The LGBTQ+ community are remembering the allyship and advocacy of James Van Der Beek, after his death was announced yesterday.
The actor, who was perhaps best known for his role as Dawson Leery on the teen show Dawson’s Creek, died yesterday, February 11, at the age of 48. He had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer in August 2023, and revealed his diagnosis in November 2024.
In a post on Instagram, his family wrote: “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.
“There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now, we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
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As fans celebrate his performances, many are also remembering how he advocated for the LGBTQ+ community. In 2013, two years before the US Supreme Court guaranteed same-sex couples the right to marry, Van Der Beek spoke out in support of marriage equality in a Facebook post. He wrote: “I’m confused… how is two gay people getting married a threat to my marriage? Am I doing it wrong?”
He continued to show his public support of same-sex marriage by taking part in a Funny or Die sketch. In the comedy video, Van Der Beek pokes fun at the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which gave Indiana business owners the right to refuse service to LGBTQ+ patrons.
Later, in 2018, the actor took a moment to celebrate queer visibility in a social media post, congratulating Ryan Murphy on his Emmy Award for Outstanding Director for his work on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.
Accompanying a photo of Ryan Murphy, Van Der Beek wrote: “This is a man who was once made fun of for the way he talked, for being too “gay”, too weird. He could have gotten bitter.
“Instead, he got better and better, built an empire, and now he uses his power to give people who have been marginalised a voice, an opportunity, a job – HALF of the people he hires are women, minorities, or people of colour. That’s been his policy.”
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