Joel Kim Booster on celebrating the Asian LGBTQ+ experience in Fire Island: ‘We’re more than the token friend’
“I really wanted to show people that there is joy in the experience of being gay,” says Joel Kim Booster, star and writer of Fire Island.
The Andrew Ahn-directed Hulu comedy, which launches 3 June in the UK on Disney Plus, is destined to become a queer classic due to its unwavering commitment to authentically representing the queer experience, and for capturing the unequivocal joy that comes with being a member of the “rainbow mafia”.
In his cover interview for GAY TIMES, alongside Ahn and cast members Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, Margaret Cho and James Scully, Booster says the film stemmed from his need to reassure queer people of their worth. “I remember sitting, terrified as a 16-year-old like, ‘Oh my god, what kind of world is waiting for me out there as a gay person?
Is there happiness out there for me?’” says Booster. “A big part of wanting to do this project was for me to say, ‘You will find your queer family, and through those people, you will have all of these wonderful experiences and create such an amazing tapestry of joy in your life.
