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My dear friend, AwesomeZara, whose wonderful column you read here every other Wednesday, once gave me some ideas on what to write about when I felt zapped for material. One of the ideas she had was something I'd like to see done in movies.
Well, I can't really say I've ever given that much thought. Unlike the other columnists on the site, I'm not quite that passionate about movies. That would be my brother's forte. I've always been the raging music nerd.
But, there is one thing I've been thinking about lately.
Coming out.
Some of you may remember near Halloween when I did a column on coming out movies. I more or less bitched about how unrealistic it is and how they can do more harm than good.
As I mentioned then, I haven't seen that many coming out films. I've read a few synopses and figured out more or less their basic formula. I hope to actually see a few of them and revisit the topic at a later date.
Not now, however.
Taking AZ's cue, I'm going to focus on something that I would like to see: A coming out film of a different caliber.
I can track down plenty of lesbian-themed coming out movies. The number I've compiled on my "to rent/buy" list surprised even me. Some popular titles include:
SAVING FACE, about a Chinese-American lesbian who has to deal with not only her 
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traditional family's views, but those of her conservative, patriarchal culture.
BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER, which ranks as my number 1 favorite coming out film of all time.
BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE, which I've heard actually is better than chocolate.
All of these are great (or at least I've heard). They'll make you laugh, cry and scream. You may get something helpful out of them or you may get nothing more than an entertainingly wasted two hours.
But, they're so... so... traditional, I suppose.
I mean, there are only so many ways to come out to so many different people. There are only so many situations that don't bore the snot out of you. On IMDB alone 756 titles came up when I did a keyword search on "coming out."
It all gets so monotonous after a while, doesn't it?
But, there is one interesting idea, which I mentioned in my previous coming out article. At the end of that piece, I wrote briefly of an interesting take on the coming out film in the form of a short by Carole Ducharme called STRAIGHT FROM THE SUBURBS; a twenty-five minute short about a girl who comes out as straight to her gay community.
I've never seen it, and I can't find anyplace where it's being shown or where I can snag a copy of some sort.
It intrigues me. Coming out... as straight.
It happens. It happens more often than you might think. And, I would love to see a full-length film about it.
Can you imagine that?
You've spent your whole life (or at least a good portion of it) convinced you were a lesbian or gay man. When, all of a sudden, you meet the opposite sex of your dreams. Now you're not so sure, anymore.
How do you tell your family and friends? Yes, they could respond with relief. But, they could also be pissed off that you put them through the hell of "getting used to it" (unless, of course, they never minded to begin with, but that wouldn't make for a good movie).
What do you say to your gay friends? Will they really want to be friends with a breeder? There's a high chance that they'll feel betrayed by your sudden "deflection." There's such a stigma in the queer community—such animosity towards those who ended up "just passing through." People get accused of just playing around and never really having an attraction to the same sex.
Then there's yourself. After being gay for so long, there's no way to "become straight" without feeling like you've lost a whole part of who you are. For many, homosexuality is more than just a sexual preference; it's a community, a lifestyle, and an identity.
How do you turn your back on that?
It would be an interesting path to explore. I look forward to the people brave and creative enough to take it on.
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| Acting Queer |
Every other Tuesday
Talking about movies from a queer girl's point of view, possibly with psychological, sociological and political undertones.
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| Aidan Abhorrent |
Aiden is a queer punk rocker feminist with a loud mouth and too much to say. Studying psychology and sociology makes her think she knows everything about everybody, which she very well might.
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| Contact |
If you have a comment, question, or suggestion, you can send a message to Aidan Abhorrent by clicking here.
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