Why is wizard of oz related to gay propaganda

The male characters are gay coded (the too loud Scarecrow, the sensitive types, the befuddled old bachelor). The main character leaves the farm to go have an adventure in an urban environment where she meets friends, sings, dances, and sees things she never thought she’d see. It would be a mistake to confine a discussion of The Wizard of Oz to a certain class of gay men, but in seeking a point of origin, there is a dominant narrative of queer history in which “Oz” and Garland were important parts of a mostly white, middle-class, urban gay male subculture by the s.

There are many reasons why the film, The Wizard of Oz has grown into an LGBTQ2S+ main - stay over the years. It could be the various camp elements in the film, the continued endorsement from gay icons like RuPaul Charles, or just the inclusion of Judy Garland, who in and of herself has become a queer icon due to her performance ability. According to “Oz” scholar Dee Michel, who is writing a book on “Oz” and gay men, there are certain beliefs about the film and the LGBT community that persist in spite of a lack of clear historical evidence.

The term "Friend of Dorothy," referencing her The Wizard of Oz character, became popular code among gay men to self-identify, and rumors still persist that it was Garland's funeral that. Fifty years on, Garland superfan Ross Semple, 27, still listens to that Copenhagen concert religiously. Movies viz. Reel Pride: The Handmaiden Did you enjoy this story?

Nevertheless, gay folklore and films continue to tell the story, quite possibly imposing the perspective of white, cisgender gay male historians on an event that was largely the work of queer and trans people of color. The story became a metaphor for the real-life dreams and experiences of gay men who left middle America for the gay communities of New York City and San Francisco, analogized to Oz or the Emerald City.

Not too macho, especially for a lion. As friends of Dorothy, three misfits, social outcasts that just want to be loved, respected and heard. The film was recently rereleased on 4K Ultra High Def, and it looks like a whole new movie.

Why is Judy Garland the ultimate gay icon?

I love the Straight Dope. Also, her journey from the black-and-white Midwest to the colorful and vibrant Oz is like young queer kids leaving home and traveling to the big city.

Many gay men turn to women like Judy Garland to help them navigate their own experiences of the world. The evidence presented thus far suggests she became a gay icon due to her being in The Wizard of Oz , which definitely has favourable themes to a gay audience - whether deliberately so or not. She married five times and two of her husbands were, like her father, suspected of being gay or bisexual. Reel Pride: Carol Reel Pride: Pepi, Luci, Bom I just breezed through the book.

By most accounts, she was proud of her gay fans and welcomed them, especially in her later years. Polycarp August 7, , pm Jul 22, Manish highlights the true story film. The concept of gay icons has always fascinated me.

Wizard of oz queer history

Reel Pride: Pariah And if you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc. This song, this movie, is the pure sappy concentrated form of that escapism. Nov 18, Four months later, 47 year-old Garland was found dead in Chelsea, London, after accidentally overdosing on the drugs she had self-medicated with since childhood. My Fellow Americans make jokes based on that fact. Alongside her mother, MGM executives controlled her image and encouraged her to take drugs to stay slim.