Apr 14, 2013

[Technicolor Musings] What Gay Movies Represent


It is interesting that "LGBT movies" are a genre unto themselves. We know that these movies end up being group together on video store shelves since it's a somewhat targeted - like English-language movies sold in Hong Kong or something. In many ways, one can't feel a foreigner in your own country given how these movies are marketed separately - if at all.

And within the umbrella definition of LGBT movies, we have all the classic movie types like comedies, romances, horror movies and dramas. But they still typically get grouped together as a separate section instead of being with their similarly-themed friends. It can be at times convenient - at least we know where to go. But on the whole it tends to represent how much further we have to go in terms of changing the perception of the LGBT community.

Movies that try to cater to our segment of the population - that try to tell our stories - are segregated also as an exclusion factor. Some people see such content as being sensitive in nature since they don't want their kids being exposed to it. People don't just happen to enjoy a comedy that has a predominantly gay cast or gay scenarios involved. We just don't do that!

In time, I know we'll reach that point when they stop being "gay movies" and just go back to being plain old movies. LGBT cinema will in time no longer be a genre of its own. Just like how one doesn't exactly have to look for a separate section for black movies, pardon the term. And thus filmmakers like Tyler Perry happen to be just another director out there.

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