Robert Redford, who passed away September 16, 2025 at age 89, is widely remembered as a film legend — star of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Sting,” “All the President’s Men,” and “Out of Africa,” and Oscar-winning director of “Ordinary People” (1980).
Beginning his career in the late 1950s, Redford built a reputation for combining mainstream star power with independent sensibility. He founded the Sundance Institute in 1981 and the Sundance Film Festival, giving voice and visibility to new filmmakers and stories outside the Hollywood norm.
Although Redford was not primarily known publicly for LGBTQ activism in the same way as some of his peers, there is substantial evidence that he was an ally, using both his words and his platforms to support LGBTQ rights, and helping shift culture over time.
Public Support and Speech
In 2013, Redford made a notable appearance at the Equality Utah “Allies Dinner,” a gathering that includes both LGBTQ individuals and heterosexual allies, and publicly spoke on equal rights. He said: “I’m here for the same reason you are — equal rights for all.” He emphasized that there should be no place for discrimination.
At that same event, he declared it “un-American to discriminate against gay people,” urging Utahns to leave a “legacy of inclusion.”
Representation and Early Roles
Redford’s early screen work includes “Inside Daisy Clover” (1965), in which he played Wade Lewis, a character with bisexual subtext. While the film conformed to the era’s constraints (with limitations on what could explicitly be stated or shown), critics and queer film scholars have retrospectively noted that it stands out as one of the earliest mainstream films to include a character aware of same-sex attraction or bisexual identity.
Even when Redford was not explicitly campaigning, taking more daring or ambiguous roles like this contributed to cultural change by making queer identities less invisible.
Institutional Impact & Amplifying Diverse Voices
Through the Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, Redford created venues for many voices that might otherwise be marginalized, including LGBTQ filmmakers and stories. Sundance has long been a showcase for independent film, which often includes works centered on queer themes or by queer creators. While not every work at Sundance is LGBTQ in focus, the very ethos of the festival — supporting independent, often underrepresented voices—makes it a significant platform.
Legacy & Influence
Redford’s approach to allyship seems to have been one of consistency, moral clarity, and amplifying others rather than always seeking headlines. His actions helped normalize public figures supporting LGBTQ+ equality at times when it was less common. Especially in places and contexts where discrimination was part of law or social norms, having respected figures speak out adds legitimacy, encouragement, and momentum to movements for change.
