For anyone who didn't get our sports analogy, we've got a few other reasons why on this Sunday night the Golden Globes are worth watching:
Our History Is Film Gold
This year, several of the films up for top honors chronicle actual key moments and people in queer history. The Imitation Game is probably the most prominent, with Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of persecuted gay genius Alan Turing. Pride, the heartwarming true story of LGBT activists helping a group of British miners, is nominated for Best Comedy or Musical. Selma includes Ruben Santiago-Hudson's portrayal of Bayard Rustin, the openly gay man who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. to organize actions to fight for civil rights in the 1960s. And while it's been accused of perpetuating homophobia, the engrossing sports thriller Foxcatcher puts viewers inside the world of wrestling fanatic John du Pont, who seduced Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz with promises of fame and glory.
On the TV movie side is, of course, The Normal Heart, an adaptation of Larry Kramer's groundbreaking play focused on the early fight against AIDS.
This year's nominees barely touched on the histories of queer women, but the upcoming film Freeheld, starring Julianne Moore and Ellen Page in the true story of a lesbian couple's fight for relationship recognition, might be a solid entry in 2016.
LGBT Characters Get Their Moment in the Sun
The 2015 Golden Globe awards include an impressive number of actors who are nominated for their performances of LGBT characters:
Taylor Schilling as Piper Chapman (Orange Is the New Black)
Kevin Spacey as Francis Underwood (House of Cards)
Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing (The Imitation Game)
Matt Bomer as Felix Turner (The Normal Heart)
Jeffrey Tambor as Maura Pfefferman (Transparent)
Uzo Aduba as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren (Orange Is the New Black)
Mark Ruffalo as Ned Weeks (The Normal Heart)
TV Categories? We've Got That on Lock
The fact that every single one of the television categories has LGBT-inclusive nominees is an applause-worthy fact, but the depth of LGBT representation found in each of those shows makes this year's TV noms deserving of a standing ovation. Transparent, Orange Is the New Black, House of Cards, How to Get Away With Murder, American Horror Story: Freak Show, and HBO's The Normal Heart have all helped move the needle forward for LGBT representation on TV, and nominees from these shows are contenders in each category.
We're Musically Inclined
The ever-captivating Sia cowrote "Opportunity" for the updated Annie musical, and it's up for Best Original Song. The score for the dramatic biopic of Alan Turing's life, The Imitation Game, is nominated, and the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods has several nominations, including one for Best Comedy or Musical.
Out Actors Are on the A-List
While comedy dominator Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory is in contention in the Best Actor in a TV Comedy category this year, two other A-list out actors are going head-to-head. In the Best Supporting Actor category, The Normal Heart's Matt Bomer is up against The Good Wife's Alan Cumming.
Yes, Even The Animation Category Includes Us
The Globes' 2015 Best Animated Feature category includes nominations for two films that contributed to making the genre more inclusive of LGBT people, How to Train Your Dragon 2 (which included a subtle scene where the Viking Gobber the Belch came out of the closet) and The Boxtrolls (which mentioned families with same-sex parents in film's trailer).
There's a Gaggle of Gay Icons Here
There's no shortage of gay icons among this year's Golden Globe nominations. Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon, Emily Blunt, Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, and Meryl Streep are just a few of the actresses who've enjoyed a substantial LGBT fan base throughout their careers, and are each contenders for the crown in their respective categories.
The Diversity of Our Community Is Visible
From lesbian and bisexual characters on shows like Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards to transgender trailblazers on Transparent and stories of real-life gay heroes inPride, representation from across the LGBT spectrum can be found among this year's Golden Globe Awards nominations.
