How Does Martyrdom Affect Gay Characters?

Brigham Anderson was but one of many gay characters to commit suicide because of their inability to accept themselves for what they were. But what about films in which gay characters are martyred, indirectly? Queue the 1980’s AIDS pandemic. Along with AIDS being touted as the “gay disease” came films, such as Norman René’s Longtime Companion and Johnathan Demme’s Philadelphia, in which gay characters ultimately succumbed to the disease. This type of martyrdom contributes ultimate scandalizing of gay men because it promotes and idea that gay men are either sexually promiscuous, or selfishly and dubiously practice unsafe sex without regard to the consequences of doing so. It sends a message that gay men do not care about their own lives, because of an underlying understanding that they deserve whatever bad happens to them on the basis of their innate immorality. Thus, in addition to the suicidal gay character, the gay character that engages in risky behavior also takes the blame of gay martyrs off of society’s homophobia, and places it on the victim. As examined earlier, this can be particularly damaging for gay men. …show more content…
And unlike in the past, television is leading this revolution. A prominent example of the evolution of gay characters Showtime’s hit Queer As Folk (US). Queer As Folk centers on the lives of various LGBTQ+ characters and their families. For the purposes of this essay, I will focus on the story arc involving Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor. The reason why their storyline is important in the revolution of gay cinema, is that their love story began where many in the past left off—with tragedy, and progresses from that