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Oscars: Gender-Fluid Actor Kelly Mantle Submitted For Consideration in Both Male and Female Categories

Mantle is best known as a former contestant on "RuPaul's Drag Race" and the indie film "Confessions of a Womanizer."
Kelly Mantle

This past Friday Miguel Ali’s indie film “Confessions of a Womanizer” was released in limited theaters for an Oscar-qualifying run. Now, one of its actors has made Academy Award history without being nominated.

Kelly Mantle, an actor who identifies as gender-fluid, is the first performer to have submitted and be considered for a nomination in both Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting actress categories.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, once Mantle was submitted in both male and female categories by the film’s creators, the Academy confirmed that he “can be nominated in either category.”

READ MORE: IndieWire and FilmStruck’s ‘Movies That Inspire Me’: Nicole Holofcener Explains How ‘High Hopes’ Earns Its Title

Mantle, best known as a contestant on the sixth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” portrays a transgender prostitute in “Confessions of a Womanizer.” The picture traveled around the indie film circuit in 2014, but its Oscar-qualifying theatrical run began this month.

Upon hearing the news of Mantle’s eligibility to be nominated in both categories, the movie’s director wrote on “Confession’s” Facebook page: “This is in recognition of [Kelly’s] androgynous identity. Of course — I hope we get Kelly nominated Regardless, we are bringing spotlight to our androgynous and transgendered community. I’m grateful for the path that has already been carved by transgender/androgynous-empowering Oscar-contending films like ‘Tangerine’ and others.”

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