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Selena Gomez just scored a rare role.<\/p>\n

The pop singer and actress will play<\/a> the pioneering Peruvian American mountaineer Silvia Vasquez-Lavado in an upcoming biopic written and directed by Elgin James<\/a> (\u201cLowriders\u201d) and produced by Oscar winner Donna Gigliotti<\/a> (\u201cHidden Figures\u201d). The movie is based on Vasquez-Lavado\u2019s upcoming memoir, \u201cIn the Shadow of the Mountain,\u201d to be published in 2022.<\/p>\n

The project, which both Gomez and Vasquez-Lavado shared on social media, is already being floated as Oscar material<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so humbled and grateful to share this thrilling news, which has been in the works for the last 10 months, that an all-star team has optioned my upcoming memoir … for a movie adaptation,\u201d Vasquez-Lavado wrote Wednesday on Instagram, calling Gomez \u201cbold, talented, and brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n

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But the actress\u2019 fans had mixed emotions about her upcoming role. While most voiced excitement for Gomez, some speculation abounded over the fact that the actress will play a lesbian pioneer. <\/p>\n

Vasquez-Lavado was the first out gay woman to complete the Seven Summits, climbing the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. She claimed that title in June 2018.<\/p>\n

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\u201cBut Selena isn\u2019t gay. I wish they would give unknown LGBTQ actors a chance at playing such a defining role,\u201d one Twitter user wrote<\/a>. \u201cI love Selena I just wish this casting straight actors in LGBTQ roles phase would end! Love Simon, Brokeback Mountain, and so many more good films using straight actors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Representatives for Gomez did not immediately respond to The Times\u2019 request for comment.<\/p>\n

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omg when locals drag her for playing a gay character to get a hit tweet and when it reaches 100k she comes out as bi and then everyone goes silent \ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n
\u2014 J (@asweetrplace) November 11, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Others pointed out, though, that Vasquez-Lavado herself will be helping to executive produce the film, indicating her approval of the casting decision. (The mountain climber also wrote on Instagram<\/a> that she was \u201chonored and touched for the bold, talented, and brilliant @selenagomez in taking the starring role.\u201d) <\/p>\n
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When Between the Lines<\/a> asked Gomez in 2015 if she had ever questioned her sexuality, the actress responded: \u201cOh, I think everybody does, no matter who they are. I do, yeah, of course. Absolutely. I think it\u2019s healthy to gain a perspective on who you are deep down, question yourself and challenge yourself; it\u2019s important to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gomez and Vasquez-Lavado have also faced their fair share of obstacles.<\/p>\n
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i don\u2019t really care if straight actors play gay characters but i feel like it\u2019s disrespectful when it\u2019s a biopic for a real life gay woman but if she\u2019s alive and fine with it i guess it doesn\u2019t matter?? https:\/\/t.co\/TgUu6w8w0b<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 linds is in her destiel era (@jojochalamet) November 11, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The singer\u2019s latest album, \u201c Rare<\/a>,\u201d alluded to some of her fight against depression and anxiety. \u201cIs there a place where I can hide away?\u201d she wonders on \u201cA Sweeter Place\u201d: \u201cThere\u2005must be a sweeter place \u2014 we can\u2005sugarcoat the taste.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The \u201c13 Reasons Why\u201d executive producer opened up<\/a> over the summer about living with bipolar disorder during the pandemic lockdown. More recently, Gomez wrote for CNN Style<\/a> about how beauty can influence mental health. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are constantly bombarded with images and social media posts that make people feel like they need to achieve perfection, which is unattainable,\u201d she said. \u201cI think admitting I am a human being, and not perfect \u2014 nobody is \u2014 was actually more beneficial to the people that looked up to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
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View this post on Instagram<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a> <\/p>\n
Thank you @the_explorers_club for this amazing panel. So proud to be part of our new diversity initiative! \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf08 Join me, @richardwiese @casoncrane and @kdavidharrison tomorrow for this fun panel! Links on bio. #Repost @the_explorers_club with @get_repost \u30fb\u30fb\u30fb Silvia Vasquez-Lavado @silviavasla is a Peruvian-American explorer, mountaineer, social entrepreneur, Fulbright scholar, and technologist. She became the first Peruvian woman to summit Mt. Everest in May 2016 and became the first openly gay woman to complete the Seven Summits by summiting Denali on June 2018. Silvia summited Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia and Carstensz Pyramid in the island of Papua, Oceania in March of 2015, and Vinson Massif in Antarctica in December of 2015. In 2014, she launched a nonprofit that helps survivors of sexual abuse. Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is one of the presenters at “Exploring #Pride: #LGBTQ Explorers & Their Global Community,” streaming tomorrow, October 21st at 7PM EDT. We will focus on the world of exploration through the eyes of LGBTQ explorers and scientists, provide a history of LGBTQ exploration, and discuss how being gay has contributed to the participants\u2019 aspirations and accomplishments as scientists and explorers. TEC President, @richardwiese will offer welcome remarks, highlighting how the Club is carrying out our efforts to be more inclusive and diverse as new and young explorers take the lead on tomorrow\u2019s expeditions. Streaming will be available at 7PM EDT on explorers.org and on our Facebook page. Further details are available via the link in our bio. .\u2060 .\u2060 .\u2060 .\u2060 .\u2060 .\u2060 .\u2060 .\u2060 .\u2060 .\u2060 .\u2060 .\u2060 #science #lecture #educational #inclusivity #explorersclubmember #explorersclub #theexplorersclub #gay #lesbian #bisexual #trans #queer #watchlist \u2060<\/a><\/p>\n
A post shared by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado<\/a> (@silviavasla) on Oct 20, 2020 at 4:25pm PDT<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Vasquez-Lavado, meanwhile, survived sexual abuse during her childhood in Peru. More than 30 years later, she founded Courageous Girls, a nonprofit that works to heal and empower survivors of violence and abuse through nature.<\/p>\n
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\u201cSilvia is a force of nature,\u201d Gigliotti told<\/a> the Hollywood Reporter. \u201cScott [Budnick] and I are so excited to work with Elgin and Selena to tell this story of resilience, courage, adventure and humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first time seeing Mount Everest gave me a security, a sweetness, a tenderness, a sense of safety I had never felt,\u201d Vasquez-Lavado told<\/a> the Chicago Tribune. \u201cWhen you experience trauma, you become detached of your body, of your own persona. I was so moved by the mountains that it rekindled my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI went from survivor to empowerer,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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In November 2015, Vasquez-Lavado hiked to the base of Mount Everest with a group of Nepalese girls, all of whom had been trafficked in India.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy young courageous girls stood stunned gazing up at at Everest. Here they were, their dream had come true, unlike many of their dreams that had been shattered by empty promises,\u201d Vasquez-Lavado wrote on her blog<\/a>. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe put together the beautiful prayer flags with all what we wanted to leave behind and for all that we wanted to bring into our lives,\u201d she continued. \u201cA new beginning for many of us; a new way of leaving so much of the painful past behind.\u201d<\/p>\n