Was Lureen a lesbian or bi, maybe?

[Artiste]

Thanks souxi!

May I quote you:

... Laureen might have been impressed with Lawshawn at the dance, doesn,t mean she fancied the pants off of her. She could simply have been admiring her dress or her hair. Women do do that you know, even me. It doesn,t make us raving lesibians!!   

....


Wow, do all lesbians rave... scream?? No!! Some don't, some do!! I know some acting with either of those actions, and find most who are quiet like Lureen and Lawshawn, to my experience. Any comments on that?


And may I reply of course women, even straights, bi-s and others, plus lesbians would admire Lawshawn's dress, hair, words... actions. That is only natural!

To me  it is also equally natural for Lureen as a lesbian or bi, to admire that too!! Plus, she has or is starting a crush in lawshawn!!

Did you re-check that part in the BM movie?

May we all have our crushes!!

Hugs!!

Hugs!!

[souxi]

Wow, do all lesbians rave... scream?? No!! Some don't, some do!! I know some acting with either of those actions, and find most who are quiet like Lureen and Lawshawn, to my experience. Any comments on that?

Artiste it was just an expression. I didn,t literally mean that Laureen would rave and scream. Jeez.

[Artiste]

Thanks souxi!

May I quote you:

lesbians... some are quiet like Lureen and Lawshawn, to my experience. Any comments on that?

....
Souxi, that is the way I think that Lureen and Lawshawn act: quiet, like you say; and therefore, may I say are discreet about their lesbian relationship (which starts, is or will be starting) at that dance.

Hugs!

[Brown Eyes]

OK... so I'm going to enter the fray here and bring my own lesbian perspective into this question.

The interaction between Lureen and LaShawn is certainly interesting in the film.  No question.  But, I don't get the sense that Lureen was developing a crush on LaShawn... I get the sense that she was barely tolerating her.  If anything, there may have been a moment when they slightly bonded over the idea that both of their husbands were neglecting them.

And, I'm going to restate my observation about Lureen that I've now posted a couple of places where the speculation about Lureen being a lesbian has come up (over and over again).

Lureen's excitement at meeting Jack in the beginning strongly shows the viewer that she really is straight. She's interested enough to approach him at the bar when she senses his reluctance.  And, most importantly, she's very excited and eager for the sexual contact in the car... the heterosexual contact... in the car.

These are not behaviors typical of lesbians.  Most lesbians don't show this much interest in men and certainly wouldn't be as excited and eager as Lureen is in the car scene.  In fact, many lesbians would go out of their way to avoid the behaviors that Lureen demonstrates.

Lureen, is very confident and she's sexually-self-aware.  Her boldness and confidence in going after what she wants are positive things (at least from my perspective).  Again, I am a lesbian... and I think it's great that Lureen has so much confidence in her own sexuality, which from the scenes we're shown in the film seems strongly heterosexual.  Her self-confidence and assertiveness seems pretty extraordinary and very progressive for a straight woman in Texas during her era.  She's a progressive character in that regard... but not a lesbian.  There is a purely speculative possibility that Lureen could be bisexual since a bisexual woman is interested in both men and women.... but we are never shown any actions on her part that support this.

She's so self-assured, especially in the scenes where we observer her as a young, single woman..   that if she was a lesbian... she would not be pursuing Jack, she would be pursuing women.

[Dal]

If anyone is a lesbian, it's Mrs. Newsome.  She was not one originally, but after years of marriage to LD she became one.

[Artiste]

Thanks Dal, thanks atz75!!

I like your comments... both of you.

It is obvious that Lureen is a complexe person, like we all are, if I may say! I think that there are at least four out of five different and yet maybe related ways to consider her sexual orientation: heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, other, or combination.

I do not think that Lureen is just heterosexual, not at all!! For many reasons. It depends how to light her, how the light is placed upon her, and how she does those lights, plus how we, as spectators, place our thought light(s).
...

What do you mean Dal? Please explain.

Must rush,
hugs!

[Sandy]

She's so self-assured, especially in the scenes where we observer her as a young, single woman..   that if she was a lesbian... she would not be pursuing Jack, she would be pursuing women.

My point exactly.  I know others will say that lesbians would have been just as affected by the general homophobia during that era.  But my point is that there was no indication of attraction to women on Lureen's part, and had there been so, I think it likely that Ms Proulx would have advised us in her usual subtle manner.  Furthermore, if that was the case, I think Ang Lee would have also brought our attention to it. 

So,

Sandy, may I say that by your comment, in a way or more says, that Lureen is a lesbian...

No, if my post gave you that idea, then I must have worded it incorrectly.  I have no doubt in my mind that Lureen was heterosexual and madly in love with her husband. 

[Jeff Wrangler]

The interaction between Lureen and LaShawn is certainly interesting in the film.  No question.  But, I don't get the sense that Lureen was developing a crush on LaShawn... I get the sense that she was barely tolerating her.  If anything, there may have been a moment when they slightly bonded over the idea that both of their husbands were neglecting them.

I think so, too. I'm pretty sure the sorority comment was intended as a putdown. I read somewhere, a long time ago, that Lureen's sorority was considered to have a higher social standing than LaShawn's.

[Artiste]

Thanks Sandy!

I doubt that your post did express to me that you think that Lureen is a Lesbian. You may have said something that made me think that Lureen is lesbian. There is a difference there. Let me re-read your post. Here is your post to quote it:

Insert Quote
I think that if Lureen wanted a female lover, she would have taken one as easily as put sugar in her tea.  She had a husband, a son and a job and if there was anything else she wanted, she would have made damn sure she got it.  I see nothing in her to indicate that she was attracted to females, but I base my opinion on the fact that, had she been so, she would not have let it lie.  

......

Sandy and to all: may I make a brief comment:
 Sandy, you say that if Lureen wanted a female lover, she would have taken one as easily as put sugar in her tea. And to that may I say yes and/or no. It could be that Lureen then considered herself lesbian or bisexual, and so went after Jack!! Certainly after Jack, if she considers herself bisexual, right?

If Lureen considers herself lesbian, she could have her female lover in college or had experiemented or wanted to do so with another female - as that is a possibility, right?- in college! Even then and of after college, right after college I figure... still Lureen could have went after Jack, because she had no choice because of society she was raised in and she wants to come (and she does) back to her place as her work is this family (her father, her parents' business), and don't forget that I think she was already one month or so pregnant with someone else (not with Jack)!!

I must go take away snow and ice from mother's car and, bring her to shop, and I await your answers and
comments too from all others,

thanks... hugs!! May all females be safe and get their deisres in this wonderful World!!

[Brown Eyes]

Lureen could have went after Jack, because she had no choice because of society she was raised in and she wants to come (and she does) back to her place as her work is this family (her father, her parents' business), and don't forget that I think she was already one month or so pregnant with someone else (not with Jack)!!

I think Lureen pursues Jack purely out of her own desire.  It fact, I think dating Jack was an act of rebellion on Lureen's part from the very beginning.  She's choosing to date and marry a man, who she probably knew from the beginning would not be the type of guy that LD would approve.  I really don't get the sense that anyone if forcing Lureen to do anything here.  We see her reject the advances of at least a couple guys in the bar as she continues to watch Jack and then finally approach Jack.  This is all her choice.  Also, with her comment about her curfew in the back of the car with Jack, she's making it pretty clear that she's doing something rather rebellious.

I'm going to say again, that your idea that she was pregnant with another man's baby and also pursuing Jack are two bits of strong evidence that Lureen was not a lesbian, but was heterosexual (or at a stretch bisexual... but we don't have any evidence of this).

I think so, too. I'm pretty sure the sorority comment was intended as a putdown. I read somewhere, a long time ago, that Lureen's sorority was considered to have a higher social standing than LaShawn's.

Heya Jeff,
I remember discussions about this too.  And, I agree that the sorority comment is meant to be a slight to LaShawn.  And, in a way it's also a subtle dig at Jack.  Jack's clearly the only one among this pair of couples who did not go to college.