So of course she was told as such. And maybe Rebel Wilson was made to believe as well. She, too, is in her 40’s now. She also only lost her virginity at 32. Hence, she didn’t have enough experience to really know what she wanted. However, she did say in a previous interview that she never felt fully straight.

People from the older generations had been told they needed to live life in a certain way; because that was what their parents were told. The worldview was different. It was expected for people of all kind to get married and have kids because, according to society’s standards, that was what they were supposed to do. In the past, many individuals hid their true sexuality and entered into heterosexual marriages due to a combination of societal pressures, religious beliefs, as well as personal and professional reasons. Family expectations, the need to maintain a “normal” image, and the stigma associated with non-heterosexual orientations were major factors. Some also sought marriage for practical reasons like securing a family or career advancement. To break this down more thoroughly:

• Family Expectations and Social Pressure: Family expectations, especially in some cultures, often dictated that people marry someone of the opposite sex to fulfill their perceived roles and preserve family honor. 
• Stigma and Internalized Homophobia: The stigma associated with homosexuality, particularly in certain periods and societies, led individuals to fear social ostracism or even legal repercussions. Internalized homophobia, the belief that one’s own identity is wrong, also contributed to the decision to conceal their true sexual orientation. 
• Professional Reasons: In some cases, individuals married to appear more “normal” or to gain a professional advantage. 
• Practical Reasons: Some individuals sought marriage to establish a family, have children, or create a seemingly traditional household. 
• “Lavender Marriages”:The term “lavender marriage” refers to heterosexual marriages entered into by gay or lesbian individuals to hide their sexuality from the public, often in order to appear more “normal”. 

That being said, maybe we, as a society, automatically just assumed Anna Camp was straight because she’d only ever been with men publicly. Maybe she was never straight to begin with, but only doing what was expected of her and what she was told was the right thing to do. Maybe it’s only now that she’s living her true authentic self at 42 years old. And with the new Gen-Z generation of fans, shes being celebrated and showered with support – at least on social media. Her coming out wasn’t made into a big fiasco. It was…simple. She was in a new relationship with someone who just happened to be a woman. That’s all. And it’s absolutely beautiful.

But let’s not pretend like homophobia doesn’t still exist. Jonathan Joss, voice actor who played John Redcorn on King Of The Hill, was murdered this month by a homophobic neighbour, 56-year-old Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez. Police initially didn’t believe the killing to be a hate crime, but retract the premature denial soon after. After the initial denial by police, Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, made a TikTok video with the following statement, ‘Jonathan Joss is my husband. I don’t say ‘was’ because he will always be my husband. He will always be the love of my life. I’m gonna keep talking about not only what happened on the day of my husband’s death, but also, we’re gonna share just everything about Jonathan and everything that he stood for. We’re gonna laugh together. We’re gonna cry together. We’re gonna be angry together. We won’t stop talking about this. I’m not going to let the SAPD or anyone else silence the fact that this was a hate crime, and I just won’t be silenced. I may not be as loud as my husband, but I carry his strength with me. I won’t stop fighting for what I know is right and for my love.’

Tragically, it happened on the first day of Pride Month; a month that marks a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community’s culture and contributions; a month that marks to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues and promote equality and inclusion; a month that marks to challenge the prejudice and discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ individuals; a month that marks to provide a platform for LGBTQ+ individuals to feel safe, valued, and included. The case of Jonathan Joss is exactly why we have Pride Month. Even though so much progress has already been made, there’s still a long way to go as, still to this day, the LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face hate, discrimination, and scrutiny for simply wanting to be true to themselves. Just to repeat what Brittany said to Santana’s grandmother when she refused to come to their wedding simply because Santana was marrying another woman, ‘You know, the New York Times says that half the increase in support of gay marriage is due to generational turnover. That’s what smart people call crazy uptight bitches dying. You guys lost, okay? And honestly the rest of us are just going about our business being normal and waiting for you to not be around, not because you can stop us from getting married, but because you’re kind of annoying.’ That’s the whole point!