‘Barbie’: Ken Has Never Been Barbie’s Boyiend. He’s Her Gay BFF.

Contents:

• THE WAY WE WERE'S SECRET GAY BACKSTORY
• A BELOVED FILM’S GAY BACKSTORY
• A BELOVED FILM'S GAY BACKSTORY: A NEW BOOK EXPLOR THE QUEER ORIGS OF THE WAY WE WERE.
• THE ADVENTUR OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DERT (1994)A CLASSIC AMONGST CLASSICS, THE ADVENTUR OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DERT FOLLOWS DRAG QUEENS MZI DEL BRA (HUGO WEAVG) AND FELICIA JOLLYGOODFELLOW (GUY PEARCE), ALONG WH THEIR RECENTLY-WIDOWED TRANS IEND BERNATTE BASSGER (TERENCE STAMP), AS THEY TAKE THEIR SHOW ON THE ROAD ASIE WRER-DIRECTOR STEPHAN ELLTT'S HILAR, SURPRISGLY SENSIVE ROAD MOVIE. THE ASIE OUTBACK WAS NEVER THE SAME AFTER PRISCILLA. THE FILM WON BT COSTUME DIGN AT THE 67TH OSRS, AWARD TO LIZZY GARDER AND TIM CHAPPEL. ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER (1999)FILMMAKER PEDRO ALMODóVAR'S POIGNANT MELODRAMA ABOUT WHAT MEANS TO BE A FAY REMAS ONE OF HIS MOST BELOVED MOVI. WHEN HER SON DI A EAK ACCINT, MANUELA (CECILIA ROTH) SETS OUT TO BARCELONA TO RENNECT WH THE FATHER HE NEVER KNEW — A TRANS WOMAN NAMED LOLA. ALONG THE WAY, MANUELA FDS NEW MEANG TO THE WAYS SHE N MOTHER.CHOSEN AS THE OFFICIAL OSR SUBMISSN FOR SPA, TODO SOBRE MI MADRE WON BT FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (NOW, BT INTERNATNAL FEATURE FILM) AT THE 72ND OSRS. THE BIRDGE (1996)A REMAKE OF THE 1970S FRENCH FARCE LA CAGE X FOLL, DIRECTOR MIKE NICHOLS AND WRER ELAE MAY'S BOUNDARY-BREAKG EDY IS A FLAMBOYANT CELEBRATN OF THE JOY OF BEG GAY A WORLD THAT ULD THK OTHERWISE. ROB WILLIAMS AND NATHAN LANE STAR AS A MIAMI CLUB OWNER AND HIS DRAG QUEEN PARTNER, WHO AGREE TO PLAY STRAIGHT TO MEET THEIR SON'S NSERVATIVE -LAWS (GENE HACKMAN AND DIANNE WIT). THE BIRDGE WAS OSR-NOMATED FOR BO WELCH AND CHERYL CARASIK'S PRODUCTN SIGN.BOUND (1996)THREE YEARS BEFORE THE WACHOWSKIS RELEASED THE MATRIX UPON THE WORLD — A FILM THAT SELF HAS BEEN REEVALUATED AS A TRANS ALLEGORY — SISTERS LANA AND LILLY MA THEIR FILM BUT WH BOUND. THE NEO-NOIR PER STARS JENNIFER TILLY AS VLET, THE GIRLIEND OF A MAFSO, AS SHE STRIK UP AN AFFAIR WH AN EX-N, CORKY (GA GERSHON), AND TOGETHER THEY HATCH A SCHEME TO STEAL LNS OM THE MOB. THE FILM'S MOST MEMORABLE SEX SCENE ARRIVED WH HELP OM THE FEMIST WRER AND SEX TOR SIE BRIGHT, WHO CHOREOGRAPHED THE SEQUENCE YEARS BEFORE TIMACY ORDATORS WOULD HELP REFE SEX ON SCREEN. BUT I'M A CHEERLEAR (1999)THERE'S A REASON DIRECTOR JAMIE BABB'S ROM- SATIRE HAS BEEN REVISED AND REEVALUATED THE S SCE WAS RELEASED, BEG A BONA FI CULT CLASSIC. NATASHA LYONNE PLAYS AN ALL-AMERIN TEENAGER WHO IS SENT AWAY TO A NVERSN THERAPY MP N BY CATHY MORIARTY AND RUPL CHARL. CLEA DUVALL -STARS AS LYONNE'S REBELL LOVE TERT, WH A ST THAT CLUS MELANIE LYNSKEY, EDDIE CIBRIAN, AND MICHELLE WILLIAMS. CABARET (1972)ONE OF FILM HISTORY'S MOST FAMO LOVE TRIANGL. SET BERL THE LEAD-UP TO WORLD WAR II, DIRECTOR BOB FOSSE'S MIL STARS LIZA MNELLI AS SALLY BOWL, A BARET SGER AT THE K KAT KLUB WHO BE ROMANTILLY ENTANGLED A '30S-ERA THROUPLE WH OPENLY-GAY PROFSOR BRIAN ROBERTS (MICHAEL YORK) AND THEIR SHARED LOVER, PLAYBOY MAXIIAN VON HNE (HELMUT GRIEM).CABARET EARNED 10 NOMATNS AT THE 45TH OSRS, CLUDG BT PICTURE, AND WON EIGHT AWARDS: BT ACTRS (MNELLI), BT SUPPORTG ACTOR (JOEL GREY), AND BT DIRECTOR, AS WELL AS FOR CEMATOGRAPHY, EDG, PRODUCTN SIGN, ORIGAL SRE AND SOUND. CAROL (2015)THIS ADAPTATN OF PATRICIA HIGHSMH'S 1952 NOVEL THE PRICE OF SALT, SELF SEMAL TO THE LGBTQ+ MUNY, WAS MORE THAN 60 YEARS THE MAKG. UNTIL DIRECTOR TODD HAYN FALLY BROUGHT THE STORY OF A SHY MANHATTAN SHOPGIRL (ROONEY MARA) AND THE FORBIDN AFFAIR SHE STRIK UP WH AN OLR HOEWIFE (CATE BLANCHETT) TO THE SCREEN THE SUMPTUO, ELEGANT CAROL. CAROL EARNED SIX NOMATNS AT THE 88TH OSRS, CLUDG BT ACTRS (BLANCHETT), BT SUPPORTG ACTOR (MARA) AND BT ADAPTED SCREENPLAY FOR WRER PHYLLIS NAGY. THE COLOR PURPLE (1985)DIRECTOR STEVEN SPIELBERG'S FILM ADAPTATN MAY HAVE RTRAED THE ROMANCE BETWEEN CELIE (WHOOPI GOLDBERG, HER BREAKTHROUGH ROLE) AND HEADSTRONG BLU SGER SHUG AVERY (MARGARET AVERY), BUT SHUG REMAS SENTIAL TO CELIE'S DISVERY OF SELF. THEIR RELATNSHIP IS MA FAR MORE CLEAR-CUT ALICE WALKER'S 1982 PULZER PRIZE-WNG NOVEL OF THE SAME NAME.THE COLOR PURPLE EARNED 11 NOMATNS AT THE 58TH OSRS, CLUDG BT PICTURE AND BT ACTRS FOR GOLDBERG. AVERY AND -STAR OPRAH WEY, MEANWHILE, WERE BT SUPPORTG ACTRS NOME.DERT HEARTS (1985)DERT HEARTS WAS GROUNDBREAKG TELLG A LBIAN LOVE STORY, AIMED AT LBIAN DIENC, AND DIRECTED BY A LBIAN (FILMMAKER DONNA DECH). BASED ON JANE RULE'S 1964 NOVEL DERT OF THE HEART, THE DRAMA TAK PLACE 1959 RENO AND CENTERS ON THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN A STRA-LACED PROFSOR (HELEN SHAVER) LOOKG TO START A NEW LIFE AFTER HER DIVORCE AND THE REEE ARTIST (PATRICIA CHARBONNE) WHO AWAKENS SOMETHG HER. THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE TWO IS PALPABLE, AND DERT HEARTS HAS LONG BEEN NSIRED ONE OF THE MOST ROMANTIC FILMS OF ALL TIME. EVERYTHG EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (2022)AT THE CENTER OF FILMMAKERS DANIELS' MULTIVERSE-HOPPG EVERYTHG EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE IS A BETIFUL STORY ABOUT QUEER INTY AND ACCEPTANCE AND GRIEF: JOY WANG (STEPHANIE HSU) IS QUEER AND JT WANTS HER FAY TO ACCEPT HER GIRLIEND, AND HER MOTHER, EVELYN (MICHELLE YEOH), N'T. WHICH, SOMEHOW, EVENTUALLY LEADS TO YEOH AND JAMIE LEE CURTIS FALLG LOVE A UNIVERSE WHERE HUMANS HAVE EVOLVED TO HAVE HOT DOG FGERS.EVERYTHG EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE WON SEVEN OSRS TOTAL: BT PICTURE, DANIEL KWAN AND DANIEL SCHEERT WON BT DIRECTG AND BT ORIGAL SCREENPLAY, YEOH WON BT ACTRS, CURTIS WON BT SUPPORTG ACTRS, KE HUY QUAN WON BT SUPPORTG ACTOR, AND PL ROGERS WON BT FILM EDG. A FANTASTIC WOMAN (2017)ACTRS DANIELA VEGA IS A REVELATN DIRECTOR SEBASTIáN LEL'S STIRRG DRAMA, WHICH SHE PLAYS A WARS AND ASPIRG SGER, MARA, LIVG SANTIAGO AND VERY MUCH LOVE WH HER OLR PARTNER, ORLANDO. WHEN ORLANDO DI SUDNLY, MARA BE A TARGET OF SPICN AND RISN OM HIS FAY AND GENERAL DISCRIMATN FOR HER BEG TRANS. THROUGH ALL, SHE MT MATA HER INTY AS A FANTASTIC WOMAN.CHOSEN AS THE OFFICIAL OSR SUBMISSN FOR CHILE, UNA MUJER FANTáSTI WON BT FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (NOW, BT INTERNATNAL FEATURE FILM) AT THE 90TH OSRS. FIRE (1996)FILMMAKER DEEPA MEHTA'S TIMATE DRAMA IS BOTH AHEAD-OF-S-TIME AND TIMELS, MARKG THE FIRST TIME A MASTREAM BOLLYWOOD FILM CENTERED A LBIAN RELATNSHIP. RADHA (LEGENDARY INDIAN ACTRS SHABANA AZMI) AND SA (NANDA DAS) ARE BOTH STUCK LOVELS MARRIAG TO TWO CEL AND ZEALO BROTHERS. IN BONDG OVER THEIR SHARED PA, THE WOMEN DISVER SOMETHG MORE AND EMBARK ON A PASSNATE AFFAIR THAT NEHER ULD HAVE PREDICTED.FIRE ISLAND (2022)IT ONLY TOOK 200 YEARS TO FALLY GET THE GAY PRI AND PREJUDICE OF OUR DREAMS. SPA NIGHT DIRECTOR ANDREW AHN HELMS THIS LOOSE ADAPTATN OF THE CLASSIC EDY OF MANNERS, STARRG JOEL KIM BOOSTER AND BOWEN YANG AS BT IENDS AT THE CENTER OF A VERY MORN, VERY QUEER AND VERY JANE ATEN-Y ROM-. FIRE ISLAND FEATUR MORE DRAG QUEENS AND SHIRTLS DANCE PARTI THAN MISS ATEN ULD HAVE EVER IMAGED, BUT THE MR. DARCY CHARACTER — PLAYED BY CONRAD RIMORA — IS JT AS DREAMY.MORE: DIRECTOR ANDREW AHN TALKS FDG QUEER JOY ON 'FIRE ISLAND' (EXCLIVE)FUNERAL PARA OF ROS (1969)JAPANE FILMMAKER AND MIXED-MEDIA ARTIST TOSH MATSUMOTO DIRECTED ONLY FOUR FEATURE FILMS ACROSS HIS NEARLY 35-YEAR REER, THE MOST CELEBRATED OF WHICH WAS HIS FIRST: FUNERAL PARA OF ROS. INSPIRED BY OEDIP REX, MATSUMOTO'S ARTHOE MASTERPIECE IS SET THE UNRGROUND GAY BAR SCENE OF 1960S TOKYO, FOLLOWG THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATNS OF A TRANS HOSTS, EDDIE (THE ANDROGYNO IN PîTâ), AND HER FELLOW QUEENS. A PRODUCT OF THE JAPANE NEW WAVE, THE FILM PH THE BOUNDARI OF CLASSIC FILMMAKG, MERGG DOCUMENTARY ELEMENTS AND EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQU TO CREATE SOMETHG DACLY SGULAR. GOD'S OWN COUNTRY (2017)
• SOME OF THE GREATT GAY LOVE STORI MOVI
• KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT

THE WAY WE WERE'S SECRET GAY BACKSTORY

As the first few hntg not of the tle song sound and the unmistakable voice of Barbra Streisand ton “mem’ri, ” most of n’t help but settle for yet another viewg of The Way We Were, even though we know how the turbulent romance of Katie Morosky and Hubbell Garder turns few of know about the beloved 1973 film’s behd-the-scen drama or s gay origs. In other rearch, he terviewed s two still-livg, inic stars, Streisand and Robert rult is a tale of clash between Lrents, Pollack, and producer Ray Stark, the differg styl of Streisand and Redford, and how a gay Jewish man, Lrents, channeled his love of betiful Gentile men to the years, Lrents said the character of Katie, a polilly radil Jew who falls love wh and marri apolil Gentile Hubbell, was based on a woman he knew llege. He had reason to make this statement; the 1960s and ’70s, gay wrers were often cricized for turng their experienc to fictnal heterosexual romanc.

A BELOVED FILM’S GAY BACKSTORY

“There always has to be a gay angle, or I’m not terted, ” says Hofler, a gay don’t thk Hubbell is a directly fictnalized versn of any of the men Lrents loved, but he do thk the character was fluenced by the wrer’s relatnships wh some of them, cludg his longtime partner, Tom Hatcher, and actor Farley Granger. As the first few hntg not of the tle song sound and the unmistakable voice of Barbra Streisand ton "mem'ri, " most of n't help but settle for yet another viewg of The Way We Were, even though we know how the turbulent romance of Katie Morosky and Hubbell Garder turns few of know about the beloved 1973 film's behd-the-scen drama or s gay origs. He had reason to make this statement; the 1960s and '70s, gay wrers were often cricized for turng their experienc to fictnal heterosexual romanc.

"There always has to be a gay angle, or I'm not terted, " says Hofler, a gay don't thk Hubbell is a directly fictnalized versn of any of the men Lrents loved, but he do thk the character was fluenced by the wrer's relatnships wh some of them, cludg his longtime partner, Tom Hatcher, and actor Farley was also terted relatnships between Jewish and Gentile men.

A BELOVED FILM'S GAY BACKSTORY: A NEW BOOK EXPLOR THE QUEER ORIGS OF THE WAY WE WERE.

The movie also drops more than a few clu that Meo’s character Plato–the slightly-effemate, love-starved nerd–is gay as well, and that his nnectn wh Dean’s Jim go much eper than the platonic (exce the pun). Screenwrer Stewart Stern later terviews nfirmed Plato’s sexualy and exprsed one regret: he wished that he would have ma even more obv that Plato was an outst bee he was gay. The noun ‘homosexualy’ was first ed the late-19th century, but the tras that we prently associate wh that word have likely appeared for thoands of years.

THE ADVENTUR OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DERT (1994)A CLASSIC AMONGST CLASSICS, THE ADVENTUR OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DERT FOLLOWS DRAG QUEENS MZI DEL BRA (HUGO WEAVG) AND FELICIA JOLLYGOODFELLOW (GUY PEARCE), ALONG WH THEIR RECENTLY-WIDOWED TRANS IEND BERNATTE BASSGER (TERENCE STAMP), AS THEY TAKE THEIR SHOW ON THE ROAD ASIE WRER-DIRECTOR STEPHAN ELLTT'S HILAR, SURPRISGLY SENSIVE ROAD MOVIE. THE ASIE OUTBACK WAS NEVER THE SAME AFTER PRISCILLA. THE FILM WON BT COSTUME DIGN AT THE 67TH OSRS, AWARD TO LIZZY GARDER AND TIM CHAPPEL. ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER (1999)FILMMAKER PEDRO ALMODóVAR'S POIGNANT MELODRAMA ABOUT WHAT MEANS TO BE A FAY REMAS ONE OF HIS MOST BELOVED MOVI. WHEN HER SON DI A EAK ACCINT, MANUELA (CECILIA ROTH) SETS OUT TO BARCELONA TO RENNECT WH THE FATHER HE NEVER KNEW — A TRANS WOMAN NAMED LOLA. ALONG THE WAY, MANUELA FDS NEW MEANG TO THE WAYS SHE N MOTHER.CHOSEN AS THE OFFICIAL OSR SUBMISSN FOR SPA, TODO SOBRE MI MADRE WON BT FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (NOW, BT INTERNATNAL FEATURE FILM) AT THE 72ND OSRS. THE BIRDGE (1996)A REMAKE OF THE 1970S FRENCH FARCE LA CAGE X FOLL, DIRECTOR MIKE NICHOLS AND WRER ELAE MAY'S BOUNDARY-BREAKG EDY IS A FLAMBOYANT CELEBRATN OF THE JOY OF BEG GAY A WORLD THAT ULD THK OTHERWISE. ROB WILLIAMS AND NATHAN LANE STAR AS A MIAMI CLUB OWNER AND HIS DRAG QUEEN PARTNER, WHO AGREE TO PLAY STRAIGHT TO MEET THEIR SON'S NSERVATIVE -LAWS (GENE HACKMAN AND DIANNE WIT). THE BIRDGE WAS OSR-NOMATED FOR BO WELCH AND CHERYL CARASIK'S PRODUCTN SIGN.BOUND (1996)THREE YEARS BEFORE THE WACHOWSKIS RELEASED THE MATRIX UPON THE WORLD — A FILM THAT SELF HAS BEEN REEVALUATED AS A TRANS ALLEGORY — SISTERS LANA AND LILLY MA THEIR FILM BUT WH BOUND. THE NEO-NOIR PER STARS JENNIFER TILLY AS VLET, THE GIRLIEND OF A MAFSO, AS SHE STRIK UP AN AFFAIR WH AN EX-N, CORKY (GA GERSHON), AND TOGETHER THEY HATCH A SCHEME TO STEAL LNS OM THE MOB. THE FILM'S MOST MEMORABLE SEX SCENE ARRIVED WH HELP OM THE FEMIST WRER AND SEX TOR SIE BRIGHT, WHO CHOREOGRAPHED THE SEQUENCE YEARS BEFORE TIMACY ORDATORS WOULD HELP REFE SEX ON SCREEN. BUT I'M A CHEERLEAR (1999)THERE'S A REASON DIRECTOR JAMIE BABB'S ROM- SATIRE HAS BEEN REVISED AND REEVALUATED THE S SCE WAS RELEASED, BEG A BONA FI CULT CLASSIC. NATASHA LYONNE PLAYS AN ALL-AMERIN TEENAGER WHO IS SENT AWAY TO A NVERSN THERAPY MP N BY CATHY MORIARTY AND RUPL CHARL. CLEA DUVALL -STARS AS LYONNE'S REBELL LOVE TERT, WH A ST THAT CLUS MELANIE LYNSKEY, EDDIE CIBRIAN, AND MICHELLE WILLIAMS. CABARET (1972)ONE OF FILM HISTORY'S MOST FAMO LOVE TRIANGL. SET BERL THE LEAD-UP TO WORLD WAR II, DIRECTOR BOB FOSSE'S MIL STARS LIZA MNELLI AS SALLY BOWL, A BARET SGER AT THE K KAT KLUB WHO BE ROMANTILLY ENTANGLED A '30S-ERA THROUPLE WH OPENLY-GAY PROFSOR BRIAN ROBERTS (MICHAEL YORK) AND THEIR SHARED LOVER, PLAYBOY MAXIIAN VON HNE (HELMUT GRIEM).CABARET EARNED 10 NOMATNS AT THE 45TH OSRS, CLUDG BT PICTURE, AND WON EIGHT AWARDS: BT ACTRS (MNELLI), BT SUPPORTG ACTOR (JOEL GREY), AND BT DIRECTOR, AS WELL AS FOR CEMATOGRAPHY, EDG, PRODUCTN SIGN, ORIGAL SRE AND SOUND. CAROL (2015)THIS ADAPTATN OF PATRICIA HIGHSMH'S 1952 NOVEL THE PRICE OF SALT, SELF SEMAL TO THE LGBTQ+ MUNY, WAS MORE THAN 60 YEARS THE MAKG. UNTIL DIRECTOR TODD HAYN FALLY BROUGHT THE STORY OF A SHY MANHATTAN SHOPGIRL (ROONEY MARA) AND THE FORBIDN AFFAIR SHE STRIK UP WH AN OLR HOEWIFE (CATE BLANCHETT) TO THE SCREEN THE SUMPTUO, ELEGANT CAROL. CAROL EARNED SIX NOMATNS AT THE 88TH OSRS, CLUDG BT ACTRS (BLANCHETT), BT SUPPORTG ACTOR (MARA) AND BT ADAPTED SCREENPLAY FOR WRER PHYLLIS NAGY. THE COLOR PURPLE (1985)DIRECTOR STEVEN SPIELBERG'S FILM ADAPTATN MAY HAVE RTRAED THE ROMANCE BETWEEN CELIE (WHOOPI GOLDBERG, HER BREAKTHROUGH ROLE) AND HEADSTRONG BLU SGER SHUG AVERY (MARGARET AVERY), BUT SHUG REMAS SENTIAL TO CELIE'S DISVERY OF SELF. THEIR RELATNSHIP IS MA FAR MORE CLEAR-CUT ALICE WALKER'S 1982 PULZER PRIZE-WNG NOVEL OF THE SAME NAME.THE COLOR PURPLE EARNED 11 NOMATNS AT THE 58TH OSRS, CLUDG BT PICTURE AND BT ACTRS FOR GOLDBERG. AVERY AND -STAR OPRAH WEY, MEANWHILE, WERE BT SUPPORTG ACTRS NOME.DERT HEARTS (1985)DERT HEARTS WAS GROUNDBREAKG TELLG A LBIAN LOVE STORY, AIMED AT LBIAN DIENC, AND DIRECTED BY A LBIAN (FILMMAKER DONNA DECH). BASED ON JANE RULE'S 1964 NOVEL DERT OF THE HEART, THE DRAMA TAK PLACE 1959 RENO AND CENTERS ON THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN A STRA-LACED PROFSOR (HELEN SHAVER) LOOKG TO START A NEW LIFE AFTER HER DIVORCE AND THE REEE ARTIST (PATRICIA CHARBONNE) WHO AWAKENS SOMETHG HER. THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE TWO IS PALPABLE, AND DERT HEARTS HAS LONG BEEN NSIRED ONE OF THE MOST ROMANTIC FILMS OF ALL TIME. EVERYTHG EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (2022)AT THE CENTER OF FILMMAKERS DANIELS' MULTIVERSE-HOPPG EVERYTHG EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE IS A BETIFUL STORY ABOUT QUEER INTY AND ACCEPTANCE AND GRIEF: JOY WANG (STEPHANIE HSU) IS QUEER AND JT WANTS HER FAY TO ACCEPT HER GIRLIEND, AND HER MOTHER, EVELYN (MICHELLE YEOH), N'T. WHICH, SOMEHOW, EVENTUALLY LEADS TO YEOH AND JAMIE LEE CURTIS FALLG LOVE A UNIVERSE WHERE HUMANS HAVE EVOLVED TO HAVE HOT DOG FGERS.EVERYTHG EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE WON SEVEN OSRS TOTAL: BT PICTURE, DANIEL KWAN AND DANIEL SCHEERT WON BT DIRECTG AND BT ORIGAL SCREENPLAY, YEOH WON BT ACTRS, CURTIS WON BT SUPPORTG ACTRS, KE HUY QUAN WON BT SUPPORTG ACTOR, AND PL ROGERS WON BT FILM EDG. A FANTASTIC WOMAN (2017)ACTRS DANIELA VEGA IS A REVELATN DIRECTOR SEBASTIáN LEL'S STIRRG DRAMA, WHICH SHE PLAYS A WARS AND ASPIRG SGER, MARA, LIVG SANTIAGO AND VERY MUCH LOVE WH HER OLR PARTNER, ORLANDO. WHEN ORLANDO DI SUDNLY, MARA BE A TARGET OF SPICN AND RISN OM HIS FAY AND GENERAL DISCRIMATN FOR HER BEG TRANS. THROUGH ALL, SHE MT MATA HER INTY AS A FANTASTIC WOMAN.CHOSEN AS THE OFFICIAL OSR SUBMISSN FOR CHILE, UNA MUJER FANTáSTI WON BT FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (NOW, BT INTERNATNAL FEATURE FILM) AT THE 90TH OSRS. FIRE (1996)FILMMAKER DEEPA MEHTA'S TIMATE DRAMA IS BOTH AHEAD-OF-S-TIME AND TIMELS, MARKG THE FIRST TIME A MASTREAM BOLLYWOOD FILM CENTERED A LBIAN RELATNSHIP. RADHA (LEGENDARY INDIAN ACTRS SHABANA AZMI) AND SA (NANDA DAS) ARE BOTH STUCK LOVELS MARRIAG TO TWO CEL AND ZEALO BROTHERS. IN BONDG OVER THEIR SHARED PA, THE WOMEN DISVER SOMETHG MORE AND EMBARK ON A PASSNATE AFFAIR THAT NEHER ULD HAVE PREDICTED.FIRE ISLAND (2022)IT ONLY TOOK 200 YEARS TO FALLY GET THE GAY PRI AND PREJUDICE OF OUR DREAMS. SPA NIGHT DIRECTOR ANDREW AHN HELMS THIS LOOSE ADAPTATN OF THE CLASSIC EDY OF MANNERS, STARRG JOEL KIM BOOSTER AND BOWEN YANG AS BT IENDS AT THE CENTER OF A VERY MORN, VERY QUEER AND VERY JANE ATEN-Y ROM-. FIRE ISLAND FEATUR MORE DRAG QUEENS AND SHIRTLS DANCE PARTI THAN MISS ATEN ULD HAVE EVER IMAGED, BUT THE MR. DARCY CHARACTER — PLAYED BY CONRAD RIMORA — IS JT AS DREAMY.MORE: DIRECTOR ANDREW AHN TALKS FDG QUEER JOY ON 'FIRE ISLAND' (EXCLIVE)FUNERAL PARA OF ROS (1969)JAPANE FILMMAKER AND MIXED-MEDIA ARTIST TOSH MATSUMOTO DIRECTED ONLY FOUR FEATURE FILMS ACROSS HIS NEARLY 35-YEAR REER, THE MOST CELEBRATED OF WHICH WAS HIS FIRST: FUNERAL PARA OF ROS. INSPIRED BY OEDIP REX, MATSUMOTO'S ARTHOE MASTERPIECE IS SET THE UNRGROUND GAY BAR SCENE OF 1960S TOKYO, FOLLOWG THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATNS OF A TRANS HOSTS, EDDIE (THE ANDROGYNO IN PîTâ), AND HER FELLOW QUEENS. A PRODUCT OF THE JAPANE NEW WAVE, THE FILM PH THE BOUNDARI OF CLASSIC FILMMAKG, MERGG DOCUMENTARY ELEMENTS AND EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQU TO CREATE SOMETHG DACLY SGULAR. GOD'S OWN COUNTRY (2017)

As we e closer to the prent, queer history be a rerd of proximate events (such as Stonewall, AIDS and the murr of Harvey Milk) more regnisable unr the terms of today’s gay subjectivi. Get the latt om the BFISign up for BFI news, featur, vios and filmmakers have long worked to show how homosexualy is neher morn dulgence nor historil aberratn.

Different om the Others (1919)Co-wrten by Atrian filmmaker Richard Oswald and sexologist Magn Hirschfeld, morn father of the study of human sexualy, the German silent film Different om the Others exriat societal homophobia Weimar Berl. Wh sights centred on Paragraph 175, the provisn the German penal that crimalised homosexualy, tells the tragic tale of Pl Körner (Conrad Veidt, later seen The Cabet of Dr Caligari and Casablan), a talented gay vlist blackmailed after ught elopg wh a male stunt. As Oswald and Hirschfeld reflect the film’s tertl, his story is part of a long and sad historil leage, of gay men penalised for their very nature.

SOME OF THE GREATT GAY LOVE STORI MOVI

He speaks as if liverg a fiery sermon, clarg that homophobia belongs to “the same sad chapter of human history as the Inquisn”. Gay USA (1977)A year after the 1969 Stonewall rebelln, the prott was marked wh the first gay Pri march the US –  Chigo, San Francis and New York.

KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT

Shot by 25 sttered mera crews the summer of 1977, Gay USA ptur the eighth Pri march, takg place simultaneoly across a number of ci the US. It’s a fascatg social document: rarely are we afford such a ndid look at gay life the post-Stonewall and, ed, only 4 years after the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn had formally pathologised homosexualy.

Nighthawks (1978)Nighthawks is a fascatg cultural artefact, pturg a very specific moment Brish queer history: ’s 1978, 11 years after the Sexual Offenc Act 1967 crimalised homosexual acts, and jt 3 years prr to the advent of HIV/AIDs. Though narrative fictn, Ron Peck employs an athetic style evotive of documentary realism, evokg the reali of the closet for English gay men the late 1970s. As a historil document, then, serv as a transatlantic unterweight to William Friedk’s Cisg (1980); though the latter has been cricised as an exploative slasher, also renrs the very specific historil perd ntled between the early thro of gay liberatn and the onset of the AIDs epimic.

Set agast the backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance, Isaac Julien’s film is as much a celebratn of Black gay love as is of prospery, or a reclamatn of the Black, gay lerary tradn hherto supprsed.