Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: Know Your LGBT History

Friday, June 03, 2011

Know Your LGBT History - Torch Song Trilogy

Thank you everyone for what you did to make this a very productive week. The anti-NOM talking points went viral and was seen by over 3,000 people. And we still have a long way to go. I want to end today with a positive movie.

I could kick myself for waiting to long to include Torch Song Trilogy in my Know Your LGBT History posts.

Torch Song Trilogy, which was originally a hit Tony-award winning Broadway play (Best Play, Best Actor) which told the story of Jewish drag queen (played by Harvey Firestein) living in New York during the late 1970s/early 1980s. The audience sees his trials and tribulations from losing a lover (Matthew Broderick) to an awful gay bashing, to adopting a child, to his constant struggles with his mother to get her to understand him.

When it was made into a movie in 1988, there were small changes, but the tone of the play stayed the same.

And it is a simple enjoyable movie about self-love and most importantly self-respect.

There are so many good scenes in Torch Song Trilogy. Here are just few of my favorites.

The first one is the musical number done by Firestein and the other drag queens (one being played by the legendary Charles Pierce):

The second one is when Firestein is sparring with his mother (played by Anne Bancroft) at the grave of his father. She can't understand how can Firestein compare the relationship he had with his murdered lover to her marriage. It's a powerful retort he gives her:

And the last one is a collection of scenes between Firestein and Bancroft which should give us all something to think about concerning coming out and trusting people with our lives, especially our parents:

10 comments:

Anonymous said...: You know, I should send that last clip to my father.

He and I haven't spoken in nearly a year because I'd finally had enough of his shit.

What started as me calling out his idiocy on immigration (I'm 3rd generation Italian-American) by reminding him that his grandparents were IMMIGRANTS.

He then started on the gay bastard crap at which point I told him I didn't want to speak to him. And I'm a stubborn bastard. He left a voicemail saying we needed to talk. I guess he didn't take my final words to him "I hope you die a lonely old man."; 5:45 PM
BlackTsunami said...: You really should talk to yur father. I lost mine 11 years ago and I still miss him.; 6:45 PM
glendenb said...: I may be wrong, but I remember reading somewhere that in the original Broadway play, Estelle Getty played Mrs. Beckoff.

The scene in the graveyard gets me every time. That's really what heterosexism is about isn't, the belief that same sex couples and relationships aren't as good and as loving and as important as what heterosexual couples have.; 8:37 PM
PJB863 said...: I haven't seen that movie in years. So much so I'd forgotten about the mother character. It seems dated now, but I suppose for some people it isn't.

When my lover of 25 years passed away, my mother, as well as his sister and her two grown children were in the hospital room with me for support. That whole tragic ordeal has drawn my mother and I closer than ever before. I guess I'm lucky.; 8:47 PM
Prospero said...: I was lucky enough to play Arnold in a stage production of the show 7 years ago. It was one of the most exhausting and rewarding experiences of my career. And I thank goodness my mother is nothing like Arnold's.; 9:03 PM
Anonymous said...: I love you Alvin, but Matthew didn't play the role of "Ed" (lover) he played "David" (adopted gay teenager)in the original production.

glendemb is correct about Esthelle Getty.

Matt Played "Alan" in the Film.; 10:13 PM
BJ Jackson Lincoln said...: I saw this in Cleveland a long time ago but the words ring true today. It is on the top of the list of films for the young people who come out to us. Knowing our history is very important. Thank you for the reminders. I should send the last on to my Mom.; 4:49 AM
BlackTsunami said...: Matthew Broderick played the part of the murdered lover in the movie. I was covering the movie in this post ;p; 7:21 AM
Anonymous said...: didn't read that way . .my petty semantics.; 11:12 PM
DC HAMPTON JACOBS said...: "Torch Song Trilogy" is one of the most powerful Gay-themed movies ever made. I was amazed and pleasantly surprised at how it rose above its obviously stereotypical content and be relevant to Gay men who weren't drag divas. It's the antithesis of as well as the antidote to "queer cinema". "Torch Song Trilogy" puts "Brokeback Mountain" to shame.; 1:10 PM