A growing visibility for gay men in real life was proving the point made by Harvey Milk when he implored every gay person to come out: “Once they realize that we are indeed everywhere, every myth, every lie, every innuendo will be destroyed once and for all.”Ĭinema, TV and theatre were discovering that our lives often make good material for drama as they tend to involve more emotional intensity than the average straight life, not to mention events such as familial rejection, and in the past, professional dismissal, criminal conviction, and even torture. The success of 1999’s Queer as Folk, plus gay characters in soap operas and contestants on talent shows, and later, films such as Brokeback Mountain in 2005, were demonstrating that straight people were ready to empathise they wanted to hear our stories. As the AIDS crisis receded, tabloid headlines portraying gay men as dangerous sexual predators disappeared.
Opinion | Pride is now just a chance to show off your 'gay friendly' credentials in empty gestures 05 June, 2022 When Pride Month 2022 is and schedule of main events 01 June, 2022 Opinion | Russell T Davies's 'Queer as Folk' changed my life, it should be shown in schools 09 February, 2022īut towards the end of the 1990s, things began to change.
