Over the Rabow: The Gay Male Obssn wh The Wizard of Oz | Joseph Sciambra

Contents:

• OVER THE RABOW: THE GAY MALE OBSSN WH THE WIZARD OF OZ
• PHILALPHIA GAY NEWS
• CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; WHY OZ IS A STATE OF MD IN GAY LIFE AND DRAG SHOWS
• THE ENDURG (GAY?) APPEAL OF 'THE WIZARD OF OZ': MISTER OF CULTURE

OVER THE RABOW: THE GAY MALE OBSSN WH THE WIZARD OF OZ

Over the Rabow: The Gay Male Obssn wh The Wizard of Oz | Joseph Sciambra.

PHILALPHIA GAY NEWS

Over the Rabow: The Gay Male Obssn wh The Wizard of Oz. Early on, durg my first ial days wh the gay culture of San Francis, I was bemed by the near reverential treatment paid to the film “The Wizard of Oz. It was a high holy day for gay men San Francis.

The atmosphere around the theater was one of a relig procsn; all seemed like harmls fun; but, as wh all public spectacl gay culture – beyond the revelry was always a pervasively tragic overtone.

CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; WHY OZ IS A STATE OF MD IN GAY LIFE AND DRAG SHOWS

At the time, for myself, was the send wave of gay aths om AIDS: wh the mic om the movie servg as some horrific funeral dirge.

THE ENDURG (GAY?) APPEAL OF 'THE WIZARD OF OZ': MISTER OF CULTURE

Now, so many years later, I perceive the film and the gay obssn wh somewhat differently. Most remarkably, is the homosexual male intifitn wh Dorothy herself; perfectly embodied by the equally happy and sad Judy Garland – whose untimely ath 1969 advertently sparked the Stonewall Rts.

Along wh other glamoro, but ultimately self-stctive screen legends, like Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, and Marilyn Monroe, gay men saw Garland the mirror for their own manic-prsive reali: feigng a perfect exuberance to the adorg mass while gog home alone and nursg the fterg wounds. Subnscly, I thk most “gay” men realize that homosexualy is sentially a ad end. Remds me of the strobg lights, imprsive sounds, and pyrotechnics at the San Francis “gay” dance clubs, or on a larger sle, at a Madonna ncert.