Culture

A Nonbinary Broadway Actor Withdrew from Tony Consideration Over Gendered Awards


A nonbinary performer has withdrawn from consideration for the Tony Awards, citing the lack of non-gendered categories in Broadway’s most prestigious honors.

Justin David Sullivan, who plays the nonbinary character May in the Shakespearean jukebox musical & Juliet, announced their decision in a statement posted to Instagram on Thursday.

“As a nonbinary performer playing a nonbinary principal role on Broadway, I have been asked by many what I plan on doing about this year’s award season nomination categories,” Sullivan, who uses he, she, and they pronouns, wrote in the statement. “While I was thrilled to see that some are eliminating gender from their nomination categories, I was disheartened to learn that the Tony Awards are not planning on making this year’s nomination categories more inclusive of gender expansive or trans nonbinary performers like myself.”

Sullivan went on to say that she “felt [they] had no choice but to abstain from being considered for a nomination this season.”

“I could not in good faith move forward with denying any part of my identity to conform to a system and structure that does not hold space for people like me,” she continued. “Although this decision was difficult to make, I am hopeful that awards shows will learn from this and make the meaningful changes necessary in order to consider, nominate, and award people of all gender identities moving forward.”

Several awards ceremonies have eliminated gendered categories in recent years, although no major acting awards ceremony has yet to make the switch. The Lucille Lortel Awards, which recognizes off-Broadway productions, started presenting performers with gender-neutral awards in 2021. Last month, the Outer Critics Circle Awards, an organization of writers who write about New York theater for out-of-town and national publications, announced that it, too, would do away with gendered categories

In a statement to Playbill.com, the Tonys stated a recognition 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 statement reads. The Tonys said they are “working thoughtfully” to ensure that no one feels excluded based on gender identity in future awards seasons. 

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