MARCH 1976

PERIMEN

JAMES DEAN

SIGNET FILM SERIES 451-W6518-$1.50

GAY FOLK HERO

gay. Presented

If the recent NBC-TV movie James Dean was any indication of Fifties' Actor Dean's sexual habits, there is strong evidence that he was through the perspective of William Bast, Dean's close companion and associate, James Dean deals both symbolically and explicitly with an undercurrent of frustrated sexual affinity shared by the two men. Sure, Dean is portrayed as an active participant in heterosexual relationships; but each of these appears to be unfulfilling, transient, and temporary.

Before Dean actually confronts Bast on homosexuality,

the viewer is exposed to a good deal of male "horseplay." Dean is always physical with Bast. They wrestle; play theatrical roles of matador and bull; and they frequently take showers in each other's presence.

One evening, while the two are lying in their bedroom halfnude, Dean asks, "Have you ever made it with another man?" "What?," comes the reply. "You know, have sex with another guy."

"You can't be serious." "Don't knock it, til you've tried it. We're artists; we owe it to ourselves to experience ali life has to offer."

"Gee, I don't know."

HIGH GEAR

"It's reality."

"I wouldn't know what to do." With that, Dean grabs Bast's clothes, flings them at him, and insists he goes to the Astre, a local gay bar, buy a beer, and just sit and wait. Over halfhearted objections, Bast does just that. He is approached by a businessman type, and then telephones Dean.

"What should I do now? He asked me to go to his place." Dean: "Well, do you like him? Bast: "I don't know." Dean: "Why don't you go with him and see."

Bast: ".... I,...."

pause...

...

long

Dean: "Well, alright, I guess you'll need someone who's tamed you for your first time. Come on home."

When Bast gets home, he begins talking to Dean in the shadows; "Why did you make me go there? I don't understand. What do you want from me?"

As Bast flicks the lights on, he realizes Dean is not in his bed. Gone. Presumably for a trick. Bast experiences a confused, emotional tirade.

In retrospect, all of this is highly significant. We see Dean and Bast periodically living together; playing chess on a bearskin rug in front of a warm fire; reading poetry to each other; and indeed, acting overtly hurt at the Occasional negligence each inevitably shares with his counterpart.

In the concluding scene of the film, after Dean's unexpected death in an automobile accident, Bast tells his psychologist of a recurring dream in which Dean shakes his fist at him, screaming, "I trusted you. 1 trusted you."

The psychologist asks, "Do you feel badly that he died and you were left behind."

"Partly," says Bast with a choked sob; "but it's more than that. I never let him know how much I really loved him."

The viewer, of course, can

1:|:ཀྱི་སྐ

Page 7

G.E.A.R. Speaks at

High School, Suburbia

CLEVELAND In the past two weeks, representatives of the G.E.A.R. Foundation spoke to two somewhat disparate groups. The student organizers of the Intersession Program at Cleveland Heights High School invited a speaker in for a workshop on gay people, and an adult education class on contemporary morality heard a talk about gays in their Shaker Heights meeting place. Both groups were very receptive and had many questions about gay stereotypes and myths to resolve.

The high school workshop was scheduled for two morning periods on a "drop in" basis. It received good publicity among the students, because the listing had been ordered crossed out of the program by the school administration, lest various

parents become alarmed. A petition of protest was circulated by students and the presence of the G.E.A.R. speaker spread rapidly by word of mouth. One student remarked .that he hadn't understood the need for gay liberation until the action of the administraiton.

Several openly gay students were on hand; but most of the fifty or so students who stopped

draw his/her own conclusions. Given the incessant flow of homo-erotic images and biting verbal and physical exchanges between Dean and Bast, there is little doubt they were in love with each other. How tragic that their love appears not to have been consummated.

Following the lineage of That Certain Summer and PBS' Edward II, James Dean is yet another tasteful, honest por-

in to ask questions appeared to be curious straights who had some misunderstanding of gays. Most approached the subject with honesty and open minds, something many parents might not have displayed.

Some parents showed the same openness and honesty, in a Shaker Heights group of about twenty women. In the setting of an informal class on contemporary morality offered by an adult education outreach of Case Western Reserve University, the women (many of them young mothers with their young children romping in a nearby room) had sincere questions about the causes 01 homosexuality and the affect of one's gayness on her/his life. The emphasis again was on clearing up myths and stereotypes, and on the possibility and probability of leading a happy and fulfilled life as a gay. The implication was that the one or two children of the twelve in the next room who might grow up gay would stand a better chance of meeting other gays, for understanding from the society-at-large, and general liberty during their lifetime than many gays have in the past.

trayal of male homosexuality. By presenting gay love as a natura dimension of life, the TV net works continue to show signs c breaking through homophobic barriers. Now, if only one O them would pick up on movie rights to Women in Love and Sunday, Bloody, Sunday. It': taking time; but our people are making significant media

strides.

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