LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Woke Reddit moderators have threatened to ban users who incorrectly identify the non-binary character Che Diaz from 'And Just Like That'. In the 'Sex and the City' spinoff, Sara Ramirez (they/them) portrays the queer stand-up comedian Che Diaz, who plays a pivotal role as the famous character Miranda discovers her sexuality. The Reddit forum that published a post warning that bans will be imposed for misgendering the star has been shut down by moderators, as reported by Daily Mail.
Ramirez is bisexual and came out as nonbinary in 2020. The 46-year-old is known for their work in 'Grey's Anatomy', 'Madam Secretary', and 'And Just Like That'.
Is Sara Ramirez gay?
Ramirez didn't officially come out as queer and bisexual until 2016. They stated to People in 2018: "Coming out publicly has given me a sense of relief. It’s been a form of liberation for me to own all of my identities so that I no longer feel the need to hold back or hide any parts of myself when I walk through any threshold in life." Ramirez came out as nonbinary on Instagram on August 28, 2020. The post's caption read, "New profile pic. In me is the capacity to be girlish boy, boyish girl, boyish boy, girlish girl, all, neither," and the hashtag #nonbinary.
The character played by Ramirez on 'Grey's Anatomy' came out as bisexual in an episode from 2009, opening the door for more LGBT portrayal in media. Ramirez came out as bisexual after the tragedy at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in 2016, which left 49 people killed and 50 injured. Ramirez claimed that the shooting, one of the most lethal assaults on Latinos and LGBTQ people in recent US history, was what motivated them to come out.
'Repeated offenses will result in a ban'
"Che and Sara use they/them pronouns," according to a locked Reddit post given to the 'And Just Like That' community. "This show has aired over a year ago, and while we obviously tolerate the occasional mistake and merely remove misgendering comments, please beware that repeated offenses will result in a ban. Reddit now allows us to see a log of deleted comments for each user, so it's much easier to assess repeated offenses."
The post continued, "Moreover, referring to trans identities as 'fantasy', 'not real' or any implication that they do not exist will result in an immediate ban. Thank you to everyone that has been reporting comments violating our rules, please do not hesitate to do it as it makes our work much faster in catching them."
'I'm not Che Diaz'
This comes after a non-binary journalist criticized Ramirez for portraying an "over-the-top version" of a gay person. In a scathing interview with New York Magazine, Ramirez was attacked and likened to their despised "social justice obsessed" character.
Ramirez plays Diaz opposite Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) in the new spinoff, where the two start a secret relationship. Many avid fans were disappointed when Miranda's marriage to Steve (David Eigenberg) ended due to Che and Miranda's relationship. Ramirez was previously made fun of by journalist Brock Colyar for seemingly sharing without irony many of the same views as the role they play. In the past, Ramirez has portrayed a number of gender-nonconforming characters and has starred in popular television series like 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Madam Secretary'. But several viewers took issue with their performance in 'And Just Like That'.
Colyar earlier stated, "Ramirez similarly uses words such as trauma, privilege, and social constructs to make their various on-point points. It might feel natural to make such comparisons in your head, but Ramirez heads them off, assuring me, 'I'm an actor. I'm not the characters I play. I'm not Che Diaz."
Sara Ramirez divorced their 'soul mate' husband after 10 years of marriage
There was an immediate chemistry between Ramirez and their husband Ryan DeBolt when they first met at a 'Grey's after-party. A year after becoming engaged, the couple married in a quiet ceremony on a beach in New York on June 4, 2012.
However, The 'Sex and the City' star revealed their separation from the businessman on Instagram in July 2021. Ramirez described Ryan as their "soul mate" throughout their relationship, as per The Things.
Ramirez said in an interview with 'Out' that the divorce process was "very tender and vulnerable." Ramirez remarked, "We had a foundation of real love. I am just so grateful that we were able to work through that process with such grace, with such integrity, with such honesty and open communication." Ramirez stated that they supported one another as they went through the divorce.
Ramirez and Ryan were divorced in 2021, but they had been separated for a long time before that. According to Ramirez in the interview with Out, they had "been amicably separated for several years, with each of them dating other folks without making the big announcement." Ramirez explained that keeping things private enabled the two to accomplish their goal of informing their families ahead of the public.
