Should we have "gender-less" acting categories?

Yes. Just have a fixed number of 10 acting nominees for lead, and another 10 for supporting.

No, they are handing out four acting awards. If they really want to be gender free, then just hand out for Best Lead and Best Supporting Actor.

That's why this whole thing is stupid. Why even go there.

Oh I know, like the very convenient ties at the Gothams last year. But if it was a true anonymous ballot, like the Oscars, that 100% could happen. 

Keep it the same. It is already so difficult to win an acting Oscar as is.  Then there's the ongoing disparity between the roles with Best Actor and Best Actress.

again. directors noms have been 95% male for forever. cinematographers probably even higher. there are industry-wide issues of sexism and giving meryl streep a gold statue every 4 years is not going to change that. if the issue is that the oscars aren't sufficient recognizing marginalized voices (which, i mean, obviously they aren't, you have to basically be a millionaire to be nominated for any of the big categories), then that should be held against them if they do end up nominating all men for the acting categories. as it stands it isolates nb performances even more than they would be normally, and makes the industry look "fair" because it's split into two gendered categories.

I'm thinking specifically of people like Sam Smith and Demi Lovato who have recently come out as non-binary - I really don't think they'd take issue with competing in male and female categories, respectively.

they probably wouldn't mind competing in gendered categories insofar as it allows them to get money and awards, but the point of their actual identity (sam smith at least - i thought demi lovato no longer identified that way) is that they don't feel as though they belong on a binary system of male and female (or, you know, actor and actress). 

Many NB actors go by multiple pronouns (Alex Newell is genderfluid but also identifies as a gay man, Emma Corrin goes by she/her in addition to they/them as does Indya Moore), Dillon being a rare example of someone who sees themselves as completely outside of the gender binary.

Awards categories are just that -- categories. By design they're compartmented. If you squash the gendered distinction you either only have one winner per category in which case prestige/visibility/success/accolades are denied to someone else, or you do what the LAFCA is doing and essentially have two ties for lead and supporting, which cheapens both wins and defeats the entire purpose of having a winner because absent an organic tie, there can only be one "best" (inherent in the definition). The practical implications of genderless categories as they've been used so far has been lose-lose.

because Will Smith wasn't competing against Jessica Chastain... They were the best in their respective categories. That's the whole point. There can't be two best actors or two best actresses unless there's an honest to god tie in the voting like in '68.

I don't really care what the LAFCA do for the record. They can have as many or as few acting categories as they want, so long as the Oscars keep 4 categories of 5 nominees each.