Olivia Colman Criticised After Saying She Describes Herself as a ‘Gay Man’
Oscar-winning actor Olivia Colman has faced criticism from a Scottish lesbian group after describing herself as “a gay man” during a recent interview.
Colman made the comment while speaking to Them about her new queer drama Jimpa, in which she plays a bisexual mother named Hannah who travels to Amsterdam with her non-binary child to visit her gay father.
During the interview, Colman said she has “never felt massively feminine” and joked that she describes herself to her husband, Ed Sinclair, “as a gay man.”
Backlash From ‘Gender-Critical’ Group
While the remark appeared to be light-hearted, it has drawn criticism online, with some describing it as “patronising” or “insulting.”
Scottish group The Fantastic Lesbians, which frequently posts trans-exclusionary messaging on social media, shared an open letter addressed to Colman.
In the two-page letter, posted to X, the group said it was written in a “thoughtful spirit,” but argued that when “someone who has lived openly and comfortably as heterosexual speaks about identifying as gay, it can be deeply painful.”
The letter stated:
“For many people in the lesbian and gay community, sexuality has not simply been a label but a journey marked by confusion, fear, self-interrogation, and often profound alienation.”
It went on to argue that heterosexual people “never have to ‘come out’” or navigate the same risks of marginalisation and rejection faced by gay and lesbian people.
The group concluded that its message was not intended as an attack, but to express the “hurt that can arise when lived experiences that have involved marginalisation are treated as interchangeable with those that have not.”
The post was subsequently amplified by other so-called “gender-critical” campaigners, including LGB Alliance.
Colman’s Support for Queer Stories
Colman’s comments came during promotion for Jimpa, which co-stars John Lithgow and centres on intergenerational LGBTQ+ relationships.
In a separate interview with Variety, Colman expressed concern that the mainstream entertainment industry is becoming “too nervous” to champion queer-led films amid a shifting political climate.
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