NONBINARY BROADWAY STAR REJECTS TONY AWARD CONSIDERATION OVER GENDERED CATEGORIES

Nonbinary Broadway Star Rejects Tony Award Consideration over Gendered Categories

By CAROLINE DOWNEY

February 2, 2023 6:39 PM

 

A Broadway performer in a popular musical who identifies as nonbinary has refused to be considered for a Tony Award over the organization’s gendered categories.

 

Justin David Sullivan, who stars in the show & Juliet, is abstaining from the nomination process in protest because some of the organization’s titles are specific to men or women. Problematic categories, Sullivan suggested, include “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play” and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play.”

 

Sullivan told Playbill in an interview that the current categories were not inclusive enough and that they should be amended to encompass people across the so-called gender spectrum.

 

“I was told that I had to choose [the category in which] I felt comfortable, and in that process, I struggled a lot,” Sullivan said. “There’s nothing more that I want to empower than non-binary people, to show that it’s possible to be non-binary on Broadway, play a non-binary character on Broadway and be nominated, and possibly potentially awarded. I felt like I couldn’t choose. I didn’t feel right being in either category because it didn’t resonate with me. I decided the only thing that felt right to me would be to abstain from nomination consideration. So I will not be considered for a Tony nomination.”

 

Within the notoriously progressive theatre industry, multiple organizations have eliminated gender distinctions in their awards.

 

The Obie Awards, which conducts awards for off-Broadway productions, and the Outer Critics Circle Awards, which recognize theatrical achievements for both on-Broadway and off-Broadway shows, removed their gendered categories this year, the Daily Mail reported.

 

“We recognize that the current acting categories are not fully inclusive, and we are currently in discussion about how to best adjust them to address this. Unfortunately, we are still in process on this and our rules do not allow us to make changes once a season has begun,” the Tony Awards said in a statement in response to Sullivan’s withdrawal. “We are working thoughtfully to ensure that no member of our community feel excluded in future seasons.”

 

Sullivan said the theatre community is extremely gender-diverse and that the awards ceremonies should reflect that.

 

“I hope that this is a wake-up call to not only the Tonys, but for every award show to celebrate everyone and to make sure they’re being inclusive,” Sullivan told Playbill. “Things are shifting. There are so many gender-queer and gender-expansive artists in our community, and they bring so much to the table.”

 

 

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