Non-binary Billions star Asia Kate Dillon says it’s ‘discriminatory’ to separate people based on their sex assigned at birth
Asia Kate Dillon at Stonewall Inn on June 29, 2019 in New York City. (Jennifer Graylock/Getty Images for Battalion PR)
The non-binary star of Billions, Asia Kate Dillon, says that it’s “discriminatory” to separate people based on sex assigned at birth.
The Hollywood actor – who plays Taylor, the first-ever non-binary lead character in a TV series, in Billions – is a strong advocate for queer and non-binary people.
“I’m always bringing my activism or my identity into the workplace,” Dillon said in an interview with Newsweek.
Their latest use of their platform for advocacy work was to start a conversation with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Dillon wants to promote non-gendered acting categories.
“It is, in fact, discriminatory to separate people based on either their identity or their assigned sex at birth,” they said.
“If we were separating people by their hair colour, their eye colour, certainly their skin colour, the uproar would be quite quick and clear.”
The fifth series of Showtime’s Billions, which is about people working in a hedge fund, returns on May 5.
“It’s been incredibly exciting and incredibly humbling as well” to play Taylor in a show they are a fan of, Dillon added.
They continued that the “possibility certainly exists” for awards shows to have non-gendered categories, and talked about how it feels to be part of a community calling for change.
“The possibility certainly exists,” the John Wick 3 actor added.
“How long it will take, I don’t know. I’m excited to continue to rip that Band-aid off and have that conversation with anyone who is in charge.”
When asked whether they think their character has had “an impact on diversity in the masculine hedge fund industry”, Dillon’s response was direct.
“This may come as a shock,” Asia Kate Dillon responded, “but I don’t follow the hedge fund world much.”
“I don’t know much other than a handful of messages I’ve received from people who say, ‘I feel a little more comfortable being more open about my identity at work.’ That’s been an incredible silver lining of [my] character.”
