U.S. actor Margaret Cho takes on ‘straightwashing’ of LGBTQ+ history
A growing number of LGBTQ+ stories on screen are helping to combat the “straightwashing” of American history and push back against a wave of hate, said comedian and actress Margaret Cho.
The bisexual star appears in a new light-hearted history television series ‘The Book of Queer’, being released from Thursday on Discovery+ to mark Pride month in June, with the aim of highlighting hidden gay, bisexual and transgender stories. “I had no idea about Abraham Lincoln, they really straightwashed American history and those founding fathers,” Cho said in a video call from Los Angeles, referencing speculation that the former U.S.
president might have been gay. “The sexuality part of our identities has been looked over, but our contributions have been taken (from us)”.
Cho, 53, rose to prominence after starring in comedy shows such as ‘All-American Girl’, ‘Drop Dead Diva’, and ’30 Rock’, the last of which brought her an Emmy nomination in 2012 for her portrayal of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
