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In the upcoming Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Daniella Pineda plays Dr. Zia Rodriguez. Aside from her name and her PhD, there's little more we know about the character. However, in a recent interview with BUILD, Pineda let the world in on an important detail of her character that ultimately got cut out for "time." Dr. Rodriguez is a lesbian.
The exchange reportedly went as follows: Dr. Rodriguez encounters Chris Pratt's character, Owen Grady, for the first time. After sizing him up, she says:
Yeah, square jaw, good bone structure, tall, muscles. I don't date men, but if I did, it would be you. It would gross me out, but I'd do it.
That 10-second exchange was apparently too long and wordy to be kept in the film.
Twitter was outraged at the cut:
And the not-good Hollywood trend of "gay characters who you only know are gay because of character details not actu… https://t.co/Q4KfNVtA4B— John Squires (@John Squires) 1529348308.0
@THR @Maniella Not surprised, considering the people who made this movie thought they nailed The Book of Henry.— Daniel Smith (@Daniel Smith) 1529442599.0
So they cut what sounds like a 10 second lesbian reveal from JURASSIC WORLD because of "time". Sure. Whatever.… https://t.co/jYjg1TpY5o— Christopher Rice (@Christopher Rice) 1529450216.0
LGBTQ advocates are citing the cut as yet another example of Hollywood's straight-washing, where even confirmed LGBTQ's characters' sexualities must be left vague onscreen.
@FreddyInSpace At least they aren't going the Disney way and still proclaiming to have a character part of the LGBT… https://t.co/tQoEk6qX11— :The Charls (@:The Charls) 1529351588.0
Pineda wished the line had stayed in the film, saying she "appreciated the insight it gave into her character." When asked if she thought her character's sexuality should appear in later films, she commented:
I do. Because I'd like to see more of that, especially in big ass movies.
@FreddyInSpace I feel like this trend is the equivalent of, "But wait, I have a friend who is gay." Using it as a s… https://t.co/Xf5yubTFSg— Joe Leatherman (@Joe Leatherman) 1529425159.0
Of course, in cases such as these, the LGBTQ community is fighting for the tiniest bit of recognition from mainstream movies, much less than what they actually deserve. In an ideal world, the audience may learn of a lesbian character's preferences with a line that isn't strangely sexualized towards a man.
Though the inclusion of an LGBTQ character in the main cast is undoubtably a step in the correct direction, Pineda's line (as reported) also reeks of male-centric screenwriting, where even lesbian characters can't help but stop and appreciate the leading man for how attractive he is.
This line seems particularly damning:
It would gross me out, but I'd do it.
It seems we still have a long way to go, but at least recognizing the problem is the first step. We're on our way!
H/T - Mashable, BUILD, Getty Images