Debates on Contemporary Gay Culture
The rise of queer theory (not to be confused with queer studies which is a much broader critical theory of gender identity and sexuality) as critical discourse can find its historical roots in gender studies, lesbian and gay studies and feminism (to name a few) but its essence can be traced back to the cultural renaissance of the 1950s and 1960s. Queer theory concerns itself primarily with gender representation and the homophobic undertones of society throughout history. One of the principle societal issues undertaken by queer theory is that of gender labelling as a defining characteristic. The reference of someone’s sexuality (or racial background) as a descriptive term is still frequently employed in modern society and is prolific in both literature and film media. People are often referred to in this manner, for example ‘that gay guy’ or ‘that black girl’, giving undue prominence to this aspect of their being. Queer theory sees this practice as illogical and anachronistic due to the multitude of character traits that make up each individual, meaning that such labelling becomes non-categoric as it is not sufficient to describe (and therefore, define) a person by their sexual orientation or race (Jagose, 1996).
The term ‘queer theory’ is attributed to Teresa de Lauretis who coined the phrase at a conference in the early 1990s (de Lauretis, 1991). Whilst de Lauretis herself abandoned the term a few years after (due to its employ by the institutions she originally had originally intended it to critique), ‘queer theory’ has come to unite and define a range of discussions regarding the representation of sexuality in society and the arts (Sullivan, 2003). It is also important to clarify that the term ‘queer’ in this context does not denote the pejorative or slang connotations of some previous use but is employed because of its ambiguity in this context and its ability to be used in reference to any one of a number of sexual identities deemed incoherent with mainstream (chromosomal) sexual or gender practices (de Lauretis, 1994). The recent rise of queer theory has become an important tool in the analysis of gender representation in the world of literature and film.
The combined studies of gender representation, not only in the arts but in society as a whole are important devices in the continuing struggle against prejudice which has been prevalent throughout history. The evolution of homophobia throughout this time is prolific and there are many sources over the past two thousand years which illustrate the persecution delivered to those who undertook homosexual practices, or displayed characteristics which were of the time deemed out of character with contemporarily accepted gender practice. It is argued that this continuing maltreatment has now come to define the very concepts of man and woman in society which in turn leads to further negative attitude and oppression (Fone, 2000).
Suggestions of homosexual relations have existed in cinema since its creation. Early cinema was still regarded as an artistic and innovative art form and gender representation in film has subsequently undergone several transformations. A short time after the turn of the twentieth century many films lauded homosexual ‘behaviour’ as a commonly accepted comedic theme. As Russo (1987) points out, from ‘the very beginning, movies could rely on homosexuality as a sure fire source of humour’. This strategy continued allowing the public’s association of effeminacy with male homosexuality to become engrained. As movies became big business mainstream production companies became increasingly wary of ideas that would buck the trend of what was publicly accepted and therefore profitable. Whilst the practice of placing effeminate or camp characters into the movies as comic foils was commonplace in Hollywood right up through to the 1950s, European cinema’s increasingly risqué themes caused a shift in the output American cinema which felt compelled to compete in order to keep the interest of the adult audience. Whilst the 1960s saw a rise in the representation of homosexual relations in vaguely accepted contexts, it was not until the 1980s that movies really began to depict same-sex practices in a positive manner or, at the very least, for the primary viewership and interest of a homosexual audience (Russo, 1987).
Whilst in the present day it is not at all uncommon for a film from either side of the Atlantic to feature multi-gender or challenging themes relating to gender representation these are infrequently attempted to appeal to mainstream audiences (the majority are low-budget and independently produced). This has a lot to do with the difficulty involved with the removal of the established codes of cinematic representation for these groups. Stereotypes exist across the arts and media in many forms. They can efficiently outline a collection of themes which can be united to form an instant opinion or association in the mind of the audience. But for the same reason they are effective they can also be problematic since they depict large groups of people as united by common themes when the contrary is invariably the case. It also stands to reason that the groups in question often have little say in the form this representation takes, which in many cases of gender representation is often negatively delivered and perceived. They can revise ill-informed or harmful assumptions into a perceived reality for the viewer but they can also reinforce already existing prejudices (Savin-Williams, 2001). The representation of gay characters throughout filmic media is indicative of this, often being portrayed as marginal, flamboyant, unrealistic or troubled. As Russo asserts:
