Here Are 10 Openly Gay People Who Won Oscars Before Sam Smith

[news]

Sam Smith looked moved at the Oscars when he nabbed the Best Original Song award for his song, "Writing's on the Wall," from the James Bond film, "Spectre." It was an upset over Lady Gaga, who had been considered a shoo-in for her song, "Til It Happens To You."  

In the acceptance speech that followed, however, the singer-songwriter misquoted an interview with Sir Ian McKellen, and implied that he was the first openly gay man to win an Academy Award. 

"I read an article a few months ago by Sir Ian McKellen and he said that no openly gay man had ever won an Oscar,” he said. “If this is the case — even if it isn't the case — I want to dedicate this to the LGBT community all around the world."

Unfortunately for Smith, McKellen had been referencing the fact that no openly gay man had won the Oscar for Best Actor, specifically. Needless to say, the star was quickly called out for his blunder on Twitter. Fellow Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black was among the most outspoken critics, and tweeted: 

Hey @SamSmithWorld, if you have no idea who I am, it may be time to stop texting my fiancé. Here's a start: https://t.co/8hGTRtIaMK
— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) February 29, 2016

Others were similarly riled by Smith's gaffe: 

Do your homework, Sam Smith. LOTS of openly gay people have won Oscars. Gaga would have known that. #Oscars
— Andy Herren (@AndyHerren) February 29, 2016

Now Sam Smith should do Broadway so he can become the first openly gay Tony winner! #PrettySureThatsRight #MustCheck
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) February 29, 2016

Of course, the gay and lesbian community has long been successful in Hollywood. To help Smith get started on his research, we've created a list of 9 openly gay men -- and women -- who've won Academy Awards over the years. (Not included are those like Joel Grey and Jodie Foster, who came out after they won their respective Oscars). 

Take a look: 


 

 
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.












More...