Sexuality in Hollywood Fim Industry

1.0 Executive Summary

The main purpose of this report is to examine the Hollywood film industry with reference to sexuality and to illustrate various concepts of sexuality in relation to the Hollywood film industry in turn. This report comprises a number of Hollywood films that feature homosexuality through applying sexuality to these films and linking them together.

On the one hand, homosexuality is considered by some people as a sin which should be dealt with like alcohol, or sex addiction, or kleptomaniacs according to Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (Fram, 1998). However, for other people like Urvashi Vaid, public opinion toward homosexuality on every single kind of question is moving toward acceptance (Goldberg, 1998). In accordance with the two kinds of contrasting opinions toward gay and lesbian people in reality, many famous Hollywood films take homosexuality as subject matter to portray the distinct lives of the minor group of people and the general public’s different attitudes toward them.

This report will begin by defining homosexuality culturally and historically. Following that, this report will explore why the Hollywood film industry has taken so much interest in these sexuality issues. Subsequently, this report will introduce a variety of Hollywood films in order which concern homosexuality in terms of its identity, homophobia, and acceptance. These films can be viewed as a mirror to judge how the general public receives the gay and lesbian people in the world then and today. The last but not the least, this report will discuss the impact of these movies especially on teenage identity and youth culture.

2.0 Introduction

Homosexual issues have been attracting great public interest, whether approval or hatred. To give a vivid picture of the lives of the homosexuals and to guide more of the general public to truly understand and embrace this minor group of people, the Hollywood film industry has made a range of famous homosexual films.

The 2005 year movie Transamerica touches upon the transgender of homosexual identities concerning a man seeking to become a real woman through operation and winning social acceptance in the end. The 1997 year movie In & Out stars a groom-to-be who is initially afraid to reveal his gay identity to others yet takes the brave move to come out and wins acceptance at last. The 1999 year movie Boys Don’t Cry not only involves transgender identities but also honestly depicts the brutal homophobia in the society. The 1993 year movie Philadelphia is serious enough to include the commonly feared AIDS, moral panic and legal issues to demonstrate Hollywood homophobia and the ultimate acceptance. Most lately, the 2008 year movie Milk depicts the legendary life of a gay rights activist who has devoted all his life to combat gay prejudice and win acceptance.

All these movies have not only revealed the