Cher Interview on Her First Interactn Wh Gay People | Billboard – Billboard

Contents:

• CHER HAS HAD A POWERFUL AFFY WH GAY MEN SCE SHE WAS NE-YEARS-OLD. HERE’S WHY
• Q&A: CHER ON KNOWG WHEN SHE WAS A GAY IN, ‘HOPE’ GLEANED OM LGBT COMMUNY & ‘BREADCMBS’ OF HER LEGACY
• CHER REVEALS HOW SHE REALLY FEELS ABOUT BEG A GAY IN
• CHER RELLS THE HER FIRST INTERACTN WH GAY PEOPLE NEW INTERVIEW
• 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
• ACTIVISTS NMN VLENCE AGAST LGBTQ MUNY ST. VCENT, WHERE GAY SEX IS ILLEGAL
• ACTIVISTS NMN VLENCE AGAST LGBTQ MUNY ST. VCENT, WHERE GAY SEX IS ILLEGAL
• CHER OM CLUELS WAS DEFELY A LBIAN — HERE’S WHYALYSSA MILLS·FOLLOWPUBLISHED AN INJTICE!·10 M READ·JUN 9, 2021--2LISTENSHARECHER AND TAI CLUELS (1995)AS A QUEER WOMAN GROWG UP, I RARELY HAD POSIVE AND GENUE REPRENTATN ON SCREEN, BUT THAT DON’T MEAN I DIDN’T OFTEN SEE ASPECTS OF MYSELF AND MY SEXUALY THE FILMS I WATCHED. THE CLEART EXAMPLE OF THIS, MY MD, IS THE LEAD CHARACTER CHER OM THE CLASSIC 1995 TEEN ROM- CLUELS, PLAYED BY ALICIA SILVERSTONE. CHER IS THE EMBODIMENT OF SELF-ASSURED, OL FEMY, AND HER PORTRAYAL AS GIRLY, TELLIGENT, AND SOCIALLY SKILLED ALL AT ONCE WAS A BIG TURNG POT MY OFTEN TUMULTUO RELATNSHIP WH FEMY. CHER’S INIC L REALLY RONATED WH ME, AND REWATCHG THE MOVIE AFTER G TO TERMS WH MY OWN SEXUALY, IS PRETTY CLEAR TO ME THAT CHER IS LS A SE OF SHAKPEAREAN ROMANCE AND MORE A BRILLIANT EXAMPLE OF PULSORY HETEROSEXUALY THAT IS LIKELY FAIAR TO EVERY QUEER WOMAN. OBVLY, THIS IS JT ONE TERPRETATN AND AN ADMTEDLY BIASED ONE AT THAT, BUT I THK THERE IS SOME PRETTY DAMNG EVINCE THE SOURCE MATERIAL.IN SE YOU’RE SHORT ON TIME, I’LL START WH THE MOST OBV EVINCE THE FORM OF A TLY INIC LE (ONE OF MANY CLUELS). AS TAI TELLS CHER —“YOU’RE A VIRG WHO N’T DRIVE.”NEED I NTUE? IN SE CHER’S TLY HORRENDO DRIVG DON’T NVCE YOU, I HAVE A FEW OTHER ARGUMENTS THAT MIGHT. THIS ARTICLE IS GOG TO VER CHER’S DISTERT DATG, THE MOTIVATNS BEHD HER ‘ATTRACTN’ TO THE THREE MEN SHE TERACTS WH A ROMANTIC NTEXT, AND HER RELATNSHIP WH A NEW GIRL TAI.DISTERT DATGTHE MOST NVCG EVINCE FOR A LBIAN CHER IS HER NSTANT DISTERT DATG, SPECIFILLY DATG HIGH SCHOOL BOYS. THE BOYS SHE MEETS ARE, AS SHE PUTS , “LIKE DOGS; THE NERVO CREATUR THAT JUMP AND SLOBBER ALL OVER YOU,” AND THAT “SEARCHG FOR A BOY HIGH SCHOOL IS AS ELS AS SEARCHG FOR MEANG A PLY SHORE MOVIE.” IT’S NOT THAT SHE’S NOT TERTED ROMANCE OR DATG, FACT, SHE SPENDS THE ENTIRE MOVIE SETTG UP ROMANC FOR HER IENDS AND EVEN TWO OF HER TEACHERS. SHE’S ALSO TERTED DATG SOMEONE FOR HERSELF BUT NTU TO PH THE ADLE UNTIL SHE FDS THE RIGHT GUY.ONE SCENE THAT REALLY LLED TO ME AS I WAS QUTNG MY SEXUALY WAS THE DER WH CHER, TAI, AND DNNE, WHEN THE FORMER WAS QUTNG CHER ABOUT HER VIRGY. CHER IS IMMEDIATELY FENSIVE, CLARIFYG THAT WHILE SHE HAS NO SHORTAGE OF OFFERS, SHE “ISN’T A P, [SHE’S] JT HIGHLY SELECTIVE.” SHE LIKENS HER STANDARDS WH MEN TO HER STANDARDS FOR ACCSORI — “YOU SEE HOW I CHOOSE MY SHO, AND THEY ONLY GO ON MY FEET!” THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT ANYONE WHO CHOOS TO WA FOR THE ‘RIGHT PERSON’ IS GAY OR ACE, BUT A BIG DITOR FOR ME WAS NOT WANTG TO GET MARRIED AND LOSG TERT DATG AS SOON AS BEME A REALISTIC POSSIBILY, SOMETHG WE ALSO SEE CHER DO.CHER HAS A SOMEWHAT ROMANTIC PLOTLE WH THREE GUYS OVER THE FILM, ALL OF WHICH ARE GREAT EXAMPL OF PULSORY HETEROSEXUALY, OR P HET. COMP HET IS A PRODUCT OF A HETERONORMATIVE SOCIETY, WHERE QUEER PEOPLE (LBIANS PARTICULAR) FEEL PRSURED TO PERFORM STRAIGHTNS. COMMON EXPERIENC CLU ‘CHOOSG’ CSH, QUICKLY LOSG TERT, OR BEG EXCLIVELY ATTRACTED TO UNAVAILABLE MEN, LIKE GUYS WHO ARE GAY, OLR, OR TAKEN.RELATNSHIPS WH MENTHE FIRST GUY CHER GETS VOLVED WH IS ELTON (JEREMY SISTO), THE POPULAR ‘HOT’ GUY THAT CHER FIRST TRI TO SET UP WH TAI. TO CLARIFY, CHER IS NEVER SHOWN TO BE TO ELTON, BUT NEARLY EVERY OTHER GIRL THE MOVIE IS. ELTON IS UNTERTED TAI AND IS OBVLY TRYG TO GET CHER’S ATTENTN STEAD. SHE ENDS UP GETTG A RI HOME OM ELTON (SOMETHG SHE DO NOT WANT TO DO), AND WHEN HE TRI TO KISS HER SHE STORMS OUT OF THE R WH NO PLAN TO GET HOME. SHE INTIFI ELTON AS A ‘SAFE’ GUY FOR TAI TO DATE, BUT DON’T EVEN NOTICE HIS TERT HER AND CLEARLY DO NOT RECIPROTE HIS FEELGS AT ALL, AND FACT, IS VISIBLY REPULSED BY HIS ATTEMPTS TO SCE HER.THE SEND GUY CHER MEETS IS SOMEONE SHE’S MORE TERTED , A NEW STUNT CHRISTIAN (JT WALKER). SHE TAK A LIKG TO CHRISTIAN BEE OF HIS PUT-TOGETHER STYLE AND HIS NONROMANTIC TERT TOWARDS HER, SO DIFFERENT OM THE DOG-LIKE BEHAVR OF OTHER HIGH SCHOOL BOYS. SHE IMMEDIATELY MAK THE NSC CISN TO MAKE HIM HER BOYIEND AND EMPLOYS ALL HER TTED TRICKS TO GET A GUY’S ATTENTN. TO THE VIEWER, ’S PRETTY CLEAR THAT CHRISTIAN IS MORE TERTED GETTG V TO PARTI THAN CHER, BUT SHE SEEMS TO MISS ALL THE SIGNS THAT HE’S GAY AND PERSISTS HER TERT ANYWAY. CHER CIS THAT CHRISTIAN IS THE GUY THAT SHE’LL FALLY LOSE HER VIRGY TO, WHICH GO PREDICTABLY, WH HIM BEG MORE TERTED WATCHG SOME LIKE IT HOT THAN SLEEPG WH HER. IT ISN’T UNTIL THE NEXT DAY WHEN DNNE’S BOYIEND MURRAY SPELLS HIS SEXUALY OUT FOR HER THAT SHE UNRSTANDS WHY HER NORMAL SCTN TECHNIQU FAILED. DPE THE FIZZLED ROMANTIC TERT, CHER AND CHRISTIAN REMA IENDS, BONDG OVER MON TERTS.THIS ATTRACTN MEETS EVERY METRIC OF PULSORY HETEROSEXUALY. CHRISTIAN HAS TRADNALLY FEME TERTS AND FEATUR AND IS UNAVAILABLE AS A GAY GUY. SHE ACTIVELY CHOOS TO BE ATTRACTED TO HIM AND SEEMS TO BE SEEKG HIS VALIDATN RATHER THAN HIS ROMANTIC TERT.CHER’S FAL ROMANTIC PLOTLE, AND THE HAPPY ENDG OF THE MOVIE, IS HER RELATNSHIP WH HER (EX?) STEP-BROTHER JOSH (PL RUDD). CHER SPENDS THE VAST MAJORY OF THE MOVIE UNTERTED AND ACTUALLY ACTIVELY AVOIDG JOSH, TREATG HIM LIKE HER ANNOYG OLR BROTHER. THEIR RELATNSHIP BE LS ANTAGONISTIC AFTER CHER HELPS JOSH WH HIS WORK FOR HER FATHER, BUT ISN’T UNTIL TAI TAK A LIKG TO HIM THAT SHE REALLY LOOKS AT HIM DIFFERENTLY. IN FACT, HER FEELGS SEEM TO TURN ON A DIME AFTER SEEG TAI FLIRTG WH JOSH, WHICH MAK HER JEALO FOR REASONS SHE N’T PLACE. AFTER A FEW MUT, HOWEVER, SHE HAS HER GRAND EPIPHANY —”OH MY GOD, I LOVE JOSH!”FROM BOTH AN -UNIVERSE CHARACTER PERSPECTIVE AND AN EXTERR WRG PERSPECTIVE, THIS REVELATN FEELS FORCED. JOSH SHOULD, BY ALL METRICS, BE UNAVAILABLE TO CHER — HE’S OLR, SEEMS TO DISLIKE HER, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HE’S HER STEPBROTHER! THE BUILD-UP TO THEIR RELATNSHIP FEELS DISGENUO AND CHER HAS NO TERT JOSH BEYOND HIS POTENTIAL RELATNSHIP WH TAI, WH WHO SHE HAS SPENT MOST OF THE MOVIE-OBSSED WH.CHER AND TAIAT THIS POT, WE HAVE A FAIRLY STRONG ARGUMENT THAT CHER IS UNTERTED MEN, BUT THAT ULD POT TOWARDS HER BEG ASEXUAL, AROMANTIC, OR TLY JT CREDIBLY PICKY. TO PLETE THE PICTURE OF CHER BEG A LBIAN-D CHARACTER, WE NEED TO FOC ON HER RELATNSHIP WH TAI.TAI FRASIER (BRTANY MURPHY) IS A NEW TRANSFER STUNT WH A UNIQUE STYLE AND PERSONALY PARED TO THE OTHER STUNTS AT THE UPPER-CLASS CALIFORNIA SCHOOL. SHE IMMEDIATELY DRAWS CHER’S ATTENTN, AND CHER CIS TO TAKE HER UNR HER WG TO MAKE HER ATTRACTIVE AND POPULAR (VERY WICKED). CHER AND TAI’S RELATNSHIP PROV CHER’S QUEERNS TWO WAYS.FIRST HAS MORE TO DO WH TAI HERSELF THAN CHER. TAI IS A CLEARLY QUEER-D CHARACTER (QUEER DG BEG THE SUBTEXTUAL E OF QUEER TRAS). SHE DON’T WEAR MAKP OR DO MUCH WH HER HAIR, SHE WEARS FLANNELS AND MORE MASCULE OR ECCENTRIC CLOTHG, AND SHE’S TRODUCED AS A CHARACTER WH MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE THAN THE OTHERS WH DGS, ALHOL, AND SEX. SHE EVEN SAYS TO CHER AND DNNE “I’VE NEVER HAD STRAIGHT IENDS BEFORE” (LIKELY REFERENCG DG E, BUT EASILY EXTEND TO SEXUALY). ALL SIGNS POT TO TAI BEG BI OR GAY, AND WE KNOW OM CHRISTIAN THAT CHER PROBABLY WOULD NOT NSCLY PICK UP ON THOSE SIGNALS.THE SEND ELEMENT OF THEIR RELATNSHIP THAT IS PERTENT IS HOW CHER REACTS TO TAI AND HER OTHER IENDSHIPS OR RELATNSHIPS. FROM THE BEGNG, CHER ATTEMPTS TO GET TAI A BOYIEND, WHICH SHE SE AS A STAT SYMBOL. IN FACT, HER CISN OF WHICH BOYS TAI SHOULD PURSUE HAS NOTHG TO DO WH TAI’S TERT THEM; RATHER, HER CISNS ARE BASED ON HOW DATG THEM WOULD AFFECT HER SOCIAL STAT (I.E. CHOOSG RICH KID ELTON OVER STONER TRAVIS). CHER’S REAL REACTNS E WHEN TAI IS GENUELY TERTED SOMEONE, PECIALLY IF THAT TERT MEANS TAI VALUG THEM OVER HER.CHER IS VISIBLY TRATED WHEN TAI EXPRS A SIRE TO DATE JOSH, AND THE NFLICT THAT ARIS OM THAT SUATN IS THE CX OF THE MOVIE’S PLOT. FROM A SCREENWRG PERSPECTIVE, CHER’S RELATNSHIP WH TAI IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN HER RELATNSHIP WH JOSH. HER CHARACTER VELOPMENT AND MOTIVATN WOULD BE UNCHANGED IF JOSH WERE WRTEN OUT OF THE STORY BUT WOULD BE ENTIRELY NONEXISTENT IF THE SAME WERE DONE TO TAI.A PIVOTAL SEQUENCE THE MOVIE THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE SHIFT CHER AND TAI’S IENDSHIP OCCURS AFTER TAI’S ‘NEAR-ATH EXPERIENCE’ AT THE MALL. WHILE IS EASILY FERRED THAT CHER IS IRRATED THAT TAI IS TAKG THE ATTENTN SHE UALLY GARNERS, THE TTH IS A B MORE LAYERED. FIRST OF ALL, CHER CLAIMS CRED FOR TAI’S POPULARY, SO WHEN TAI BEGS TO VELOP A SOCIAL LIFE SEPARATE OM HER, SHE FEELS ISOLATED OM HER NEW IEND/PROJECT. SENDLY, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE MOVIE THAT TAI IS NOT FOCG HER ATTENTN ON CHER. SHE’S FLIRTG WH THE GUYS AT THE MALL, WHICH CLEARLY ANNOYS CHER, AND AFTER SHE AND CHRISTIAN SH OVER TO STOP TAI OM FALLG, TAI DIRECTS ALL HER GRATU TO CHRISTIAN AND IGNOR CHER. THIS IS WHAT THE REAL NFLICT THEIR RELATNSHIP IS — FOR THE FIRST TIME SCE THEY’VE MET, CHER IS NOT THE CENTER OF TAI’S WORLD, AND CHER IS IMMEDIATELY JEALO.OBVLY, THIS ULD JT BE A SIGN OF IENDSHIP, PECIALLY IF CHER WAS SIMPLY A JEALO PERSON, BUT THIS IS REALLY NOT THE SE. IN FACT, HER LONG-TIME BT IEND DNNE HAS A BOYIEND WHO CHER DISAPPROV OF, BUT CHER IS NEVER JEALO WHEN DNNE SPENDS TIME WH HIM STEAD OF HER. EVEN AT THE PARTY THE HILLS, CHER IS MORE IRRATED WH MURRAY’S CHILDISH ANTICS THAN UPSET WH DNNE, AND EVEN HAPPILY CHOOS TO LEAVE THE PARTY WH TAI ALONE WHEN HER FATHER LLS WH A CURFEW ULTIMATUM. CLEARLY, CHER’S FEELGS FOR TAI ARE UNIQUE, EVEN WHEN PARED TO HER FEELGS FOR JOSH. CHER SPENDS A FULL R RI ALONE WH JOSH AND A GIRL HE IS ROMANTILLY VOLVED WH AND DISPLAYS NO HT OF JEALOY — FACT, HER ONLY FEELGS OF JEALOY REGARDG JOSH VOLVED A POTENTIAL RELATNSHIP WH TAI.WHEN THE WHOLE FILM IS ADD UP, SEEMS PRETTY OBV TO ME THAT CHER WAS FAR MORE TERTED DATG TAI THAN SHE EVER WAS JOSH. I’M SURE MANY PEOPLE WILL REMA UNNVCED, SO I WANT TO SPEND THE LAST SECTN OF THIS ARTICLE TALKG ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF QUEER TERPRETATN OF MEDIA AND THE NEED FOR GREATER NONIL QUEER REPRENTATN THE FUTURE.QUEER REPRENTATN THE MEDIA
• CHER EXPLAS WHY SHE HAS LOVED GAY PEOPLE SCE SHE WAS 9-YEARS-OLD
• HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: ANTI-GAY LAWS PROMOTE VLENCE, DISCRIMATN ST. VCENT

CHER HAS HAD A POWERFUL AFFY WH GAY MEN SCE SHE WAS NE-YEARS-OLD. HERE’S WHY

Cher revealed that she relat to gay people “bee gay people don’t feel like they f and I never felt like I f ”, an terview wh CNN‘s Christiane Amanpour. In the terview, she relled her troductn to the “gay world” when she was ne-years-old.

Cher has long been a gay in.

Q&A: CHER ON KNOWG WHEN SHE WAS A GAY IN, ‘HOPE’ GLEANED OM LGBT COMMUNY & ‘BREADCMBS’ OF HER LEGACY

Cher told CNN: “It was very unlike me to the begng have a problem wh Chaz beg gay and disappeared like that. We are speakg matter-of-factly about gay thgs, polil thgs, Twter thgs (“I’m fished wh the emojis that we have”). Our Oz, our Wonrland; a safe, shimmerg space providg pist refuge sce the 1960s, a span which has seen Sonny (Bono, her late ex-hband) and Cher, anthemic rock and gay dance, ventns and reventns – Cher’s mere existence brought closer to those wh our own muny, and closer to ourselv.

In July, she did her gay-in due diligence by helipterg onto the set of “Mamma Mia 2!

Here We Go Aga” to play the role she’d been playg ont of the world, most discernibly to generatns of baby-gays and grown-up gays: maternal pillar.

CHER REVEALS HOW SHE REALLY FEELS ABOUT BEG A GAY IN

Thankfully, “Dancg Queen” is a slice of gay heaven hell. When were you first aware that the LGBTQ muny intified you as a gay in? But I always had gay iends.

He was gay but he uldn’t let anybody know, and he wanted me to go wh him to a party and the party got raid. Gay men are very loyal. If you want to hi beg gay, do not buy Cher rerds!

Also, the gay muny, they jt don’t leave you, they stay wh you; that’s one thg that always keeps you gog. When I found out Chaz was gay, I didn’t go through that easily; when I found out Chaz was (transng) … except we talked about a lot, actually.

CHER RELLS THE HER FIRST INTERACTN WH GAY PEOPLE NEW INTERVIEW

There seems to be a fair amount of homophob who you end up llg out.

You uld send out the sh emoji and you know what, Cher, the gays would go wild. ' Cher reveals how she REALLY feels about beg a gay in...

She's the inic Amerin sger who is set to perform this weekend at the 2018 Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi speakg to the Herald-Sun on Friday, Cher has revealed how she really feels about beg a gay in.

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

' In an terview wh the Herald-Sun on Friday, Cher revealed how she REALLY feels about beg a gay in'I've always been que happy to be a gay in.

ACTIVISTS NMN VLENCE AGAST LGBTQ MUNY ST. VCENT, WHERE GAY SEX IS ILLEGAL

Especially gay men, they eher love you or don’t even know you’re on the pla!

'I've known gay people sce I was young, my mum had tons of gay iends, women and men.

'I n't believe I'm headg to Sydney for the 40th anniversary of the Gay And Lbian Mardi Gras. Cher Rells the Her First Interactn Wh Gay People New Interview. Ever sce the early days of her reer, pop in Cher has bee an unequivol gay in.

ACTIVISTS NMN VLENCE AGAST LGBTQ MUNY ST. VCENT, WHERE GAY SEX IS ILLEGAL

Whether ’s her nstant support of her transgenr son Chaz Bono, her flamboyant and fabulo stumery, or even her Osr-nomated starrg role as a lbian the film Silkwood (which also starred her fellow Mamma Mia -star Meryl Streep), the “Turn Back Time” sger has cemented her place gay history.

Here We Go Aga, Cher revealed that she met gay people for the first time when she was 12 years old and livg wh her mother, Geia Holt. “And I didn’t know that they were gay, but I jt thought ‘The guys are great, ’ and all started om then.

CHER OM CLUELS WAS DEFELY A LBIAN — HERE’S WHYALYSSA MILLS·FOLLOWPUBLISHED AN INJTICE!·10 M READ·JUN 9, 2021--2LISTENSHARECHER AND TAI CLUELS (1995)AS A QUEER WOMAN GROWG UP, I RARELY HAD POSIVE AND GENUE REPRENTATN ON SCREEN, BUT THAT DON’T MEAN I DIDN’T OFTEN SEE ASPECTS OF MYSELF AND MY SEXUALY THE FILMS I WATCHED. THE CLEART EXAMPLE OF THIS, MY MD, IS THE LEAD CHARACTER CHER OM THE CLASSIC 1995 TEEN ROM- CLUELS, PLAYED BY ALICIA SILVERSTONE. CHER IS THE EMBODIMENT OF SELF-ASSURED, OL FEMY, AND HER PORTRAYAL AS GIRLY, TELLIGENT, AND SOCIALLY SKILLED ALL AT ONCE WAS A BIG TURNG POT MY OFTEN TUMULTUO RELATNSHIP WH FEMY. CHER’S INIC L REALLY RONATED WH ME, AND REWATCHG THE MOVIE AFTER G TO TERMS WH MY OWN SEXUALY, IS PRETTY CLEAR TO ME THAT CHER IS LS A SE OF SHAKPEAREAN ROMANCE AND MORE A BRILLIANT EXAMPLE OF PULSORY HETEROSEXUALY THAT IS LIKELY FAIAR TO EVERY QUEER WOMAN. OBVLY, THIS IS JT ONE TERPRETATN AND AN ADMTEDLY BIASED ONE AT THAT, BUT I THK THERE IS SOME PRETTY DAMNG EVINCE THE SOURCE MATERIAL.IN SE YOU’RE SHORT ON TIME, I’LL START WH THE MOST OBV EVINCE THE FORM OF A TLY INIC LE (ONE OF MANY CLUELS). AS TAI TELLS CHER —“YOU’RE A VIRG WHO N’T DRIVE.”NEED I NTUE? IN SE CHER’S TLY HORRENDO DRIVG DON’T NVCE YOU, I HAVE A FEW OTHER ARGUMENTS THAT MIGHT. THIS ARTICLE IS GOG TO VER CHER’S DISTERT DATG, THE MOTIVATNS BEHD HER ‘ATTRACTN’ TO THE THREE MEN SHE TERACTS WH A ROMANTIC NTEXT, AND HER RELATNSHIP WH A NEW GIRL TAI.DISTERT DATGTHE MOST NVCG EVINCE FOR A LBIAN CHER IS HER NSTANT DISTERT DATG, SPECIFILLY DATG HIGH SCHOOL BOYS. THE BOYS SHE MEETS ARE, AS SHE PUTS , “LIKE DOGS; THE NERVO CREATUR THAT JUMP AND SLOBBER ALL OVER YOU,” AND THAT “SEARCHG FOR A BOY HIGH SCHOOL IS AS ELS AS SEARCHG FOR MEANG A PLY SHORE MOVIE.” IT’S NOT THAT SHE’S NOT TERTED ROMANCE OR DATG, FACT, SHE SPENDS THE ENTIRE MOVIE SETTG UP ROMANC FOR HER IENDS AND EVEN TWO OF HER TEACHERS. SHE’S ALSO TERTED DATG SOMEONE FOR HERSELF BUT NTU TO PH THE ADLE UNTIL SHE FDS THE RIGHT GUY.ONE SCENE THAT REALLY LLED TO ME AS I WAS QUTNG MY SEXUALY WAS THE DER WH CHER, TAI, AND DNNE, WHEN THE FORMER WAS QUTNG CHER ABOUT HER VIRGY. CHER IS IMMEDIATELY FENSIVE, CLARIFYG THAT WHILE SHE HAS NO SHORTAGE OF OFFERS, SHE “ISN’T A P, [SHE’S] JT HIGHLY SELECTIVE.” SHE LIKENS HER STANDARDS WH MEN TO HER STANDARDS FOR ACCSORI — “YOU SEE HOW I CHOOSE MY SHO, AND THEY ONLY GO ON MY FEET!” THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT ANYONE WHO CHOOS TO WA FOR THE ‘RIGHT PERSON’ IS GAY OR ACE, BUT A BIG DITOR FOR ME WAS NOT WANTG TO GET MARRIED AND LOSG TERT DATG AS SOON AS BEME A REALISTIC POSSIBILY, SOMETHG WE ALSO SEE CHER DO.CHER HAS A SOMEWHAT ROMANTIC PLOTLE WH THREE GUYS OVER THE FILM, ALL OF WHICH ARE GREAT EXAMPL OF PULSORY HETEROSEXUALY, OR P HET. COMP HET IS A PRODUCT OF A HETERONORMATIVE SOCIETY, WHERE QUEER PEOPLE (LBIANS PARTICULAR) FEEL PRSURED TO PERFORM STRAIGHTNS. COMMON EXPERIENC CLU ‘CHOOSG’ CSH, QUICKLY LOSG TERT, OR BEG EXCLIVELY ATTRACTED TO UNAVAILABLE MEN, LIKE GUYS WHO ARE GAY, OLR, OR TAKEN.RELATNSHIPS WH MENTHE FIRST GUY CHER GETS VOLVED WH IS ELTON (JEREMY SISTO), THE POPULAR ‘HOT’ GUY THAT CHER FIRST TRI TO SET UP WH TAI. TO CLARIFY, CHER IS NEVER SHOWN TO BE TO ELTON, BUT NEARLY EVERY OTHER GIRL THE MOVIE IS. ELTON IS UNTERTED TAI AND IS OBVLY TRYG TO GET CHER’S ATTENTN STEAD. SHE ENDS UP GETTG A RI HOME OM ELTON (SOMETHG SHE DO NOT WANT TO DO), AND WHEN HE TRI TO KISS HER SHE STORMS OUT OF THE R WH NO PLAN TO GET HOME. SHE INTIFI ELTON AS A ‘SAFE’ GUY FOR TAI TO DATE, BUT DON’T EVEN NOTICE HIS TERT HER AND CLEARLY DO NOT RECIPROTE HIS FEELGS AT ALL, AND FACT, IS VISIBLY REPULSED BY HIS ATTEMPTS TO SCE HER.THE SEND GUY CHER MEETS IS SOMEONE SHE’S MORE TERTED , A NEW STUNT CHRISTIAN (JT WALKER). SHE TAK A LIKG TO CHRISTIAN BEE OF HIS PUT-TOGETHER STYLE AND HIS NONROMANTIC TERT TOWARDS HER, SO DIFFERENT OM THE DOG-LIKE BEHAVR OF OTHER HIGH SCHOOL BOYS. SHE IMMEDIATELY MAK THE NSC CISN TO MAKE HIM HER BOYIEND AND EMPLOYS ALL HER TTED TRICKS TO GET A GUY’S ATTENTN. TO THE VIEWER, ’S PRETTY CLEAR THAT CHRISTIAN IS MORE TERTED GETTG V TO PARTI THAN CHER, BUT SHE SEEMS TO MISS ALL THE SIGNS THAT HE’S GAY AND PERSISTS HER TERT ANYWAY. CHER CIS THAT CHRISTIAN IS THE GUY THAT SHE’LL FALLY LOSE HER VIRGY TO, WHICH GO PREDICTABLY, WH HIM BEG MORE TERTED WATCHG SOME LIKE IT HOT THAN SLEEPG WH HER. IT ISN’T UNTIL THE NEXT DAY WHEN DNNE’S BOYIEND MURRAY SPELLS HIS SEXUALY OUT FOR HER THAT SHE UNRSTANDS WHY HER NORMAL SCTN TECHNIQU FAILED. DPE THE FIZZLED ROMANTIC TERT, CHER AND CHRISTIAN REMA IENDS, BONDG OVER MON TERTS.THIS ATTRACTN MEETS EVERY METRIC OF PULSORY HETEROSEXUALY. CHRISTIAN HAS TRADNALLY FEME TERTS AND FEATUR AND IS UNAVAILABLE AS A GAY GUY. SHE ACTIVELY CHOOS TO BE ATTRACTED TO HIM AND SEEMS TO BE SEEKG HIS VALIDATN RATHER THAN HIS ROMANTIC TERT.CHER’S FAL ROMANTIC PLOTLE, AND THE HAPPY ENDG OF THE MOVIE, IS HER RELATNSHIP WH HER (EX?) STEP-BROTHER JOSH (PL RUDD). CHER SPENDS THE VAST MAJORY OF THE MOVIE UNTERTED AND ACTUALLY ACTIVELY AVOIDG JOSH, TREATG HIM LIKE HER ANNOYG OLR BROTHER. THEIR RELATNSHIP BE LS ANTAGONISTIC AFTER CHER HELPS JOSH WH HIS WORK FOR HER FATHER, BUT ISN’T UNTIL TAI TAK A LIKG TO HIM THAT SHE REALLY LOOKS AT HIM DIFFERENTLY. IN FACT, HER FEELGS SEEM TO TURN ON A DIME AFTER SEEG TAI FLIRTG WH JOSH, WHICH MAK HER JEALO FOR REASONS SHE N’T PLACE. AFTER A FEW MUT, HOWEVER, SHE HAS HER GRAND EPIPHANY —”OH MY GOD, I LOVE JOSH!”FROM BOTH AN -UNIVERSE CHARACTER PERSPECTIVE AND AN EXTERR WRG PERSPECTIVE, THIS REVELATN FEELS FORCED. JOSH SHOULD, BY ALL METRICS, BE UNAVAILABLE TO CHER — HE’S OLR, SEEMS TO DISLIKE HER, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HE’S HER STEPBROTHER! THE BUILD-UP TO THEIR RELATNSHIP FEELS DISGENUO AND CHER HAS NO TERT JOSH BEYOND HIS POTENTIAL RELATNSHIP WH TAI, WH WHO SHE HAS SPENT MOST OF THE MOVIE-OBSSED WH.CHER AND TAIAT THIS POT, WE HAVE A FAIRLY STRONG ARGUMENT THAT CHER IS UNTERTED MEN, BUT THAT ULD POT TOWARDS HER BEG ASEXUAL, AROMANTIC, OR TLY JT CREDIBLY PICKY. TO PLETE THE PICTURE OF CHER BEG A LBIAN-D CHARACTER, WE NEED TO FOC ON HER RELATNSHIP WH TAI.TAI FRASIER (BRTANY MURPHY) IS A NEW TRANSFER STUNT WH A UNIQUE STYLE AND PERSONALY PARED TO THE OTHER STUNTS AT THE UPPER-CLASS CALIFORNIA SCHOOL. SHE IMMEDIATELY DRAWS CHER’S ATTENTN, AND CHER CIS TO TAKE HER UNR HER WG TO MAKE HER ATTRACTIVE AND POPULAR (VERY WICKED). CHER AND TAI’S RELATNSHIP PROV CHER’S QUEERNS TWO WAYS.FIRST HAS MORE TO DO WH TAI HERSELF THAN CHER. TAI IS A CLEARLY QUEER-D CHARACTER (QUEER DG BEG THE SUBTEXTUAL E OF QUEER TRAS). SHE DON’T WEAR MAKP OR DO MUCH WH HER HAIR, SHE WEARS FLANNELS AND MORE MASCULE OR ECCENTRIC CLOTHG, AND SHE’S TRODUCED AS A CHARACTER WH MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE THAN THE OTHERS WH DGS, ALHOL, AND SEX. SHE EVEN SAYS TO CHER AND DNNE “I’VE NEVER HAD STRAIGHT IENDS BEFORE” (LIKELY REFERENCG DG E, BUT EASILY EXTEND TO SEXUALY). ALL SIGNS POT TO TAI BEG BI OR GAY, AND WE KNOW OM CHRISTIAN THAT CHER PROBABLY WOULD NOT NSCLY PICK UP ON THOSE SIGNALS.THE SEND ELEMENT OF THEIR RELATNSHIP THAT IS PERTENT IS HOW CHER REACTS TO TAI AND HER OTHER IENDSHIPS OR RELATNSHIPS. FROM THE BEGNG, CHER ATTEMPTS TO GET TAI A BOYIEND, WHICH SHE SE AS A STAT SYMBOL. IN FACT, HER CISN OF WHICH BOYS TAI SHOULD PURSUE HAS NOTHG TO DO WH TAI’S TERT THEM; RATHER, HER CISNS ARE BASED ON HOW DATG THEM WOULD AFFECT HER SOCIAL STAT (I.E. CHOOSG RICH KID ELTON OVER STONER TRAVIS). CHER’S REAL REACTNS E WHEN TAI IS GENUELY TERTED SOMEONE, PECIALLY IF THAT TERT MEANS TAI VALUG THEM OVER HER.CHER IS VISIBLY TRATED WHEN TAI EXPRS A SIRE TO DATE JOSH, AND THE NFLICT THAT ARIS OM THAT SUATN IS THE CX OF THE MOVIE’S PLOT. FROM A SCREENWRG PERSPECTIVE, CHER’S RELATNSHIP WH TAI IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN HER RELATNSHIP WH JOSH. HER CHARACTER VELOPMENT AND MOTIVATN WOULD BE UNCHANGED IF JOSH WERE WRTEN OUT OF THE STORY BUT WOULD BE ENTIRELY NONEXISTENT IF THE SAME WERE DONE TO TAI.A PIVOTAL SEQUENCE THE MOVIE THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE SHIFT CHER AND TAI’S IENDSHIP OCCURS AFTER TAI’S ‘NEAR-ATH EXPERIENCE’ AT THE MALL. WHILE IS EASILY FERRED THAT CHER IS IRRATED THAT TAI IS TAKG THE ATTENTN SHE UALLY GARNERS, THE TTH IS A B MORE LAYERED. FIRST OF ALL, CHER CLAIMS CRED FOR TAI’S POPULARY, SO WHEN TAI BEGS TO VELOP A SOCIAL LIFE SEPARATE OM HER, SHE FEELS ISOLATED OM HER NEW IEND/PROJECT. SENDLY, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE MOVIE THAT TAI IS NOT FOCG HER ATTENTN ON CHER. SHE’S FLIRTG WH THE GUYS AT THE MALL, WHICH CLEARLY ANNOYS CHER, AND AFTER SHE AND CHRISTIAN SH OVER TO STOP TAI OM FALLG, TAI DIRECTS ALL HER GRATU TO CHRISTIAN AND IGNOR CHER. THIS IS WHAT THE REAL NFLICT THEIR RELATNSHIP IS — FOR THE FIRST TIME SCE THEY’VE MET, CHER IS NOT THE CENTER OF TAI’S WORLD, AND CHER IS IMMEDIATELY JEALO.OBVLY, THIS ULD JT BE A SIGN OF IENDSHIP, PECIALLY IF CHER WAS SIMPLY A JEALO PERSON, BUT THIS IS REALLY NOT THE SE. IN FACT, HER LONG-TIME BT IEND DNNE HAS A BOYIEND WHO CHER DISAPPROV OF, BUT CHER IS NEVER JEALO WHEN DNNE SPENDS TIME WH HIM STEAD OF HER. EVEN AT THE PARTY THE HILLS, CHER IS MORE IRRATED WH MURRAY’S CHILDISH ANTICS THAN UPSET WH DNNE, AND EVEN HAPPILY CHOOS TO LEAVE THE PARTY WH TAI ALONE WHEN HER FATHER LLS WH A CURFEW ULTIMATUM. CLEARLY, CHER’S FEELGS FOR TAI ARE UNIQUE, EVEN WHEN PARED TO HER FEELGS FOR JOSH. CHER SPENDS A FULL R RI ALONE WH JOSH AND A GIRL HE IS ROMANTILLY VOLVED WH AND DISPLAYS NO HT OF JEALOY — FACT, HER ONLY FEELGS OF JEALOY REGARDG JOSH VOLVED A POTENTIAL RELATNSHIP WH TAI.WHEN THE WHOLE FILM IS ADD UP, SEEMS PRETTY OBV TO ME THAT CHER WAS FAR MORE TERTED DATG TAI THAN SHE EVER WAS JOSH. I’M SURE MANY PEOPLE WILL REMA UNNVCED, SO I WANT TO SPEND THE LAST SECTN OF THIS ARTICLE TALKG ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF QUEER TERPRETATN OF MEDIA AND THE NEED FOR GREATER NONIL QUEER REPRENTATN THE FUTURE.QUEER REPRENTATN THE MEDIA

“It was very unlike me to, the begng, have a problem wh Chaz beg gay, and disappeared like that, ” Cher said, rellg her ial reactn an terview wh CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. “That was my (troductn to) the gay world, ” she said, addg that “gay people don’t feel like they f , and I never felt like I f .

He’s Barbie’s gay bt iend.

CHER EXPLAS WHY SHE HAS LOVED GAY PEOPLE SCE SHE WAS 9-YEARS-OLD

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 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 of the characters were the same—some were tty, others sweet.

But each of the gay bt iends was trsilly fed by their relatnships wh their straight iends. 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.

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.

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” But Barbie do, and for Ken, that’s are plenty of reasons why the film wouldn’t outrightly state that Ken is homosexual.

), and of urse, and earrg the “gay ear”. ) 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 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. 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.