Eddie Redmayne finally states the obvious, says ‘The Danish Girl’ was a mistake

Happy week-you-realize-November-is-almost-over-and-then-it’s-December-and-then-the-year-is-over week! I hope you all are hanging in there.

The slow march of Christmas pop culture is upon us. And if you find it a bit overwhelming, rest assured: every week, “The Buzz” brings you the hip happenings of queer and trans pop culture so you can stay up-to-date and impress your friends with your knowledge of upcoming queer Christmas movies, among other things. This week, we’re covering everything from Demi Moore’s secret (maybe) girlfriend to special Christmas invites from Cardi B to JoJo Siwa. 

Here’s what you missed this week in queer culture.

→Eddie Redmayne didn’t outright say that he’s sorry for playing a trans woman and winning a bunch of awards for playing a trans woman when he most definitely isn’t a trans woman, but he did acknowledge that taking the role was a “mistake.” While promoting his upcoming turn in Cabaret, the actor expressed regret to the British press over taking on the role of trans trailblazer Lili Elbe in the Tom Hooper directed 2015 film The Danish Girl. 

“No, I wouldn’t take it on now. I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake,” he told The Sunday Times. “The bigger discussion about the frustrations around casting is because many people don’t have a chair at the table. There must be a levelling, otherwise we are going to carry on having these debates.”

Back when the film was first released, Redmayne acknowledged the long history of cis actors having success on the backs of trans stories. But he also said an actor “should be able to play any sort of part if one plays it with a sense of integrity and responsibility.”

Perhaps the role of “educated ally” is one Redmayne would be wise to study up on. 

→JoJo Siwa danced to “Born This Way” for the Dancing With The Stars finale and it was perfect.

→Does acclaimed actress Demi Moore have a longtime girlfriend? The good folks over at Autostraddle are investigating. 

→Speaking of Demis, Demi Lovato might want to stick to vibrators. The pop star recently joined the website Gaia, which trafficks in a lot of straight up conspiracy theories, as an “ambassador.” I’m talking about QAnon, anti-vaxxer and other so-called “wellness” pseudoscience stuff. Not great!! 

→ An openly trans woman from Oakland is absolutely killing it on Jeopardy right now. As of Tuesday, Amy Schneider is on a four-day winning streak with no signs of stopping. So far she’s amassed nearly $150,000 in winnings. 

Schneider herself emphasized that she’s not the first out trans woman to compete on the show.

Still, her run is made even more historic by it starting during Trans Awareness Week, and fans have rallied around the contestant.

→Bowen Yang and Simu Liu had a great bit about being openly Asian (but not openly a bottom!) on Saturday Night Live this week.

→We here at Xtra will be going deep into the queer Christmas movie offerings this season over the next few weeks, but indulge yourself with this trailer for Under the Christmas Tree, starring Carmilla’s Elise Baumen in a very unfortunate wig. 

→And in related Christmas TV news, the new trailer for HBO Max’s 12 Dates of Christmas is here and it looks like two of the three eligible singles who will be going on the dates are queer. Here’s hoping we’ll get plenty of messy make outs in hot tubs and queer drama when the full series drops in December. 

→Transparent star Trace Lysette is hosting a new podcast diving deep into the fraught 2014 reality show There’s Something About Miriam. On that series, six men competed for model Miriam Rivera’s love, but production used the fact that she is trans as a cruel reveal only at the end of the show. Rivera died in 2019, and Lysette’s new podcast will examine her legacy and impact as the first trans reality TV star. 

“Like many trans women from the ’90s era and before, Miriam was a woman ahead of her time; a diamond in the rough that the world couldn’t appreciate in the way she deserved,” Lysette said in a press release. 

“She was always kind to me and I feel honoured to help bring this podcast about her life to the listeners. I hope she can finally be celebrated and appreciated for the pioneer that she was.”

→Sex Education has put out an open casting call for young trans actors to play what sounds like the most adorable T4T couple on television.

→ At last weekend’s American Music Awards, Cardi B took the chance to invite JoJo Siwa over for Christmas to see her daughter, noting that the dancer/singer/TikToker’s booking fee is sizable. 

→Fans of prestige lesbian period drama rejoice! Vita & Virginia is now airing on Netflix in the U.S. The 2018 film has all of the tropes fans of Ammonite, Portrait of a Lady on Fire or Carol will love. I’m talking sapphics looking mournfully at the sea, forbidden love, queer ladies making art together, grumpy looking husbands—this movie has it all! 
→Some trans folks on social media shared an image with J.K. Rowling’s address in the background, and I feel like this is a good time to remember that Rowling is a very rich white cis lady who can afford her own security but the dozens of trans folks who’ve recieved death threats after even daring to criticize her online definitely can’t.