Ben Platt and fiancé Noah Galvin slam Supreme Court’s ‘backwards’ anti-LGBTQ+ ruling
Ben Platt and Noah Galvin have responded to the Supreme Court’s anti-LGBTQ+ ruling, calling it ‘backwards’. (Getty Images)
Engaged actors Ben Platt and Noah Galvin have become the latest celebrities to slam SCOTUS’s anti-LGBTQ+ ruling that favours religious freedom over gay rights.
Despite the celebration of queer and trans lives across the globe, including London’s very own parade and celebrations on 1 July, Pride Month in the US was overshadowed by a definitively worrying event for the LGBTQ+ community.
On 30 June, the US Supreme Court ruled that businesses in America have the right to refuse services for same-sex couples, under the First Amendment.
The case was bought by Denver-based Christian designer Lorie Smith, who wanted to be able to refuse to make wedding websites for same-sex couples, and the outcome means that she cannot be punished under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA).
The 6-3 decision by the court, which is majority conservative, has been slammed by celebs including Pedro Pascal and The White Lotus actor Michael Imperioli. Now, musical theatre’s most prolific power couple and Dear Evan Hansen double bill, Ben Platt and Noah Galvin, have joined the list.
Speaking to Variety for an upcoming episode of the Just for Variety podcast, the recently engaged couple slammed the ruling and the dangerous precedent it sets for the erosion of LGBTQ+ protections, potentially opening Americans up to other forms of prejudice.
“I think it’s a distraction from things that are actually important, like the planet melting,” Platt said.
“I also think it’s the people who are losing clout, it’s like the last rageful fiery: ‘This is not how it should be!’ before they go away forever.”
The Book of Mormon alum then emphasised how he uses this line of thinking to stay hopeful in the face bigotry.
“It’s 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.”
Both Platt and Galvin and have starred as the titular Evan Hansen in various iterations of the musical, and while recently attending the 76th Tony Awards, they watched Platt’s Parade director Michael Arden proclaim himself a “f****t with a Tony” during his acceptance speech after winning Best Direction of a Musical.
Elsewhere in the Variety podcast, Real O’Neals star Galvin described his excitement at going to the event.
“I remember watching the Tonys growing up and seeing so many little Easter eggs and moments of gay couples and queer couples, and feeling like, “Oh, my gosh! I’m like that. That’s like me,’” he said.
“The excitement of that and seeing them all dressed up together and giving each other a little kiss when they were called for their nomination. I wanted to be that with Noah for young queer people so badly.”
Platt and Galvin will next star in Theater Camp, a feature-length adaptation of a 2020 short-film of the same name, based on a screenplay by the couple and directors Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman.
It is set to star Platt and Galvin alongside a stellar cast of talent like Patti Harrison and Amy Sedaris.
According to Galvin, the future looks bright for LGBTQ+ children, who are showing up “authentically” as themselves.
Speaking about his Theater Camp co-star Luke Islam, who attended the film’s Sundance Festival premiere in the “most fabulous outfit,” Galvin added: “It just filled me with joy and made me so, so proud of Luke and also of this next generation of kids who don’t really give a f**k – and that is amazing.”
It’s not the first time Platt has been vocal over inequality and injustice – the 29-year-old spoke out earlier in the year against antisemitic protestors who showed up at the Bernard B Jacobs Theatre during the opening night of previews for Parade.
“For those who don’t know, there were a few neo-Nazi protesters from a really disgusting group outside of the theater, bothering some of our patrons on their way in and saying antisemitic things about Leo Frank, who the show is about, and just spreading antisemitic rhetoric that led to this whole story in the first place,” Platt said in a video on Instagram.
“It was definitely very ugly and scary but a wonderful reminder of why we’re telling this particular story and how special and powerful art and, particularly, theater can be.”
Theater Camp is “coming soon.”
