If you aren’t in love with Holtzmann, Kate McKinnon and life in general after seeing “Ghostbusters,” you’re probably doing it wrong. The movie – which was funny and fun and feminist and for heaven’s sake go see it immediately – has a true breakout star in McKinnon. Which, for gay ladies around the world, is fantastic news. Years from now, young queer girls will look back at Holtzmann licking her proton gun and say, “Yep, that’s my root.” If you hadn’t already, for sure after seeing “Ghostbusters” you’ve officially anointed Kate among the ranks of our greatest and hottest lesbothrobs.
But, you know, don’t take my word for it alone. Everyone seems to have fallen in love with Kate/Holtzmann/life after seeing the movie. Like here. And here. And so very here. Her performance is so wonderfully weird, so magnetically magnificent. Of course, us gay ladies were onto Kate ages ago. Remember “The Big Gay Sketch Show?” Remember how thrilled we were when she was tapped for “Saturday Night Live?” Of course you do.
Sadly, director Paul Feig has had to be coy about Holtzmann’s sexuality in the movie because of studio pressure. But we all know because, puh-lease– anyone who wears that many overalls, leather jackets and vests is capital G Gay. So while we’re forced to read the subtext on screen, the maintext of Kate’s place in the movie speaks volumes. I cannot emphasize enough how amazing/important/meaningful it is to have Kate McKinnon as one of the leads of a high-profile international film franchise like this.
Kate has been out since the beginning of her career. So in her we have an unabashed champion of LGBT representation. But not only that in her we have definitive proof that being LGBT in Hollywood does not have to be a career impediment to overcome or hidden truth to finally come to terms with. You can be awesome and out, just like Kate, and be the star of a major motion picture. You can be awesome and out, just like Kate, and consistently steal the show on SNL. You can be awesome and out, just like Kate, and have the world fall in love with you.
Babymen can continue to whine about how four female Ghostbusters are ruining their childhood all they want. For queer and questioning girls all over the world, Kate and Holtzmann will no doubt become a touchstone. And, for the rest of us gay ladies, she is a reminder that we can do anything we want. Bust ghosts, bury misogyny, steal movies, steal hearts.
p.s. I now firmly believe that one of the rooms in lesbian heaven is just that slow-mo sequence of Holtzmann busting out her proton guns and battling an army of ghosts playing on an endless loop. And another room is just hammocks made out of her dimples.