Aesthetic and artistic choices are influenced by ideology. I draw these comparisons to address the legacies and continued presence of racism and anti-Blackness in LGBTQ communities in the United States. We have seen this from Grindr bios to gay and trans Republicans and Trump supporters. For instance, Adolf Hitler thoroughly believed that Greek and Roman art was “uncontaminated by Jewish influences,” 3 while the Alt-Right use Greek classics to insist that “white men are the guardians of intellectual authority, especially when such authority is perceived to be under threat from women and people of color.” 4 Although the intentions are different, overlap between these meanings can occur in regards to racism. However, Greek art and imagery has also been co-opted as symbols of whiteness and white supremacy by fascists, from the Nazi Party to America’s present day Alt-Right. Personally, I see this connection as intending to link homosexuality to an older cultural history as a response to homophobic assertions that insist otherwise. This poster was not the first in the collection where I had seen Greek art or other classical cultural references being used in relation to the LGBTQ community. in larger (white) LGBTQ culture in relation to white supermacist use of Greek art, imagery, and classics.
On the other hand, it would be careless not to discuss the Greek podium the two individuals in the poster are sitting on, and the prominent use of Greek symbols, history, etc. The poster’s focus on whiteness as representing LGBTQ pride alienates community members of color, folks of different sizes and disabilities, and Jewish people.
Additionally, the use of the upside down triangle (especially without color pink) in relation to these white blonde caricatures comes off as insensitive and antisimetic. The Decades of Pride poster has an Americanized aesthetic lens, especially evident in the man’s muscle mass and military-type haircut. The similarities between the two objects are uncanny: the outfits, the fitness caliber, the blond hair. After a web search of such posters, I found the one above on the right, solidifying my discomfort with the Pride poster. These 50-plus power players, from Laverne Cox to the cast of Queer Eye, each make a unique contribution - and share here where they first felt seen by Hollywood and what work still needs to be done to achieve equitable representation.Upon seeing this poster, I was immediately reminded of propaganda posters that portray the Nazi’s racist and eugenics-oriented ideal blond and blue eyed men and women. Thanks to the showrunners driving authentic stories, filmmakers bucking decades-old heteronormative paradigms, actors emboldened to live more honestly and platforms bankrolling so much of it, being gay, queer, transgender or any other other has never been more widely embraced in the entertainment industry.įor its inaugural Pride issue, The Hollywood Reporter homed in on the talent and makers helping boost visibility and creating opportunities for members of the extended LGBTQ community. LGBTQ representation in Hollywood is at an all-time high.