Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Would it have worked? Merged with "Would a SWEET LIFE ever have been possible?"
delalluvia:
--- Quote from: Scott6373 on September 14, 2006, 02:31:29 pm ---Ok, this is a serious reposne to this.
Since I am not sure of the sex (or sexual leaning) of everyone who has responded thus far, please forgive the generlization.
We are talking about 1983. I am gay and in 1983, there was no way I could have been in any kind of openly gay relationship (and I was out then), and I lived in Boston. Gay men and women and those with transgender issues, were tolerated, but still hidden, and still considered socially deviant. "Will and Grace" was a long way off.
It is a tough thing not to impose out modern day sensibilites on the situation back in 1983, either for me or for the fictional Ennis and Jack in their rural setting, which no doubt was far more oppresive than where I was.
It's just a fact of life 25 or so years ago, that gay relationships were not supported or condoned, and they were always outed eventually.
--- End quote ---
In the early 80's, my mother took me to school near the gay part of town. There were plenty of men walking hand in hand and having relationships, being 'married' and living in homes together. It was a well-known fact that the pharmacist in our neighborhood drug store was gay and that he had a 'husband' who wore a ring and came to the store from time to time to speak to him. It wasn't a secret, it was quite open and quite obvious. Perhaps it depends on where you lived?
You know...something strange just popped in my head. I hadn't thought about this in years. I know how people talk about 'Ellen', 'Will and Grace' and other gay themed shows and the gay cable channel as a recent phenomenon, but you know I distinctly remember as a child - years ago - watching a rerun of a pilot made-for TV movie that was made in the 70's. I can't recall the name of the movie or who was in it. I remember one actor, but I can't recall his name, anyway, the movie was shown on national TV, on the mainstream channels and it was about the lives of some people who lived in a high rise apartment. One of the stories was about a young gay guy and his beautiful next door neighbor. The gay man was having an affair with a married rich powerful doctor. Anyway, the gist of the story is - at first, mistaken identity - the wife finds out, thinks the woman is the lover at first, then finds out her husband's lover is a man, and walks out laughing - laughing because the wife 'knows' she will win in the battle of love.
The young man attempts suicide when his lover leaves him but is rescued by his neighbor and his lover who -in the end - shows up in the lobby of the apartment building with his suitcase, clearly intending to move in with his lover!
Sorry that just popped in my head and it makes me wonder. Mainstream American TV viewers 30+ years ago had to have been more liberal if TV execs back then thought this TV pilot was acceptable viewing. I think viewers were more liberal back in the late 60's early 70's. After all, Maude's character got an abortion on her TV show. That would cause near rioting in the streets these days.
jpwagoneer1964:
Within the last couple of years I saw on Nick at Night a seldom rerun drama from the very early 1960's the I think stared Warren Beatty, when he was a very young man although I think he is older that Ennis and Jack would be now, In which he playe a gay character. Sorry thats all I remember.
Bucky:
By the time I fell in love with a guy it was 1984 and the tide was turning against the acceptability of the "gay lifestyle." The so called "gay plague" was spreading in the United States and the televangelists and conservatives were blaming all of it on the gays in America claiming it was "God's judgement" on gay people for violating the Bible, etc. We know now that it was a lie to blame AIDS on the gays as it has spread throughout the population of this country and other countries as well both heterosexual and homosexual. It just happened that gays seemed to have gotten AIDS first so Scott is right about the time frame and the impact that it had on acceptance of people other than heterosexuals. Also where you lived in the USA played a big part in whether you would be tolerated or hated. I happen to live in a very conservative non-accepting area. Homophobia or the fear of homophobia broke up my relationship.
I live a rather peaceful live now and I am happy and did mention that I had been in touch with my ex partner. He wanted to turn the time back twenty two years. I couldn't agree to that and finally had to be rather firm in an email to him telling him that I would not attempt to reestablish a relationship that died twenty two years ago because of homophobia. There were other things involved including him just bailing out on me altogether but homophobia scared him as it scared me. I value my peaceful life to a mess that I would be in if I rekindled that relationship and the truth is that it doesn't really hurt me to have told him a flat out NO like I thought it would. I am still not ready for a relationship at this time. Not because I love anyone else but because I value my independence and peace. Some day that may change but not anytime soon I don't think.
Scott6373:
I really don't want to sound "preachy" or "activistic" about this, but the heterosexual community is just in the baby stages of understanding the gay community, and the struggles we have gone through.
I'm thrilled that I have lived long enough to see the strides we have made, but there is still MUCH to be done.
I live in Massachusetts and when the whole subject of same-sex marriage came up, I was actually opposed to it, because I believed and still do, that we have skipped over some of the fundamental issues in order to get to this one.
The fact remains that in 1984, I was beaten badly (very badly) by a bunch of straight guys after I had left a gay bar in Boston...1984! Last year, a man walked into a bar in New Bedford, MA with a machette (sp), and proceeded to hack AT PEOPLE...2005.
I love that so many of the hetersexual community are open to seeing us in a way other than has been painted for us n the past, but given the state of things now, and the state of things then, I firmly stand by my assertion that those two men would never been able to survive a relationship.
ednbarby:
--- Quote from: Scott6373 on September 15, 2006, 07:46:58 am ---I love that so many of the hetersexual community are open to seeing us in a way other than has been painted for us n the past, but given the state of things now, and the state of things then, I firmly stand by my assertion that those two men would never been able to survive a relationship.
--- End quote ---
I agree wholeheartedly, Scott, I'm very sad to say. That's why I've always seen Jack as a revolutionary. Some think of him as just a dreamer. But I see him as ready to follow through on a dream knowing full well it may very well cost him his life. And he did that because he really believed that he could be the one who would make a difference, if nowhere else, at least in his own and his love's lives.
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