Actor Aidan Moreno has called for heterosexual actors to step aside and leave the gay roles for the LGBTIQ+ community.
The Heartland star told the Daily Mail that he doesn't think it is 'authentic' for a movie or a television show to have a straight person playing a character who is gay or queer.
"I understand how some characters need a straight actor because it adds more of a platform and focus to gay stories, but now I think we are in a place where we should step a side and let gay and trans represent their own community through their own voice," the 32-year-old said.
"It's the same with any minority. It's all well and good having diversity but if its a straight white man at the top making those decisions and writing the script its still coming through from a straight white man's lens."
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The Canadian actor added that equality means that, in the case of an LGBTIQ+ character, the minority community should be consulted as much as possible, which would mean only gay actors can play gay characters.
"'We have to try and make sure every level, for whatever group we are representing, is involved. [And that may be] whether that is a gay actor playing the gay role," he said.
"I think they need to be as much involved as possible."
He warned that, without consulting groups that aren't basically straight white men, there is a risk of LGBTQI+ roles becoming stereotypical characterisations of gay people.
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He said: "Otherwise you're playing a stereotype and it wont be authentic which I think in this day and age it needs to be."
Moreno plays the first-ever gay character in Netflix's horsey soap opera Heartland.
He reckons that it took the much-loved Canadian soap so long to introduce an LGBTIQ character due to the 'very toxic masculine environment' of rodeos, cowboys and cowgirls.
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"This show in particular is specific to a western culture that is a very masculine and also a toxic masculine environment, so I think they had to tread very very carefully," he said.
"Also I think people in those communities who are part of LGBTQ have never had many characters they could draw upon."
He added: "More and more we need to push to be able to see us in every situation so people feel comfortable and safe coming out in those communities. We've come a long way but people still need to do a hell of a lot better."
Season 16 of Heartland will drop on Netflix on May 17.
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