Friday, June 30 has been a shocking day for LGBTQ+ people as the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled in favor of a web designer who refused to make a wedding website for a gay couple. This opens a precedent for all kinds of different businesses to refuse service to LGBTQ+ people – a discriminatory practice that has now been sanctioned by Supreme Justices.
During an interview with a Variety podcast, Ben Platt shared his immediate reaction to the news of this SCOTUS ruling. “I think it’s a distraction from things that are actually important, like the planet melting,” Platt told the publication. “I also think it’s the people who are losing clout. It’s like [their] last rageful fiery, ‘This is not how it should be!’ before they go away forever.”
The actor added, “[That is] my only hope. That’s the only way to stay any kind of optimistic about it because otherwise it’s just fully going back in time and harming people for no reason,” he continued. “It feels so backwards, so directly backwards.”
Platt is currently promoting the revival of Parade, where he played the main character of Leo Frank. In 2023, this production won the Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Direction of a Musical.
In July, Platt will start promoting Theater Camp, which also stars his husband Noah Galvin. Platt and Galvin have been dating for years and got engaged in November 2022, so the latest SCOTUS ruling definitely hits home for them as a couple.
Here’s to hoping that Ben Platt is right about the people who are pushing these agendas!