Cinema

An exhibit of Hollywood’s gay history at the Hollywood Museum has been extended from its original run in celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) month in June. It will now be open until September to accommodate the demand from the public to visit and enjoy the spectacle of the 1,000-plus objects commemorating the gay history of movies. From the early days of the movie industry when stereotypical gay characters showed up on the silver screen — if they appeared at all — to the modern development of more full and rich characters in a variety of TV shows and movies, the exhibit shows the century’s progress as society opens more and more to the LGBT community.

Outpouring of Support

The exhibit, called “Reel to Real: Portrayals and Portraits of Gays in Hollywood,” is the result of efforts by the founder and director of the Hollywood Museum, along with allies throughout the community. “We reached out to the community,” he reports on the founding of the show; the exhibit breaks new ground in the museum world for its portrayal of an entire aspect of movie history that has not been previously represented in such a comprehensive way, “and the response was an outpouring of support and a desire to participate.”

Notable Images and Awards

The show features costumes worn by Michael Douglas in “Candelabra,” his performance as the legendary entertainer Liberace, as well as a Best Screenplay Oscar that Dustin Lance Black won for “Milk” and much more. To recognize important allies, like glamorous leading lady of her day and HIV/AIDS activist in later years, a gown that Elizabeth Taylor wore is displayed. It is featured in a display of memorabilia that is important to gay rights in recognition of Hollywood and the country as a whole.

Nothing Stereotypical Anymore

At one time in the not-too-distant past, Hollywood shied away from open portrayals of same-sex love, but that pattern has definitely changed in the modern world. The curator and director of the Hollywood Museum who helped to create the exhibit notes that in years past, “there were almost no depictions of gay characters in film and television.” Now, though, “nearly every TV show has gay characters or story lines. There’s such a wide range of characters that there’s nothing stereotypical anymore.”

Great Performances

The exhibit features a wall full of images of some of the great portrayals of gay characters in film, including:

• James Franco and Sean Penn in “Milk”
• Hilary Swank in “Boys Don’t Cry”
• Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs”
• Felicity Huffman in “Transamerica”
• Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in “Brokeback Mountain”
• Annette Bening in “The Kids are Alright”

The exhibit highlights the progress that movies have seen and the depth and richness of the LGBT characters represented on screen. Many people today can easily recall a time when they were forced to transpose their internal visions of desire and love into the hetero-normative vision of Hollywood filmmakers. Now that tolerance and openness is growing in society, depictions of gay characters are reaching beyond simple stereotypes to show the diversity of the LGBT community in greater range.

Discovering Connections

While recent battles over marriage equality and legal equality for the LGBT community have been divisive at times, exhibits such as the one now featured in Los Angeles pave the way toward a future of inclusion. Hollywood does not have an agenda to promote gay life as some conservatives have alleged; rather, its storytelling grows more sophisticated to reflect reality: same-sex desire has always existed, and the world’s communities have always consisted of a mix of gays and straights. Now that openness is beginning to flourish in the laws of the country, as well as in the hearts and minds of many in the populace, movies and entertainment are beginning to reflect the realities and benefits of tolerance.