Glee star Darren Criss is saying that he is "culturally queer."
The Emmy-winner discussed the representation that came from him playing an openly-gay character on the hit Fox musical series, which he describes as "f-ing awesome."
As he described taking on the role, he labeled himself as "culturally queer" after he grew up completely immersed in the gay experience, CNN reports. While Criss still considers himself to be a cis-gendered straight man, he says he grew up with an awareness for the gay community that lent itself well to the role.
"There was an awareness of the gay experience that was not a foreign concept to me. I have been so culturally queer my whole life. Not because I'm trying - you know, actually, I was gonna say not because I'm trying to be cool but I'm gonna erase that, because I am trying to be cool. The things in my life that I have tried to emulate, learn from and be inspired by are 100 percent queer as f-."
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Aside from his role on Glee, Criss has played a number of queer characters, including playing openly-gay serial killer Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. He also took on the title role in the Broadway musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which follows the journey of a transgender rocker.
Criss says he grew up idolizing queer icons, also touching on growing up in San Francisco during the AIDS crisis. His experiences and upbringing led him to care deeply for the community.
"It was in queer communities that I've found people that I idolize, that I want to learn something from," he continued. "And I'd say that's a gross generalization, that's a lot of things and a lot of people. But I grew up in San Francisco in the '90s. I watched men die. There was an awareness of the gay experience that was not a foreign concept to me. So, it was a narrative that I cared deeply about."
According to LGTBQ+ organization PFLAG, the term "culturally queer" encompasses "the feeling shared by many people with LGBTQ+ parents that they grew up immersed in queer culture, including traditions, celebrations, media, and language. Queerspawn are often raised in the queer community and learn about society primarily through a queer lens, and experience heterosexual culture and its norms as a secondary cultural influence."
Criss has been married to a woman, Mia Swier, since 2019. They have one child together that they welcomed in 2022.
In 2018, Criss revealed that he will no longer be playing any gay characters, Vanity Fair says. In an effort to reduce the amount of straight people telling queer stories, he stated that he did not want to "be another straight boy taking a gay man's role."
While Criss said that it was a "real joy" to tell these stories, he no longer felt comfortable taking the opportunities away from actual members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
"The reason I say that is because getting to play those characters is inherently a wonderful dramatic experience," he said. "It has made for very, very compelling and interesting people."
