Evil twks and gay gangsters: why we need to remember history’s horrid homosexuals | Culture | The Guardian

gay characters as villains

From Alexanr the Great to Ronnie Kray, the hosts of the Bad Gays podst reveal the most villao LGBTQ+ figur ever – and expla why ’s important to discs the problematic alongsi the good

Contents:

EVIL TWKS AND GAY GANGSTERS: WHY WE NEED TO REMEMBER HISTORY’S HORRID HOMOSEXUALS

* gay characters as villains *

Throughout the '30s, '40s and '50s, the public perceptn of gays and lbians was that they were sick and disturbed -- and therefore dangero. While overt referenc to homosexualy were long prohibed film, skilled filmmakers created characters that displayed subtle yet clearly queer one handled this more ftly than director Aled Hchck, the master of spense and psychosexual anxiety -- who often st closeted gay actors gay-ish rol. As more varied imag of gay characters have appeared on film, some queer villas have bee more plex.

TALK: GAY VILLAS

This stereotype of an effemate villa (seen four more tim on this list) taps to the viewer's homophobia -- makg pecially gratifyg to see them feated by the more macho hero. Damagg StereotypeWaldo Lycker -- Lra (1944)Gay actor Clifton Webb is at his most bchy and ntrollg as the evil queen who attempts to transform Gene Tierney's myster and tular Lra. Damagg StereotypePhilip and Brandon -- Rope (1948)Farley Granger and John Dall star this fictnal variatn on the real-life Leopold and Loeb se -- a story of two upper-class gay guys who m a murr jt for kicks.

Hch Knows BtAddison DeWt -- All About Eve (1950)Gee Sanrs earned a Bt Supportg Actor Osr as the manipulative queen bch theater cric, spirg a generatn of wty, evil, proto-gay villas. Evil But Awome{C}Bno Anthony -- Strangers on a Tra (1951)Robert Walker is a psychotic gay sociale who nvc Farley Granger's tennis pro to swap murrs. Hch Knows BtNorman Bat -- Psycho (1960)Gay actor Anthony Perks giv his most famo performance as the ultimate mama's boy Hchck's grisly masterpiece.

) transvte killer director Brian De Palma's horror flick -- one of the first films to e a public outcry om the gay muny. Thoroughly ReprehensibleCathere Tramell -- Basic Instct (1992)Sharon Stone had her most inic role -- and triggered howls of prott om the gay muny -- as the bisexual serial killer this stylish piece of misogynist trash. Evil But AwomePrce Edward -- Braveheart (1995)Peter Hanly plays a pathetic, simperg -- and historilly accurate -- gay prce the famoly homophobic Mel Gibson film that swept the Osrs.

WHAT MAK DISNEY VILLAS SO GAY?

) Thoroughly ReprehensibleGovernor Ratcliffe -- Pohontas (1995)Gay actor David Ogn Stiers voic the va, foppish villa (a time-honored gay stereotype) this ls than historilly accurate Disney film. Ripley (1999)Matt Damon giv his most plex and overlooked performance as a gay chameleon who revents himself to jo the high society world of Ju Law and Gwyh Paltrow -- which leads to murr.

Evil But AwomeXerx -- 300 (2007)Rodrigo Santoro is the bejeweled borrle drag queen villa this overblown epic that's equal parts homophobic and homoerotic. Damagg StereotypeSilva -- Skyfall (2012)Javier Barm hs out of the park as the plex, vanilla-trsed gay villa that Jam Bond serv.

Evil But AwomeNo list of gay movie villas is plete. From gay martial arts masters and lbian tectiv to badass bisexual antihero and transgenr magicians, the are 65 characters that've left their mark and helped change the genre.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY CHARACTERS AS VILLAINS

Not Jt Queer Cod, The Disney Villas Were Digned by a Gay Man .

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