Culture

Julie Andrews confronts Donald Trump as she backs LGBT community ahead of new Netflix show

May 18 2017
Written by Benjamin Butterworth

<> on February 28, 2012 in London, England.

Julie Andrews has spoken out about her support for the LGBT community.

The original Mary Poppins actress has opened up about her support ahead of her new Netflix children’s show, Julie’s Greenroom.

And she had practically perfect words (you might say) for President Trump as he seeks to dismantle protections for trans students.

Julie Andrews

She told The Advocate: “Please keep an open mind. Please think,” Andrews pleaded.

She also laid bare her support for LGBT rights – saying she had been a supporter since her youth.

Asked when she first became aware of the issues, Andrews said: “That’s hard to answer, because, just always!” Andrews replied.

“Theatre, anyway, is such an open community and free. I don’t think there’s been a time when I haven’t been [an ally].”

She added: “I have to say, though, in my hometown, in my community, I was very aware of bias and bigotry, and couldn’t understand it,” Andrews continued.

“I was raised not to be that way and not to think that way, and it always seemed puzzling to me that the world wasn’t just embracing human beings.

“But it’s never been something that I stumbled on.

“It’s just always been innate, thanks I think to the professions that I am in. But also the way I was raised.”

The new Netflix show also features Andrews’ daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton.

Hamilton said: “I am my mother’s daughter. My father is a Broadway production designer, so I was steeped in the arts and the culture of New York theater, [and] in film and so forth.

“I don’t remember a time when it wasn’t, when I didn’t feel like the LGBTQ community was part of my life and part of reality.”

The mother and daughter duo are keen to represent LGBT people in the new kids’ show – with the show even feature a non-binary character.

A writer for the show said that that if they were pushed to label her gender identity then “we’d say that she’s a girl, but maybe not forever. We wanted to be as diverse as possible.”

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