Benito Skinner on why some gay men ‘have trouble cheering each other on’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Skinner lamented the competitiveness which exists between gay men, saying: "Straight men get a thousand spots, but we only get one"
By Gary Grimes
Benito Skinner, star and creator of new gay sitcom Overcompensating, has spoken out about a reluctance he has observed in gay men in the entertainment industry to support each other.
The actor, who is better known to some as his social media persona Benny Drama, spoke exclusively to Attitude for a lengthy profile which accompanied his recent digital cover.
In a conversation about competitiveness between him and his peers, like Jordan Firstman and Rachel Sennott, Skinner commented: “Of course, amongst queer people and women, I think no matter what, there is a thing in the back of your head that there can only be one.
“Gay men have trouble cheering on each other, I think,” the performer lamented. “I find that in myself sometimes too, where I have to be like, ‘No, I also think the gay guy is funny.’ I, of course, think the woman next to him is iconic, but I also think his writing is brilliant and really funny.
“It’s like a hatred of ourselves that’s indoctrinated in us,” Skinner went on, “that when we see someone else be out or do these things, you do feel like, ‘Well, if you did that, then they won’t love me and you got the one spot’.
“You know, straight men get a thousand spots, but we only get one,” he remarked. The comedian took pause to say that he finds it difficult when faced with such harsh criticism from other gay men in particular.
“It can be really disheartening when it’s the community that you’re a part of saying, like, the meanest thing possible,” he admitted. “I don’t care what the Republican guy says, I’ve heard all that before, but when it’s somebody that you’re like, ‘Oh, fuck, I kind of made this for you’, it can be sad.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Skinner spoke of his fears that queer television shows do not receive the same promotional support from TV networks. Speaking about why he thought the 2022 Queer As Folk remake he appeared in was cancelled after only one season, Skinner said: “A cynical side of me is like, God, will people just not fucking promote gay things?”
You can read Skinner’s full cover feature here.
This interview is taken from issue 365 of Attitude, on sale 4 July 2025. You can order copies of Attitude here and alongside 15 years of back issues on the free Attitude app.