Thank you, Actors

Movie and TV viewers owe a huge debt to courageous actors. Julie Andrews, Halle Berry, Demi Moore, Wesley Snipes, Morgan Freeman, Glenn Close, Hilary Swank, Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Tom Hanks are among those who selected roles that stretch the viewer's comfort zones and imaginations. They increase our awareness of possibilities for gender identification, sexual orientation, gender-inclusive leaders and military personnel, and romantic matches. We had the chance to test out an ethnic president before we elected one in "24." We got to laugh at the relationship between the two husbands in "The Birdcage." We cried during the life review of a lawyer who dies from AIDS in "Philadelphia." We root for the action hero whose love interest is a different race, ethnic background, or national origin than the hero. We cheer for the female Navy Seal and the female Vice President. Possibilities that having been imagined and seen,can be made reality.