It seems
television, theatre, and film are all shining a bigger spotlight on the LGBTQ
community by bringing gay themed stories to the stage and screen in a
valiant attempt to raise the social conscience. It's been an emotional
ride experiencing some of these productions in the last few weeks as tears of
joy, happiness, frustration, anger, and sadness came forth and flowed.
The highs
included seeing mainstream actors convincingly portray a mature relationship
between two men based in love; in sickness and in health, through good times
and bad; a marriage containing romantic, emotional, and physical intimacy.
But, most importantly, depicting it as something normal in the
conventional sense.
The lows came
from the homophobic treatment and discrimination that the characters experience
from society, strangers, and even family in the fight for equality that took
place through highlighted era.
Although
I stand on the progress, struggle, and deaths of many that came before me, and
cannot fully understand the depths of their pain, I feel I can empathize
through my own experiences. I don't claim to have always known discrimination
by being born into it.
However,
I can tell you that it's quite a mind fuck (there is no better word) to be
implied—by society—that I was born and raised at a time when being a white male
gave me a slight advantage and step ahead in life before my first breath was
taken. For most of my life that was the unspoken societal understanding.
To put it
simply, it wasn’t until I discovered I preferred another penis instead of a
vagina to play with, that, in an instant my fall from grace and banishment from
the castle into the dark forest—literally (for those of you that read Amsterdam Angel;) and figuratively—with the
other animals and monsters took hold. Then, poof, rights that my brothers
and I once shared, I no longer had, and everything from shameful or
disapproving looks to death threats became part of my world. Like I said, a mind fuck.
So, to
now experience these stories being told feels full circle, as the domino of
states fall and follow suit with legalizing gay marriage. It's only a matter of time before equality
for all is law. But at the same time, I also
accept that my lifetime will never be free of homophobic attitudes. It's upon me to choose kindness and
compassion and not attempt to change them.
Occasionally,
it will still be a struggle and
tears of all sorts will always come to the surface. But they will be welcomed as having experienced
and shared in evolution. All three of
the following productions are—in my humbled opinion—a must see and highly recommended.
The first
was HBO's premiere of The Normal Heart starring Mark Ruffalo, Matt
Bomer, and Julia Roberts, among many other talented actors. It tells the
story of the early days of AIDS in New York City before the disease even had a
name as it devoured the lives of many in the gay community. Grab your tissues.
Luckily,
I was in a hotel in Philadelphia; as I was unprepared for the tears that came.
Two hours later and up way past my bedtime—for an ungodly, early report
time to the airport—I blew my boogers into the sheets, as I couldn't bear to
step away for one second. Fortunately, I was not in my own
bed—Derek would have killed me, had I tried that at home—and didn't have to wash
them.
Watch
it. It was informative, heartwarming,
and heartbreaking. More importantly, it was a story about a community
coming together, asking for help, and standing up for their own self-worth.
The next
production I saw was a week and a half ago, when, on a whim I took advantage of
living in NYC and hopped on the subway two stops to Broadway for Terrance
McNally's latest creation for the stage, Mothers and Sons. What
had me on the edge of tears for nearly the entire time was how beautifully Mr.
McNally depicts a mother who lost her son to AIDS 20 years prior and places her
on the doorstep of her dead son's boyfriend, the boyfriend's much younger
husband, and their young son for resolution and understanding.
The
brilliance of the play was that with each of the four characters, a different
generation was represented, and along with them the consciousness of society
concerning homosexuality during their respective eras. Together they show how evolution progressively
softened its gravity with time. From the
strict, conservative, close-minded Baby Boomer mother—played beautifully by the
great Tyne Daly, whose performance was nominated for a Tony Award—to the young
son who can't even comprehend that having two fathers is not normal, while his
fathers, surprised at the idea of having to—and how to—explain to him why.
Hurry! And go see it if you are in
New York, as it closes on 22 June.
The last
production is the film Love Is Strange starring John Lithgow and Alfred
Molina as a gay couple who marry once it becomes legal in NYC, only to
discover an aftermath of discrimination that leaves them homeless and
struggling to reclaim their life together. It has been receiving rave
reviews on the film
festival circuit as a darling and
one to watch.
It will
hit theaters in August with one added bonus for you: Me. Yes, I will be
making my movie debut. But don't blink or you’ll miss me. That is,
also, if I wasn't already left on the edit room floor. Go see it.
Not only because it's a wonderful story told by brilliant actors with an
amazing supporting cast, including Marisa Tomei, but to play a game of
Where's Waldo, only, you'll be looking for me! Here I am!
Perhaps,
after watching any one of these you'll come away with more compassion and
empathy toward your gay or lesbian son, daughter, brother, sister, cousin, or
friend. While hoping that they would
never have to feel what the characters in these productions experience, or the
countless others in the world today that continue to go through on a daily
basis.
http://thenormalheart.hbo.com
http://www.mothersandsonsbroadway.com
http://loveisstrangemovie.com
http://thenormalheart.hbo.com
http://www.mothersandsonsbroadway.com
http://loveisstrangemovie.com