{"id":15133,"date":"2026-05-07T16:57:44","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.law.duq.edu\/juris\/?p=15133"},"modified":"2026-05-07T16:57:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:57:45","slug":"from-the-wizard-of-oz-to-wicked-how-the-lgbtq-community-has-flourished-on-the-big-screen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.law.duq.edu\/juris\/2026\/05\/07\/from-the-wizard-of-oz-to-wicked-how-the-lgbtq-community-has-flourished-on-the-big-screen\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Wizard of Oz to Wicked: How the LGBTQ+ Community Has Flourished on the Big Screen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By: Reagan Armstrong, Staff Writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photo courtesy of Pexels.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of 2025, the second Wicked<\/em> franchise movie, Wicked: For Good<\/em>, hit theatres, achieving status as one of the most popular movies of 2025.[1]<\/a> Wicked<\/em>, a storyline highlighting the two witches and their origins, serves as a prequel for the infamous Wizard of Oz<\/em> story, which reached the film industry in 1939.[2]<\/a> A 2018 Vanity Fair article named The Wizard of Oz<\/em> the most influential movie ever made.[3]<\/a> The story of Dorothy, the friends that she meets along the way, her interactions with the witches, and her journey to find the Wizard has been one of the largest American cinematic successes since the first film of the franchise was created in 1939.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is no surprise, therefore, that the prequel to Dorothy\u2019s story, as outlined in the Wicked<\/em> films, has become just as popular.[5]<\/a> Within the last few years, the Wicked<\/em> movies have soared to popularity, with the first movie, Wicked<\/em>, being the most-streamed movie of 2025 and the second movie, Wicked: For Good,<\/em> the recent 2025 film, having 113 million views within the first 24 hours on its official trailer.[6]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wicked<\/em> franchise has broken barriers as it features several openly queer actors at the forefront, specifically actors Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, and Marissa Bode, who portray three of the main characters within the Wicked<\/em> franchise. By contrast, none of the main characters in The Wizard of <\/em>Oz were portrayed by openly gay actors at the time of filming.[7]<\/a> The difference in cast compositions raises the question as to whether laws have been enacted allowing for queer actors to more openly represent the LGBTQ+ community on the big screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LGBTQ+ rights were at the forefront of the Stonewall Riots beginning in 1969.[8]<\/a> These riots spearheaded the mission to encourage queer actors to find their way to the big screen.[9]<\/a> In 2003, the United States Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas<\/em> advanced LGBTQ+ rights by allowing constitutional protection of private activity between same-sex couples.[10]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, in June of 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States decision in Bostock v. Clayton<\/em> County <\/em>held that discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation is a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[11]<\/a> This Supreme Court decision protects queer actors from being discriminated against within the hiring or firing processes.[12]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 1960 to 2018, less than 1% of film award nominees were openly part of the LGBTQ+ community, which is below the average for the national population.[13]<\/a> Despite such a small percentage of queer actors receiving nominations prior to 2018, the percentage has been increasing.[14]<\/a> Following her performance in Wicked as the main character, Elphaba, Cynthia Erivo earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2025.[15]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While queer representation by openly queer actors and actresses is still infrequent, legal decisions have allowed for the film industry to become more inclusive and supportive of actors within the LGBTQ+ community. Thus, in comparing the 1939 Wizard of Oz film to the 2025 Wicked: For Good <\/em>film, legal decisions that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity have allowed for three main characters to be played by openly queer actors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/a> https:\/\/www.broadwayworld.com\/article\/WICKED-Named-as-the-Most-Streamed-Movie-of-2025-in-the-United-States-20260121<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/a> https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/how-does-wicked-fit-wizard-of-oz-timeline-2024-11<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3]<\/a> https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/2018\/11\/the-wizard-of-oz-influential-film-study<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4]<\/a> https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wgbh\/americanexperience\/features\/american-oz-why-wizard-oz-so-wonderful\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[5]<\/a> https:\/\/variety.com\/2025\/film\/news\/wicked-for-good-trailer-views-113-million-24-hours-1236422564\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[6]<\/a>  Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[7]<\/a> https:\/\/talkfilmsociety.com\/columns\/reel-pride-the-wizard-of-oz-1939<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[8]<\/a> https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Stonewall-riots?utm_ m<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[9]<\/a>  Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[10]<\/a> https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Lawrence-v-Texas<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[11]<\/a> https:\/\/www.eeoc.gov\/statutes\/title-vii-civil-rights-act-1964<\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[12]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[13]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[14]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[15]<\/a> https:\/\/abc.com\/news\/8d96bb37-bd59-4c28-a470-46f244f63b3b\/category\/3590742<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By: Reagan Armstrong, Staff Writer Photo courtesy of Pexels.com At the end of 2025, the second Wicked franchise movie, Wicked: For Good, hit theatres, achieving status as one of the most popular movies of 2025.[1] Wicked, a storyline highlighting the two witches and their origins, serves as a prequel for [\u2026] <\/p>\n

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