Ruby Rose, whom I only know from her role as a deaf-mute assassin in John Wick 2 and thought was alright, has been cast as Kate Kane / Batwoman on The CW's Arrowverse shows. Kane is a lesbian martial artist, and Rose is a lesbian with fight scene experience, so you would think the "you have to be exactly the thing you're acting as if you want to act" crowd would be satisfied by this.
Nope.
A movement began on Twitter to keep Rose out of the role, as as wont to happen. Some questioned her acting ability, which, fine, I haven't heard great things about her in roles where she's required to speak. Others are angry because Kate Kane is Jewish and Rose isn't, so of course not all of the checkboxes are filled and we can't have that. But my favorite / most enraging argument is that Rose is conventionally beautiful and thus shouldn't be allowed to be gay in movies, because conventionally pretty lesbians only appeal to straight people. This argument is made by both people who erroneously think she's straight, and by people who know she's a lesbian but are mad anyway because she's attractive. Yeah, really.
Anyway, Rose left Twitter after posting the following, though she has not left the role:
Where on earth did 'Ruby is not a lesbian therefore she can't be batwoman' come from -- has to be the funniest most ridiculous thing I've ever read. I came out at 12? And have for the past 5 years had to deal with 'she's too gay' how do y'all flip it like that? I didn't change. I wish we would all support each other and our journeys.
When women and when minorities join forces we are unstoppable... when we tear each other down it's much more hurtful than from any group. But hey/ love a challenge I just wish women and the LGBT community supported each other more, My wish was we were all a little kinder and more supportive of each other...Sending everyone my love and gratitude, it's been a rollercoaster of a year, this month especially.
I am looking forward to getting more than 4 hours of sleep and to break from Twitter to focus all my energy on my next 2 projects. If you need me, I'll be on my Bat Phone.
In closing: Whitewashing is a serious problem. This is not that, nor are most of the big recent controversies about it. We will gleefully eat each other for the smallest of slights while our enemies cackle from on high. I'm excited to see what she can do in the role.