Olivia Colman has been publicly criticised for positing herself as a ‘gay man’ in her marriage to husband Ed Sinclair and claiming she feels ‘non-binary.’  

The celebrated actress plays the mother of a non-binary child in recently released drama Jimpa, writer-director Sophie Hyde’s semi-autobiographical exploration of queerness and parenthood within the LGBTQ+ community. 

But Colman’s comments about traditional gender roles in mainstream cinema – among them the claim that she has ‘never felt properly feminine’ – has prompted the release of an open letter from a Scottish lesbian support group. 

Sharing a two page response to Colman, 52, on social media, The Fantastic Lesbians described her words as ‘deeply painful for those whose lives have been shaped by the realities of actually being gay or lesbian.’ 

The added: ‘For many people in the lesbian and gay community, sexuality has not simply been a label but a journey marked by confusion, fear, self-interrogation, and often profound alienation from family, faith communities or societies at large.

‘Heterosexuality, in contrast, exists within an inclusive heteronormative framework. It is affirmed in media, celebrated in family structures, and reinforced by social expectations.

Olivia Colman has been publicly criticised for positing herself as a ‘gay man’ in her marriage to husband Ed Sinclair and claiming she feels ‘non-binary’ 

Colman and Sinclair (pictured) married in 2001. They met four years earlier, while she was performing in a production of Sir Alan Ayckbourn’s Table Manners 

‘Many heterosexual people never have to question their orientation, never have to “come out,” never have to weigh the risk of disappointing loved one simply for being who they are. 

‘They are not typically asked to justify their relationships or prove the legitimacy of their families.’ 

Concluding the letter, the group insist they ‘share this not to accuse or attack, but to express the hurt that can arise when lived experiences that have involved marginalisation are treated as interchangeable with those that have not. 

‘For many, being gay has required courage, resilience, and sacrifice in ways that heterosexual life simply has not demanded.’ 

In her latest theatrical release Colman plays Hannah, a wife and mother who travels with her family to visit her gay father Jim, played by John Lithgow, at his home in Amsterdam. 

Jim – affectionately referred to as Jimpa – set off to pursue ‘a free, gay life’ in the Dutch capital after coming out when his children were young, and actively encourages his nonbinary granddaughter Frances to explore the city’s vibrant queer culture.

When Frances opts to live in the liberal minded Dutch capital with her grandfather for a year, Hannah is forced to reevaluate her own qualities as a parent. 

Colman recently admitted she too feels nonbinary, and has never been comfortable with traditional gender roles. 

The actress plays the mother of a non-binary child in Jimpa, writer-director Sophie Hyde’s semi-autobiographical exploration of queerness and parenthood in the LGBTQ+ community

But Colman’s comments about traditional gender roles in mainstream cinema has prompted the release of an open letter from a Scottish lesbian support group.

Sharing a two page response to Colman, The Fantastic Lesbians described her words as ‘deeply painful for those whose lives have been shaped by the realities of being gay or lesbian’

In her latest theatrical release Colman plays Hannah, a wife and mother who travels with her family to visit her gay father Jim, played by John Lithgow, at his home in Amsterdam

She told Them: ‘Throughout my whole life, I’ve had arguments with people where I’ve always sort of felt non-binary. 

‘I’ve never felt massively feminine in my being female. I’ve always described myself to my husband as a gay man.

‘And he goes, “Yeah, I get that”. And I do feel so at home and at ease.’

Speaking to Variety about the issues addressed in her new film, she said: ‘There’s an awful lot of mistrust and hatred about things that there is no need to be hateful about.

‘I love the fact that this film is about learning how to listen to each other without throwing the toys out the crib.

‘I don’t understand how you can get so upset about it when someone is different… It would be great if films about queer stories were mainstream.’ 

Nonbinary is a term used to describe a person’s gender identity that falls outside the traditional male and female binary.