Travolta: 'Hairspray' isn't a gay flick

@ 2026 Equal Entertainment LLC.
All rights reserved

Travolta:

            Hairspray isn't a gay flick
 Outtraveler Staff
          
          Jul 04, 2007
          
        
Outtraveler Staff
 See Full Bio 
       John Travolta
            assured the many gay people looking to boycott his upcoming
            musical film, Hairspray, that there is       nothing
            gay about it. Some claim that Travolta should not reprise
            the       role that late drag queen Divine originated in the
            1988 version because       of his religion, Scientology.     
       "There is
            nothing gay in this movie," Travolta told the U.K.       newspaper The Times. "I'm not playing a gay
            man." He also       insists that Scientology is not
            antigay, despite numerous reports that it       seeks to
            "cure" homosexuality. (The       Advocate)     

        
        FROM OUR SPONSORS
        
    

        
        The Latest
        
    
News
        'Heated Rivalry's meteoric rise blamed for anti-LGBTQ+ bullying on high school hockey teams
    A civil rights group claims that backlash to the show's popularity has caused an uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ hate from fellow players and coaches. 
Ariel Messman-Rucker
National
        Virginia Republican names bill for swimmer whose fifth-place tie with trans athlete launched lucrative career
    Rep. John McGuire’s proposed Riley Gaines Act would allow athletes to sue colleges that permit transgender women to compete in women’s sports.
Christopher Wiggins
States
        New Hampshire House advances transgender bathroom bill, breaking with New England
    The Republican-led legislation places the state increasingly out of step with the rest of New England on trans rights.
Christopher Wiggins
National
        Darrell Issa’s retirement opens Palm Springs–area House race for queer Democrats
    The longtime California Republican congressman is packing it up.
Christopher Wiggins

        
        More For You
        
        Liza Minnelli, flanked by a phalanx of dancers, surprises audience at the GLAAD Media Awards
    
Daniel Reynolds
Mar 06, 2026
Liza Minnelli at Peter Jay Sharp Theater on September 18, 2012 in New York City. The legendary actress made a surprise appearance at the 2026 GLAAD Media Awards.

        Kevin Mazur/WireImage
    
        You gotta ring them bells, GLAAD! Keep Reading →

        JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, is not having Ryan Murphy’s ‘grotesque’ new JFK Jr. show
    
Jacob Ogles
Mar 03, 2026
Kennedy family member Jack Schlossberg, who is running for Congress in New York, has been highly critical of producer Ryan Murphy's new show about the JFK Jr.

         Edna Leshowitz/Getty Images, Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images
    
        President John F. Kennedy’s grandson made it clear that the Kennedy family has no use for Ryan Murphy’s television dramatization of his uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr.'s, life. Keep Reading →

        Demi Lovato & Jonathan Bennett will headline a star-studded lineup for the 37th GLAAD Media Awards
    
Christopher Wiggins
Feb 23, 2026
Demi Lovato performs onstage during TikTok LIVE Fest 2026 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on February 12, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

        Photo by Denise Truscello/Getty Images for TikTok
    
        Global pop star Demi Lovato will perform at the 37th annual GLAAD Media Awards on March 5 in Los Angeles, with actor and producer Jonathan Bennett returning to host a ceremony that will stream exclusively on Hulu later this month, GLAAD announced Monday. The event will spotlight LGBTQ+ representation across film, television, music, and journalism. The Advocate, along with its sister publication, Out, is among the nominees for Outstanding Magazine. Keep Reading →

        Queer star Keke Palmer updates her sexual identity, 'I'm almost 100% sure I'm asexual'
    
Rachel Shatto
Feb 18, 2026
Keke Palmer attends the 8th Annual American Black Film Festival Honors at SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills on February 16, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.

        Brianna Bryson/FilmMagic
    
        If there is one thing Keke Palmer is going to do, it's keep it real. Keep Reading →

        Was 'Boots' canceled over politics? 'Absolutely not,' Netflix CEO says
    
Bernardo Sim
Feb 12, 2026
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos; Miles Heizer as Cameron Cope on Boots.

        Joe Seer/Shutterstock; Netflix
    
  Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has broken his silence on the cancelation of Boots, a gay TV series set in the U.S. Marine Corps. Keep Reading →

        Most Popular
        
States
        Iowa House Republicans pass a bill that will make the lives of transgender residents worse
    Conservative lawmakers are attempting to take away protections that some local governments have put in place to prevent discrimination against their LGBTQ+ citizens.
Jack Walker
Opinion
        Kristi Noem is a cautionary tale for white gay Republicans
    Opinion: Proximity to (and even building) misogynistic machinery will not protect you, writes contributor Josh Ackley.
Josh Ackley
National
        Republicans rage after Trump appears to soften stance on trans care
    On Truth Social, the president appeared to leave the door open to kids getting gender-affirming care with "express written approval of the parents."
Christopher Wiggins
Crime
        Many alleged suicides of Black trans women are in fact modern-day lynchings, report finds
    Jill Collen Jefferson, the founder of JULIAN, explains what happens when a transgender woman’s death is ruled a suicide and a community calls it something else.
Christopher Wiggins
Opinion
        From abomination to somebody: What Jesse Jackson meant to Black queer boys in the Back pew
    A queer Black writer reflects on Rev. Jesse Jackson’s evolving relationship with LGBTQ+ people — and what it meant for those of us raised in the Black church.
James B. Golden
Politics
        Charlie Kirk DID say stoning gay people was the 'perfect law' — and these other heinous quotes
    These are some of his worst comments about LGBTQ+ people made by Charlie Kirk.
Ryan Adamczeski

Site Navigation

Travolta:
Hairspray isn't a gay flick

The Latest

'Heated Rivalry's meteoric rise blamed for anti-LGBTQ+ bullying on high school hockey teams

A civil rights group claims that backlash to the show's popularity has caused an uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ hate from fellow players and coaches.

Virginia Republican names bill for swimmer whose fifth-place tie with trans athlete launched lucrative career

Rep. John McGuire’s proposed Riley Gaines Act would allow athletes to sue colleges that permit transgender women to compete in women’s sports.

New Hampshire House advances transgender bathroom bill, breaking with New England

The Republican-led legislation places the state increasingly out of step with the rest of New England on trans rights.

Darrell Issa’s retirement opens Palm Springs–area House race for queer Democrats

The longtime California Republican congressman is packing it up.

LGBTQ+ stories deserve to betold.

36 Fetishes Every Gay Man Should Know

Hollywood Hunks Laid Bare: 1960s-1970s

10 of the sexiest music videos that gagged everyone in 2025

The most searched gay adult entertainers of 2024 revealed

Johnny Mathis, the queer trailblazer and global superstar, takes a final bow

More For You

Liza Minnelli, flanked by a phalanx of dancers, surprises audience at the GLAAD Media Awards

JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, is not having Ryan Murphy’s ‘grotesque’ new JFK Jr. show

Demi Lovato & Jonathan Bennett will headline a star-studded lineup for the 37th GLAAD Media Awards

Queer star Keke Palmer updates her sexual identity, 'I'm almost 100% sure I'm asexual'

Was 'Boots' canceled over politics? 'Absolutely not,' Netflix CEO says

Most Popular

Iowa House Republicans pass a bill that will make the lives of transgender residents worse

Conservative lawmakers are attempting to take away protections that some local governments have put in place to prevent discrimination against their LGBTQ+ citizens.

Kristi Noem is a cautionary tale for white gay Republicans

Opinion: Proximity to (and even building) misogynistic machinery will not protect you, writes contributor Josh Ackley.

Many alleged suicides of Black trans women are in fact modern-day lynchings, report finds

Jill Collen Jefferson, the founder of JULIAN, explains what happens when a transgender woman’s death is ruled a suicide and a community calls it something else.

From abomination to somebody: What Jesse Jackson meant to Black queer boys in the Back pew

A queer Black writer reflects on Rev. Jesse Jackson’s evolving relationship with LGBTQ+ people — and what it meant for those of us raised in the Black church.

Latest Stories

Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week.

Travolta: Hairspray isn't a gay flick

FROM OUR SPONSORS

The Latest

A civil rights group claims that backlash to the show's popularity has caused an uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ hate from fellow players and coaches.

Rep. John McGuire’s proposed Riley Gaines Act would allow athletes to sue colleges that permit transgender women to compete in women’s sports.

The Republican-led legislation places the state increasingly out of step with the rest of New England on trans rights.

The longtime California Republican congressman is packing it up.

LGBTQ+ stories deserve to betold.

More For You

Most Popular

Conservative lawmakers are attempting to take away protections that some local governments have put in place to prevent discrimination against their LGBTQ+ citizens.

Opinion: Proximity to (and even building) misogynistic machinery will not protect you, writes contributor Josh Ackley.

On Truth Social, the president appeared to leave the door open to kids getting gender-affirming care with "express written approval of the parents."

Jill Collen Jefferson, the founder of JULIAN, explains what happens when a transgender woman’s death is ruled a suicide and a community calls it something else.

A queer Black writer reflects on Rev. Jesse Jackson’s evolving relationship with LGBTQ+ people — and what it meant for those of us raised in the Black church.

These are some of his worst comments about LGBTQ+ people made by Charlie Kirk.

Travolta:
Hairspray isn't a gay flick