Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site adobe.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!prls!amdimage!amdcad!decwrl!Glacier!adobe!shore From: shore@adobe.UUCP (Andrew Shore) Newsgroups: net.motss Subject: Re: Here's something to discuss Message-ID: <656@adobe.UUCP> Date: Sat, 17-Aug-85 17:47:13 EDT Article-I.D.: adobe.656 Posted: Sat Aug 17 17:47:13 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 20-Aug-85 07:15:02 EDT References: <914@teklds.UUCP> Reply-To: shore@adobe.UUCP (Andrew Shore) Organization: Adobe Systems, Palo Alto Lines: 71 Keywords: Rock Hudson, AIDS When I first heard that Rock Hudson had AIDS I was very sad. I was sad in part because AIDS is a terrifying, heartbreaking illness. I was sad that Rock felt he had to live his life the way he did. At first, I was angry that he hadn't come out years ago. Then I realized that had he done so, he would not have been able to land another job. Rock was almost always cast as a romantic leading man. What kind of producer or director would cast an openly known homosexual in those kinds of roles? I'd understand it -- I'd probably go to see those movies BECAUSE of the casting -- but most of middle America, most advertisers, etc., simply could not accept it. If Rock had come out in Hollywood, he would never have worked again. What kind of role model would that provide? The message "you come out and you're doomed" wouldn't exactly help public understanding. It would fuel the fires of the bigots in terms of work discrimination and blackmail arguments. Word has it that Rock's homosexuality was more or less generally known in Hollywood -- that it was just something people knew and didn't talk about. I guess I can understand that "you don't rock the boat and we'll keep you along for the ride" attitude. I'm certain that he is not the only homosexual in show biz. I'm also certain that many people in the business have something personal that they'd just as soon not let the public know about. I remember a Baba Wawa interview with Harvey Fierstein (sp?) the Tony-award-winning author-actor of "Torch Song Trilogy" and the writer of the book for the musical "La Cage aux Folles". He is probably the most well know (the only?), openly gay figure in the theater today. Baba made some comment that 10 years ago, she could not have done an interview like that -- talking openly to a gay man on prime time TV about his life and his work. He said something along the lines of the following: Isn't it absurd all this attention I'm getting. You know and I know that I'm not the first gay actor on Broadway, I'm not the first gay writer, I'm not the first gay anything. Gay people have been involved in every aspect of the theater since its inception, and some of the most well- known figures in the American theater have been gay. He was right of course. All of the secrecy is ridiculous, but there is a problem of acceptance to be dealt with. There is a saying: "You can tell the pioneers by the arrows in their backs." I think that would have gone (may still go) for the first crop of people in the entertainment industry who deal openly with their homosexuality. I don't think that America is ready to handle it. While I think that the initial news about Hudson was not handled very well. [The initial press releases that he was (1) recovering from the flu, then (2) had liver cancer.] I do think that some good may come of this horrible happening. Now all America knows someone with AIDS. Now the president knows someone with AIDS. [I have heard that Reagen has never spoken about AIDS in public.] This could have a major effect on public awareness and government assistance. It did make new cover stories in both Time and Newsweek, for example. I think it is vital that the public understand what AIDS does and does not represent. It represents an extremely serious health crisis for this country. The final costs for treating and (hopefully) curing and preventing AIDS will be astronomical. AIDS WILL spread into the heterosexual community in greater numbers. It WILL NOT be spread through casual contact, through the workplace, etc. I hope that the Hudson disclosure helps to bring these issues home to the rest of America. What will happen when the next five public figures are diagnosed and die? --Andy