{"id":46617,"date":"2016-10-25T14:20:47","date_gmt":"2016-10-25T18:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/moonlight-star-on-the-importance-of-telling-black-gay-stories-its-something-that-the-world-needs\/"},"modified":"2016-10-25T14:20:47","modified_gmt":"2016-10-25T18:20:47","slug":"moonlight-star-on-the-importance-of-telling-black-gay-stories-its-something-that-the-world-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/moonlight-star-on-the-importance-of-telling-black-gay-stories-its-something-that-the-world-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Moonlight\u2019 Star on the Importance of Telling\u00a0Black Gay Stories: \u2018It\u2019s Something That\u00a0the World\u00a0Needs\u2019\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018Moonlight\u2019 Star on the Importance of Telling\u00a0Black Gay Stories: \u2018It\u2019s Something That\u00a0the World\u00a0Needs\u2019\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\"moonlight<\/p>\n

Trevante Rhodes, star of the new film Moonlight<\/em><\/a>, is speaking about the impact the film is having and on his experience playing a gay<\/a> man<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rhodes spoke with PEOPLE <\/a>about the film, a bildungsroman in three acts about a boy<\/a> growing up gay<\/a>, black and poor in Miami.<\/p>\n

Said Rhodes of the social significance of the film,<\/p>\n

“It talks about a subject matter that is so prevalent today. Being a black man<\/a> in American is relatively difficult right now, being a gay<\/a> man<\/a> in America is incredibly difficult and so being a black, gay<\/a> man<\/a>, like I’ve said before, can be perceived as the worst possible thing right now. So it is something that we need, that the world needs, and I’m thinking it’s a beautiful thing that people are receiving it. I didn’t think we were ready for something like that. And it’s really surprising and really refreshing to me to see that people are.”<\/p>\n

Of how he approached playing a gay<\/a> character, Rhodes said,<\/p>\n

\"screen-shot-2016-10-25-at-10-00-50-am\"“I was born loving women<\/a> but I easily could have been born loving men<\/a>. It’s the exact same sensation… You don’t fall in love with someone [just] for their physical [traits], but for their mental.”<\/p>\n

It was really just about me it was really just falling in love with the person that [my co-star] André Holland is. I respect him, I love him for the father figure he is.” <\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED – Oscar Season Preview: Moonlight, La La Land, Fences, Loving, The Arrival, and More!<\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n

Rhodes says he didn’t tap into from any specific story or source material for his performance:<\/p>\n

“One of my best friends is homosexual so I knew his struggle, but it wasn’t about pulling from that. I didn’t want to make it about that. It was really just about understanding people, understanding love and relationships…As actors and directors, I feel like our job, more so than anything else, is to shine a light on a subject and to let people know that they’re not alone.”<\/p>\n

Watch a trailer for Moonlight<\/em>, below.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The post ‘Moonlight’ Star on the Importance of Telling Black Gay Stories: ‘It’s Something That the World Needs’ <\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"
\n<\/p>\n

‘Moonlight’ Star on the Importance of Telling\u00a0Black Gay Stories: ‘It’s Something That\u00a0the World\u00a0Needs’\u00a0<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n