“I would never want to tell a story that really should be told by somebody who’s lived that experience… having said that, it’s a slippery slope,” said Kristen Stewart to Variety ahead of the release of her upcoming queer Christmas rom-com Happiest Season. She speaks strongly on whether gay characters should be played by straight actors.

“I could never play another straight character if I’m going to hold everyone to the letter of this particular law. I think it’s such a grey area,” she revealed, acknowledging that as a “young white girl who was straight” and “skinny”, and has made major success, gave the matter a lot of thought.

“There are ways for men to tell women’s stories or ways for women to tell men’s stories. But we need to have our finger on the pulse, and actually have to care,” she said, adding: “I mean, if you’re telling a story about a community and they’re not welcoming to you, then fuck off.”

“Mackenzie is not somebody who identifies as a lesbian,” Stewart says about her colleague Mackenzie Davis who plays her girlfriend in the film. “She was the only person in my mind that could have played this with me. Sometimes, artfully speaking, you’re just drawn to a certain group of people. I could defend that, but I’m sure that somebody with a different perspective could make me feel bad about that – and then make me renege on everything I’ve just said.”

Happiest Season is scheduled to land on Hulu on December 25. Watch the trailer below if you haven’t already.