The Celluloid Closet

Gay Theatre: A Microcosm of the Contemporary Homosexual Landscape When you hear the term ‘gay theatre’ the first thought that may come to mind is that it describes theatre written for and by homosexuals.  If this is true, then before the decriminalization of male homosexual sex in 1967, there was no ‘gay theatre’ in existence due to the political and social landscape of that time. Spanning as far back as Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare, themes of homosexuality have been rampant within

a mechanism for learning about sex and sexual acts for almost all individuals trying to figure out their bodies, but what does this industry actually promote? Gay pornography, as a focus, has formational ties to dominance, the socially constructed closet, and queer death as a whole. Porn exists as a pleasure system that suffices to satisfy sexual proclivities. To get to the root of how porn creates the want for dominance, we also must consider the differences that exists between gay porn and lesbian

When one remembers “Hitchcock’s first American movie,” Rebecca (1940), a secret lesbian romance is not the first thing that comes to mind. Perhaps one thinks of the exceptionally moody scenery or the perfectly timed score, or even the formidable and terrifying Mrs. Danvers. These elements make Rebecca a beloved and classic psychological thriller, filled with suspense and built around an ever-unwinding and twisting plot. As the film plays out and the mysteries are explained, one detail remains curiously

Homosexuality and the Media       There are many different aspects of life that Americans are exposed to on television each day. Some examples are things such as violence, sex and alcohol and in today's more accepting society, the issue of alternative lifestyles. This issue was not as predominant ten years ago as it is today. Yes, for many years there have been sexual undertones in many popular television shows or movies, but it was not until recently that these actors and actresses were actually

Philadelphia- Prejudice on an innocent man Until this day, many members of the LGBTQ community are still fighting for their rights and to be accepted for who they are. This community has to challenge political set beliefs such as same-sex marriage to change the societal norm because of who they choose to love and to find their identity. Jonathon Demme’s Film Philadelphia embodies the G and Q in LGBTQ. The protagonist, Andrew Beckett, is fighting an ongoing battle with AIDS but has continued to excel

(No Intro Yet) Due to the Great Depression that started in 1929, the film going audience had considerably diminished. In order to attract individuals back into movie theatres, studios produced films with themes and subjects that had great shock-value such as; violence, prostitution, and especially homosexuality. These subjects clashed with the preaching’s of the Production Code, as well as various local and national censor boards, and are known today as “pre-code” films. Although homosexuality was

Minorities have always been underrepresented by every media outlet, whether that be film, literature, pop culture, etc., and that furthers stereotypes. Something that has always and will continue to be a device of discord in human nature is that of wanting to be heard, no matter how disastrous that might become. This has been shown by multiple events throughout the entire Gay Rights movement, most notably the birth of the movement which are, the Stonewall Riots, “These riots were highly influential

Throughout history, especially in recent years, there has been a dramatic change in LGBTQ+ rights. With this change, many homosexual themes and characters are prominently occurring across global cinema and television. With the recent legalisation of same-sex marriage in the UK and in the USA, we’re seeing a push for equality, acceptance and predominantly, normality. However, these views are rarely being reflected in modern or mainstream cinema. These films habitually present themselves with a lack

As the changes in gender and sexuality emerge into today’s society, the dominant ideologies are present in the films that are published during that specific time period. Gender roles have dramatically changed in the past century and are apparent in the movie All That Heaven Allows (1955). These gender roles follow the typical idea that a “woman pleases her man”, which was soon to change in the following years. Conversely, today sexuality seems to be a large focus in the media and has begun to appear

HISTORY GLAAD was formerly known as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.[i] It was founded in New York City in 1985 by Vito Russo, Jewelle Gomez and George Kolovakos.[ii] GLAAD is a media monitoring agency that seeks to promote and protect issues affecting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. The organization was originally founded in response to the New York Post’s homophobic and defamatory coverage of the AIDS epidemic, which was at its height in the 1980’s