- -'~a_—-’-- — ~ 4. .. - ‘ vv-‘~l'mL'e~4v—bgr»iny~. .... .3. . .... 30 - OITM december 2001 I I J 754 s Good legal advice can make all the difference. V Langrock Sperry 8: Wool offers the services of 22 lawyers with over 300 years combined experience in all areas of the law — including two lesbian attorneys with special expertise serving the legal needs of the g/l/b/t/q community. SUSAN MURRAY & BETH ROBINSON With offices in Middlebury and Burlington Middlebury (802) 388-6356 Burlington (802) 864-0217 smurray@langrock.com brobinson@langrock.com Langrock Sperry Wool, LLP ATTORNEYS AT LAW lV\CV€0\$€ youw civcle all Jévievids. Adtvevt-ise in “out In The Moumi—oCms" 1 ~l-otoloxyl 802.434.3237 Screen continued from page twenty-one need to preserve, to document the stories. I'll never forget legendary costume designer Miles White telling me he was so glad gay Hollywood was finally being put on the record. "It’s time,” he said. You write that the "burden of proof” is much higher for homosexuality than it is for heterosexuality. Can you give me an example of how that could hamper the research? This is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of writing gay history. You can't just tell the story of the experience the way you can in African-American history or women's history. You're constantly being stopped and asked to justify yourself, to prove how you "know" so- and-so is gay. Of course you have to be precise and responsible in who you embrace in a study like this, but no one's ever asked for ”proof" that Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were lovers. Most people I've interviewed have insisted, in fact, that their relationship was devoted but platonic, at least for most of its duration. But writers have long written about it as a fairy-tale romance. Meanwhile, some still get all bent out of shape if you sug- gest that Cary Grant and Randolph Scott were lovers. I know over the last few years there “ has been a spate of unwarranted labeling of historical figures as gay. But too many writers refuse to even consider stories of gay experience in their subjects’ lives because there is no "proof." I feel that allowing for the possibility that people have always been multi-faceted human beings with limitless opportunity for experience and identity is the most responsi- ble course for a biographer or historian, For this study, I chose not to try to do the impossi- ble — to prove who had genital contact with whom — and instead I looked at the_ "homoso- cial" nature of these people's lives. For, in truth, Iwas more interested in the wider gay expe- rience in the studios— not whether a certain actor occasionally picked up male hitch hikers for sex. It must have been both inspiring and harrowing to explore this lesbian and gay cul- tural history. What did you learn from these contradiction.» and collaborations that gay people experienced working in Hollywood? I came away with a real respect for these people. Long before the modern gay movement and before there existed public role models on "how to be gay," these people lived and worked in an extraordinary environment in which they not only helped shaped popular cul- ture but also were creating gay communities for themselves. To say they were doing so con- sciously or intentionally is to overstate the truth. But still, for the most part, they lived lives that were striking in their authenticity and honesty — especially the behind-the-scenes peo- ple, but also some stars, like William Haines and Marlene Dietrich and Clifton Webb. Character players, too, lived far more openly than movie stars of today, people like Patsy Kelly and Franklin Pangborn. Few elsewhere at the time had such freedom. I was also struck by thr: power of the course of history. We are so much the product ofour times. The 1920s allowrd for cultural experimentation and challenge, and the World War II years offered a chance for gay people to find each other and begin shaping a public identity. But the 1930s and 1950s were culturally repressive eras, and this is reflected in the stories I tell in the book. My hope is that Behind the Screen helps illuminate a very rich and ever—changing history —— not only for gay men and lesbians, but for the study of film and popular culture as well. Tim Miller is a solo performer and the author of Shirts & Skin, published by Alyson. He can be reached at http://hometown.aol.com/millertale/timmiller.html Letters continued from page seven In the article" on the first page of your website, it says, and I quote: "Ani DiFranco looks like Britney Spears next to Olson,s fiercely independant and queer product. It is easy to criticize Ani because she married a man and has achieved high commercial success, but Ani,s sell-out is not what makes Alix Olson better or different." I have nothing against Alix Olson, Im sure she is making a difference and that is great. I just think that we all need to stop judging people for what they ”choose" to do, or how they "choose" to live. Isn't that all we want anyways, for this world to be non-judge- mental. ' How can we (Expect others to not_ judge us if we are still going to judge others? Smcerely,. ‘ ' 7 To Kara ' Via the Internet LAST CHANCE TO PURCHASE TICKETS! December 6-8 - 8PM The Shoebox Theatre - 135 Pearl Street Burlington, VT’ Tickets are $8 general admission and are available by calling the Flynn Theatre Regional _ Box Office at (802) 86-FLYNN or by going online at www.theatreshoe.com. The Eiqhl: This oiin’l ijouréwlommcfs Chpislmas slomjl Deindeer Nlonoloques