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'There’s no space for me!' Non-binary star Liv Hewson of 'Yellowjackets' opts out of Emmy Award due to gendered categories

'It would be inaccurate for me to submit myself as an actress' or 'be lumped in with the boys,' said Lewson

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA: Liv Hewson, a well-known actor who identifies as nonbinary and prefers the use of 'they/them' pronouns, has chosen not to participate in the Primetime Emmy Awards due to the award show's gendered acting categories. This decision comes despite the fact that they were eligible for consideration for their role as Vanessa 'Van' Palmer on the highly acclaimed psychological drama 'Yellowjackets' which earned seven nominations last year.

"There’s not a place for me in the acting categories," the Australian native claimed. The 27-year-old, who came out as nonbinary at age 16, went on to explain that "it would be inaccurate for me to submit myself as an actress" or "be lumped in with the boys," she told Variety. "It’s quite straightforward and not that loaded. I can’t submit myself for this because there’s no space for me," Hewson insisted.

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Showtime planned to submit Liv Hewson for Supporting Drama Actress

Hewson is best known for starring as Abby Hammond in the Netflix series 'Santa Clarita Diet' from 2017 to 2019. Although Liv Hewson's chances of receiving a nomination this season may be uncertain, a report from March indicated that Showtime planned to submit their name for consideration in the Supporting Drama Actress category, along with their castmates Christina Ricci, Savoy Brown, Samantha Hanratty, Sophie Thatcher, and Courtney Eaton in the same category.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards took steps towards inclusivity this year by consolidating their acting categories into only two gender-neutral categories: best lead and supporting performances. Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan were the respective winners in these categories, both for their performances in "Everything Everywhere All At Once."

Similarly, in recent years, the topic of introducing gender-neutral categories has become very common, following a push from A-list celebrities, like Jamie Lee Curtis, whose daughter Ruby came out as transgender to her in 2020, and Emma Corrin. Curtis voiced to consider gender-neutral categories in award shows after she won an Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards.

'We're not anywhere near there!'

"Obviously I would like to see a lot more women be nominated so that there's gender parity in all the areas and all the branches, and I think we're getting there," she told People. "We're not anywhere near there. And of course, the inclusivity then that involves the bigger question, which is, how do you include everyone when there are binary choices, which is very difficult. As the mother of a trans daughter I completely understand that," she said, referencing Ruby.

However, Curtis also expressed concerns over the move, cutting down on women winners. "And yet, to de-gender the category, also, I'm concerned [that] will diminish the opportunities for more women, which is something I also have been working hard to try to promote. So it's a complicated question, but I think the most important thing is inclusivity and more women."

Emma Corrin, who identifies as non-binary and uses the pronouns they/them, stated that most award shows aren't "inclusive enough" and said the change they hope for, would enable everyone to feel "acknowledged and represented." She further emphasized the need for better representation and more inclusive roles within the entertainment industry is needed to encourage "an urgency" around addressing the subject.

'A gender neutral category can be chosen as a third option'

A heated discussion ensued among Internet users regarding the categorization, while some were quite offensive and dismissive of the actress. However, a substantial portion of the conversation focused on the significance of incorporating or excluding a non-binary category. One user wrote, "The problem with joining genders in categories is it just means women get less wins. There should be a non binary category." Another added, "There's no such thing as "non binary". A gender neutral category can be chosen as a third option, but that creates other issues." A third read, "The sticking point, I think, for non-gendered acting categories is how balanced the nominations and wins are in the already non-gendered categories." A user questioned, "Wouldn't be that difficult to add an 'Other' category." Another added, "It’s fabulous & respectful to recognize someone’s gender it’s going to be a problem if an award ceremony categories are broken down into every known gender or ethnicity. I guess awards could be given out before or after airtime."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.