As we've seen in the past decade or so, the amount of films revolving around a gay character have been few and far between. Once every few years we see a film that brings us the gay experience -- some better than others -- and catches mainstream and awards season attention. A few examples of these types of films are: Brokeback Mountain, Milk, and most recently, Moonlight. It is, however, important to point out that although these movies depicted gay experiences and received critical acclaim in mainstream society, they were mostly lead by actors who identify as heterosexual and are not part of the LGBTQ+ community. As a gay teenager and now as a gay man, I have been plagued by the urges of seeing myself represented in a positive, yet complex light on television and film. Although there's much to be done in respect to positive and accurate portrayals of gay characters and protagonists in films, there have been those that have succeeded in bringing interesting and compelling gay characters to the silver screen in the past century. I would love to see more LGBTQ-identified actors portraying these characters on screen, but until then, we have to make due with what we have. Regardless to say, I hope that screenwriters and movie studios begin to realize that there's a big market in the LGBTQ+ community and that we need to see representation in a more vast and rewarding way. As a young boy, I looked for myself in all of these interesting characters I saw on television and movies, but I could never fully find someone that directly reflected my experience. I hope that in the near future we'll begin to see more stories that relate to our lives more accurately. As a side note, I should explicitly express my bias in this list as being solely based on films I have seen, as well as most, if not all, revolving around gay male characters. I have only seen a handful of films that include other LBTQ+ characters, but my knowledge is limited, and perhaps I'll compile a small list of those in the near future as well. Here are the Top 12 Gay Films of All Time... So Far:
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J. TalvoStudent of Sociology and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Wright State University. ArchivesCategories |