Is Brokeback Mountain really a step forward for gay rights. Author Dante Harker believes, that despite the press hype. Brokeback Mountain is yet another chance to point out how sad and depressing gay men's lives really are.
Cardiff, South Glam (PRWEB) February 20, 2006 -- ‘I know that a lot of people love Brokeback Mountain, but really this film would have been better released twenty years ago - certainly not today.
‘The fact that the world loves it, that the media believes that there will be a host of gay films coming to a mainstream audience because of this film surely should be a good thing. But what does the film tell us? That if you really love someone, you should hide that love away? That you should only see your “true love” a couple of times a year and, even then, you should take them up a mountainside before you have any man-on-man action.’
The main point of contention is around the way gay men are presented by the media. Primarily, the fact that the:
‘…media are only happy when gay men are shown as massive man-bag holding stereotypes or get killed. Brokeback Mountain did actually resist killing its lead character off in the usual gay manner (terminal diseases), instead this time opting for a more violent ending.’
Dante goes on to observe that ‘it is interesting that the only time a gay film gets such a massive release is when the gay leads are both played by straight film stars (and not ones who are rumoured to be gay; in fact, both of them had films out within a month promoting their straightdom - Jarhead and Casanova).
‘And, of course, neither of the characters was allowed to be happy; and, inevitably, one of them died,’ Harker says.
Dante believes that it is time that gay men were at last shown to have ordinary, decent lives. And that gay men should have roles in films where their gayness is just a passing remark, rather than an issue.
He believes that ‘it would come as much more of a shock to the film-viewing world if gay men were show to live decent caring lives, and weren’t in fact drug-crazed clubbers, or limp wrested homo’s – but were instead equal to heterosexuals.’
Dante hopes that with his current work Therapy, his website and future works to foster a more accepting view of the contemporary gay men – on the big screen.
Dante Harker is a fresh, young writer who aims to take on the current hegemony of quite negative media portrayal and to help foster a change in direction. 'The major battles for equality based on sexuality have been
won', he says, 'and it is now time to begin moving on. We don't need to keep fighting those same battles to show how unfair and old-fashioned society was.
Now that we have legal protection and equality in many areas, we need to start showing that we are not some weird, alien life-form, but are just like everyone else; ordinary and human, with ordinary human needs
and capacity for love and happiness.'
Dante's project starts right now. His books are written with the ethos that same-gender relationships are normal and healthy and a part of everyday
life. It is possible to be gay and happy. Men who fall in love with other men do not suffer horrible torments and die alone. They are not exceptional
or different to anyone else.
His first novel, Therapy, is on sale on Amazon and a second novel is planned. Dante is actively pursuing film and television deals to adapt Therapy and bring it to a wider audience. He is discussing various options
to make the novel more widely available and would welcome any exposure to discuss his novels, plans, life and outlook.
For more information on Dante Harker visit his website and blog at www.danteharker.com
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