A gay hero.

I'd like to see one. For years gay men on the big screen have been mostly relegated to the sexless best friend or the comic relief. I think we all know what balls that new age minstrel show is.

What I want is a tough guy. Not in the meathead, Sylvester Stallone tough guy sort of way. No. Someone cool, someone masculine. (I know, I know, heteronormativity. ) I know it's unlikely anytime soon, but I want the hero of a story to be a gay or bisexual man.


Willem Dafoe's character in Boondock Saints comes close to what I mean in some ways, even if his one scene where he's in bed with another man was played for laughs.

The "hero" shot of Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain where he's standing in front of the fireworks on the Fourth of July is what inspired this thread.




It's quite late and I'm quite tired and I don't think I'm articulating this very well at all, but hopefully one of you out there gets the gist of where I'm going with this.

There's a few Orgers on this site that would give Hollywood the boost it needs!

or perhams another Prince movie!!!

go see Milk. you'll like it. i mean, there's no karate in or anything, but...

Commando
Roadhouse
Tango & Cash
Showdown in Little Tokyo
Batman & Robin
Lord of the Rings trilogy

I fell in love with the subtle gay romance in Tombstone. It was BILLY ZANE'S character and some other guy. Did anyone catch that?

Not really heroes but....for that era, maybe.
[Edited 1/11/10 7:32am]

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

billy zane & jason priestley...jasons character was smitten...

roodboi said:

Yes!!!! Very sweet.
Loved the rest of the movie too and I don't do Western type movies.

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

one of my top 5 favorites...Val Kilmer made it imposssible for anyone else to play Doc Holliday ever again...

roodboi said:

Oh yeah. He was amazing in it.

roodboi said:

val kilmer isn't looking so good these days. he's a guy who's career should have been so much better than it has been. From playing Morrison, to Top Gun, he was good...but after that...pffffft

BlackAdder7 said:

He was BEST in Top Secret!!

meow85 said:

are you sure that's Heath not Dwight Yoakam??

can't a hero just be a hero?

As long as he douches 1st, I'm good.

Maybe we could forgo the typical "hero suit up" montage in favor of...

Shorty said:

Yeah he can be but we'd like to see a gay one so that gay kids growing up can look up to someone.

I'm really happy that they're showing younger gay kids. It's implied on Ugly Betty but on the show The United States of Tara, the kid is gay. If I saw that as a kid I would've sighed in relief.

I am not sure how much Hollywood would go for that, because they try to appeal to the lowest common denominator, and I think they're too concerned about money to risk turning off millions of people like that. Maybe a smaller film ala Brokeback, but I am not so sure about a Die Hard type movie.

For them to do that would be taking on a cause dear to their hearts at the risk of losing money. But given that Hollywood is pretty gay-friendly, I guess that makes it more likely.
[Edited 1/11/10 11:37am]

But I see Hollywood as just following the money. There are lots of Jewish people in Hollywood, but way more Christmas films that Channukah films, because Christmas films will bring bigger audiences.

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

oh...I didn't know gay kids could only look up to gay heros.

Shorty said:

that's not the point... the point is there aren't enough if ANY gay heroes. Kids can look up to whoever they like... Marylin Manson was and is a hero of mine but for a child born gay (because, NO it's not a choice!) there aren't enough Harvey Milks etc. to go around...

and I'm painting with a big broad brush, probably because I'm straight, but I doubt I'm wrong...

aren't edit
[Edited 1/11/10 12:15pm]

RenHoek said:

oh wow..thanx for clearing up that it's not a choice...cause really was thinking it might be.
you guys are missing MY point. My point is...a HERO is a HERO..not just a role model. but as usual, people are taking my comments personal and misunderstanding my point.

Shorty said:

I see your point, the sexuality of heroes isn't as important as their heroic acts (except in the case of a Harvey Milk, maybe)

NDRU said:

oh there is a God! thank you! and exactly!

whistle said:

That movie

A little bit of taste?

RenHoek said:

Shorty said:

Well obviously, gay kids can look up to straight ones. All the comic book heroes I read as a kid were straight.....until ALPHA FLIGHT came out with a gay character. Then I felt even more warm inside.

GirlBrother said:

Mars23 said: