Homophobia In Theater

The representation of the LGBT community in the film industry has long been a topic of much debate. In her article, “It Ain’t Easy Being Bisexual on TV,” Amy Zimmerman addresses this topic with specific interest on bisexual representation. By appealing to the logic of her audience, using an informal tone, and referring to relatable content, Zimmerman constructs an argument which persuades readers of The Daily Beast that the film industry is unfairly and inaccurately representing bisexuals. However, her argument holds little influence over those who are not movie fans or The Daily Beast readers.

Life for most homosexuals during the first half of the Twentieth century was one of hiding, being ever so careful to not give away their true feelings and predilections. Although the 1920s saw a brief moment of openness in American society, that was quickly destroyed with the progress of the Cold War, and by default, that of McCarthyism. The homosexuals of the 50s “felt the heavy weight of medical prejudice, police harassment and church condemnation … [and] were not able to challenge these authorities.” They were constantly battered, both physically and emotionally, by the society that surrounded them. The very mention or rumor of one’s homosexuality could lead to the loss of their family, their livelihood and, in some cases, their

In Harry Benshoff’s article, “Brokering Brokeback Mountain”, he touches on how in the movie Brokeback Mountain, there are many queer references that are made and thus created quite a bit of controversy in Hollywood and also to the moviegoers in the audience. In Benshoff’s article, he attempts to help the reader understand the phenomenon surrounding homosexuality. To complete his study on how the audience in North Texas was receptive of this film, he utilizes his own personal experiences and surveys from the people of North Texas. Benshoff analyzes the opinions of homophobia from the viewers by reviewing their responses to the film and how they generally feel about the reality of the film. Despite the mixed reviews that this film received, it allowed the film industry to “[open] up an important public space for discourse on the place and meaning of queer men in the United States” (2-3).

August Wilson’s 1996 address entitled “The Ground on Which I Stand”, sparked a vigorous debate in the world of theater over the idea of “colorblind casting” and he presented the need for a Black Theatre. Mr. Wilson was outraged by the fact that of the 66 major companies belonging to the League of Resident Theaters, only one was black. He felt that the supporters of black theatre used their funds to increase black hiring in primarily white theatres as opposed to creating a theatre for the black community. Hw wanted to have more black theaters established to cater to the black actors as well as draw in black audiences. He attacks the increasingly popular trend of “colorblind casting” which basically meant casting black actors in roles traditionally

Theatre has evolved over the many years. As it has grown, it moved to include more diverse performers, crew, producers, and audiences. This is an exploration of the expansion of diverse theatre.

Throughout the 1950’s, the United States belonged to the Leave It To Beaver era. Families were structured around a strong, hard working father and a wonderful homemaker mother. Children were brought up with solid ideologies on what society expects from them and were warned about living a different and dangerous life. Only one-year separates Tennessee William’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room from there publishing dates during this decade of unwavering beliefs. These texts were seen as extremely controversial during their time due to their themes of homosexuality. Sexual orientation was an awkward topic during such a “to the book” time period and these texts pushed the limits, making them remarkable and memorable works. Both Tennessee Williams and James Baldwin explore the panic men experience while trying to comprehend what sexual orientation they belong to and highlight the masculine gay man. These texts also examine the woman’s role in the mist of it all.

This book Pray the Gay Away by Bernadetta C. Barton discusses about certain areas in the United States called Bible Belts were they have made absolutely no progress in securing rights for gay people. They lag behind the rest of nation were people are accepting homosexuality (Pray the Gay Away 15). Barton argues that in small towns were Christian institutions serve as a foundation for both passive and active homophobia in these areas (Pray the Gay Away 19). This article is related to the play because the two dominant religions discussed in the play was Judaism and Mormonism and both religions strongly oppose homosexuality and this lead to homophobic attitudes and themes within the play.

“Sex was something mysterious which happened to married couples and Homosexuality was never mentioned; my mother told me my father did not believe it existed at all ‘until he joined the army’. As a child, I was warned about talking to ‘strange men’, without any real idea what this meant. I was left to find out for myself what it was all about.” Mike Newman, who was a child during the 1950s America recalls how homosexuality was perceived during the post-World War II era (F). This sexual oppression was not only in Newman’s household, but in almost everyone’s. While the civil rights movement began in the mid-1950s and ended late 1960s, the LGBT community started to come out of the closet slowly. The gay rights movement stemmed from the civil rights movement

George Chauncey’s Gay New York Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World 1890-1940, goes where no other historian had gone before, and that is into the world of homosexuality before World War II. Chauncey’s 1994 critically acclaimed book was a gender history breakthrough that gave light to a homosexual subculture in New York City. The author argues against the idea that homosexual men lived hidden away from the world. Chauncey’s book exposes an abundant culture throughout the United States, especially in New York. In this book Chauncey not only shows how the gay population existed, but “uncovers three widespread myths about the history of gay life before the rise of the gay movement which was isolation, invisibility, and internalization.” Chauncey argues against these theories that in the years 1890-1940, America had in fact a large gay culture. Chauncey book is impactful in the uncovering of a lost culture, but also works as an urban pre-World War II history giving an inside view of life in the city through sexuality and class.

Within modern society when a character strays away from what society depicts as morally right, the individual is frowned upon as if he or she doesn't belong. In “Angels in America” a gay fantasia on National themes, characters struggle to be themselves upon fear of whether or not society will accept them as an individual. The characters not only struggles with whether or not society will accept them, but they also struggle with their inner demons, and ultimately the question of what is truly good or evil. In this paper several characters will be analyzed and discussed from several different viewpoints.

I will be writing about George Chauncey’s Gay New York. In this text, George Chauncey seeks to restore that world to history, to chart its geography, and to recapture its culture and politics by challenging three widespread myths about the history of gay life before the rise of the gay movement. These include the myths of isolation, invisibility and internalization. The homosexual community is considered a subculture to the heterosexual community, which identifies as the dominant culture. George Chauncey wants to know why the dominant heterosexual culture often misinterprets the heterosexual subculture. He also talks about the assumptions the dominant culture carries about sexuality and culture. I believe there are two reasons the dominant culture misinterprets and make assumptions about the homosexual community; these two reasons consist of religious beliefs and social stigma of the dominant culture towards the subculture.

Homosexuality plays an important thematic role in Angels in America by Tony Kushner. This is obvious; the play is about homosexuals during the AIDS epidemic in the 80’s. Not only is gayness their lives, it also figures in as a distorted simulation of itself. In the postmodern era, identities have become simulations of perceived actions instead of actual actions. Seen in rhetoric and in the play, homosexuality becomes associated with powerlessness, sin, and disease.

On February 21, 1903, “The first New York anti-gay police raid takes place at the Ariston Bathhouse. Police detained 60 men, and arrested 14” (“A History of the LGBTQA Movement”). Same-sex attraction and acting on this attraction was seen as a dangerous threat to the community that called for police presence in the early twentieth century in the United States as seen through this raid. In the same article from 1934 to 1968, the “Motion Picture Production Code, known as the Hayes Code, prohibited depiction of homosexuality in film” ” (“A History of the LGBTQA Movement”). Not only was there no representation for LGBT people in film for this long period in twentieth century America, it was illegal to for movie makers to depict homosexuality which leads to homosexuality becoming even more taboo than how cultural attitudes around it create.

Homosexuality on screen has been a taboo subject since the creation of film in the late nineteenth century, and has remained that way until the violent protests of the 1970s sexual revolution. Consequently, the neglection concerning the portrayal of gay community members can be linked to the overuse and dehumanization of queer stereotypes used as comedic relief throughout film history. The overall postponement in the representation of homosexuals paused the long march for equal rights even outside of the cinematic world. In result of conservative rejection toward such liberal topics, filmmakers had to conceal “queer cinema” as production codes enforced strict laws, but as time progressed, so did the involvement of the LGBTQ community in the cinema.

The Public Sphere within theatre was a concept that was first delineated by philosopher Jurgen Habermas in his book titled The structural transformation of the public sphere, in which he refers to the right that all citizens hold, the right to participate and engage into discussions on public matters of interest and public issues. Habermas writes: “the audience does not constitute a space for spectators and listeners but a space for speakers and addresses who engage in debate.” (Habermas in Balme 2012). The Public sphere has now become a space, a stage, for performers, speakers and protesters to have a voice rather than for the preliminary use of entertainment for the audience, spectators and listeners.