Twenty films depicting inclusive LGBT portrayals
by A.A. Dowd, Gisella Faggi, Jon Mathias and Kevin Sparrow

The Hours (U.S., U.K., 2002) – It’s not just about the nose. The role of Virginia Wolff, for which Nicole Kidman deservedly won an Oscar, is an integral component to the triptych plot of The Hours. Three women living in different eras are chronicled in the midst of momentous occasions for each of them. Their (seemingly) sole connection is Wolff’s novel Mrs. Dalloway, a psychological study about sacrificing one’s own happiness to maintain the happiness of others. The characters created by Kidman, Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep are adept at this practice and the overlapping of their stories clarifies this point without becoming overbearing. This theme resonates for an LGBT community who, throughout its history, has had to sacrifice openness and self-expression to ensure a status quo for others, whether their parents, spouses or even for job security. The fact that all the women are also lesbians in various stages of being out as a major Oscar contender is another positive outcome of this film from Stephen Daldry. Even though there are battles still to be fought—the more dangerous ones internal—the hope this film provides shows that sexual expression has come a long way. – K.S.

7) Kinsey (U.S., 2004) – Controversial sex researcher, and sexually experimental bisexual, Alfred Kinsey assisted in ushering in the 1960s sexual revolution, particularly with the publication of his studies regarding human sexual behavior, the first of which was published in 1947. Conducting frank interviews with thousands of people from various demographics, he set out to learn about masturbation, orgasms, oral sex, homosexuality, bisexuality, and myriad other taboo practices of the era. Naturally, his findings were contentious at the time, and his discoveries and conclusions continue to stir strident debate. The film, like Kinsey himself, is interested in exploring the habits of human beings, and what we do, rather than why. Additionally, the open-minded professor wasn’t shy in sampling every practice that he learned about, urging his students and peers to do the same and discount their negative thoughts regarding sexuality. In fact, one of Kinsey’s most intimate relationships was with his assistant, Clyde Martin, who became not only his lover, but also the lover of the doctor’s wife, Clara. As a result, this incautious film is certainly a testament to the transformative power of ideas, which is still relevant in contemporary (and often-prudish) American society. – G.F.

6) Ma Vie en Rose (Belgium, France, U.K., 1997) – Seven-year-old Ludovic is convinced that he will one day grow up to be a girl. In fact, he even devises a scientific theory that God lost his extra X chromosome and was forced to replace it with a Y, making him a “girlboy.” In this gentle Belgian film, director Alain Berliner examines transgender issues through the eyes of a child. The resilient Ludo is at the mercy of every adult to criticize his behavior: teachers, neighbors, and eventually, his parents, who believe that their son is simply confused. At first, the boy’s cross-dressing tendencies are regarded as antics, but when Ludo develops a not-so-subtle crush on his father’s boss’s son and, consequently, becomes a social pariah, his family grows frustrated. The film delicately balances ingenuous childhood fantasies with the often-volatile topic of sexual identity. As a prepubescent cross-dresser, Ludo is hardly theatrical. Rather, the innocence of his obsession shows no sexual awareness, so this is not about whether the boy will grow up to be gay or not. Instead, Ma Vie en Rose focuses on the importance of individuality and tolerance. – G.F.

5) Happy Together (Hong Kong, 1997) – Wong Kar Wai’s masterpiece, Happy Together, details the relationship between Lai and Ho, a pair of expatriate lovers in Buenos Aires. Soon, the couple becomes stranded in the foreign country without much money. The (more) sensible Lai takes a mind-numbing job as a doorman at a tango club, while the reckless Ho makes a little income as something of a hustler. Their on-again-off-again relationship is torturous and often volatile, laced with a self-destructive passion. However, even when the relationship seems to have ended, Lai takes care of an incapacitated Ho, having been beaten during a one-night stand with a stranger. Homosexuals and heterosexuals alike can appreciate this cynical, despondent look at relationships. Both characters spend most of the film alienated from one another, in a land that they are unfamiliar with. Lai and Ho stay together through an arduous relationship only as a means of escaping loneliness. – G.F.