A Gay Defence of The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game is a movie about a gay man. Naturally there is interest from gay audience as well as gay critics. Can it stand as its own story or must it represent a gay culture that is fast changing with both more gay rights in some countries and more gay persecution in others? How can one objectively write about it as a gay person.


The Imitation Game is one of my favorite films of 2014. I love it because it tells a great story and tells it well. It takes a historical anecdote and weaves a thrilling yarn out of it while shining light on the people involved.It is a story about a heroic man whose heroism went unnoticed for many years.

Alan Turing is someone whose name we should know. However because of the secret nature of his mission during the war and because the world is full of homophobia, he was vilified into suicide and died in obscurity. This movie reverses that and tells his extraordinary story.

The movie shows us Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch as an adult) during three periods in his life. During the War where he led a group of scientists in breaking the German Enigma code and helping win the war for the Allies; after the war when he was arrested, convicted and driven to suicide for being gay; and when he was a teen in boarding school and fell in love for the first time with a classmate.

The movie so far has gotten average to good reviews and is pegged to be a major Oscar contender. The critique about it the drives me crazy is that it is not gay enough, that while outwardly against homophobia it doesn't show enough of Turing being gay or even being persecuted for being gay. I can understand the latter to a certain extent but definitely not the former.

I get the disappointment. I had expectations too going into the movie. I thought Matthew Goode was playing Turing's love interest. I thought we might get a grand tortured love story at the center. But that is not Turing's story. The movie tells the stoy of his accomplishments without diluting the fact that he was gay. A central theme throughout is that he's a man of secrets trying to solve the biggest secret of all. And Cumberbatch delivers in his performance, this is a man very uncomfortable in his skin because of the secret he's carying around. The weight of that is evident in every frame he appears in. I didn't need to see more. I complety related as someone who carried their own secret for many years. Any inappropriate glance or whisper might have meant a life on the margins or even worse for Turing.

The Guradian reviewer claims the movie "doesnt allow him to be gay". What did they want? A fabricated love story? A quick romp in the hay? He was deeply closeted, I don't think that would have fit his personality nor the time he lived in. Other reviewers have made the same claim. The movie doesn't shy away of showing him fall in love. Yes it's a very chaste one sided infatuation from a love struck teenager but there's no evidence that he had a greater love in later years.


I wish the movie had shown a bit more of the homophobia in 1950s Britain. Did we need a sympathetic policeman at the time of showing his persecution? Probably not. Did we need to see the "lewd action"he was arrested for. Maybe. I wanted more hammering of the injustice that the British government and judicial system levelled against Turing. But I get it. The balance is there. Yes I would've liked to see more time devoted to how he dealt with the last chapter in his life. But maybe that would have taken away from spending more time showing us how he got to be a hero in the first place,

Maybe in this day and age we should expect more. I'm all for Alan Turing's name heard around the world. And I think this movie represents him well while thrilling and entertaining the audience. It is not the movie everyone wanted; but it's a great movie on its own terms.

I ask all these gay nayasers how many gay heroes with compelling stories that are not about coming out do we have? Let's celebrate this one. Should we question and ask for more? Absolutely. However this has enough virtues to be celebrated. Its merits as a movie are subjective and in the eye of the beholder but its celebration of Turing is undeniable.

How gay is Mildred Pierce?

Let's count the ways how this mini series is gay:

- directed by queer filmmaker Todd Haynes.
- a "woman's" story.
- original movie starred Joan Crawford, queen of the big gestures and the overripe drama i.e. gay gay gay.
- Kate Winslet is admittedly not much of a gay icon but she is an actress who has been nominated several times and won an Oscar. So she's kinda gay.
- Melissa Leo has a supporting role. Again the Oscar angle.
- The trailer is all about the period detail, costumes and art direction. Very gay.
- Haynes made the very gay Far From Heaven which was based on the dramas of possibly one of the gayest directors, Douglas Sirk.
- Me and many of my friends are super excited about this. That is very gay.

The only not gay thing is that I feel like I should get HBO, 3 years after I unplugged.

And by the way saying something is gay is the highest compliment I can give.

A Love Letter to Kurt Hummel

Is there a more important character on network TV today than Kurt Hummel? I think not. In this time where many gay teenagers are finding themselves alone and confused, Glee offers this positive inspirational character.

Kurt is young, gay, out, proud, defiant, and above all completely and utterly himself. He might not always do the right thing, or feel comfortable in all situations. But he goes on living. Goes on trying things. Goes on being true to himself.

I wish there was a character like this in popular culture when I was growing up. We all know that being a teenager, and particularly a gay teenager, can be very lonely. I sought refuge in the writings of James Baldwin at that age. But I hope young gay men and women today can see themselves in Kurt. He's out there. On the most popular show on TV. He's is definitely and definitively part of the cultural conversation. Hopefully he's forcing teachers and parents and young adults to confront the sexuality question that looms large at that age.

But back to Kurt himself. I just love him. Love his relationships. Whether the tender and loving one that he has with his dad. The awkward and sometimes stalkerish crush he had on Finn. His rivalry with Rachel, his love and "us against the world" friendship with Mercedes. I love that he examines his surroundings and makes informed opinions about religion, high school and of course Lady Gaga.I love that he always tries new things and is never afraid. Whether demanding the right to sing "Defying Gravity", trying out for the football team and of course the right to dance to "Single Ladies' in a unitard.

And don't you just love his dad. He always stands up to him. Always with love and protection. He has no judgement, no disappointment. And above all he is wise and guides him. I teared up up in the scenes that accompanied 'I Want to Hold Your Hand" when they showed the tea party little Kurt had for this dad. How great is that? To encourage and love your kid that way at that age, forgetting how you thought they'd turn up, what you wanted them to become. Not a lot of parents are up to that challenge.

Chris Colfer is a most talented young man. I was so happy that he was nominated for an Emmy this year for season one. He gives Kurt such charm and appeal. And what a singer. What other 20 year old can give such pizazz to "Le Jazz Hot'' and such heartache to his version of 'I want to Hold Your Hand". And what an arc have the writers given him. Coming out, confronting his dad about his sexuality, having a crush on his straight friend, facing the uncertainty of a very sick parent. And all those songs, not just what I mentioned but he also covered John Mellancamp and did 'Rose's Turn" from Gypsy and Judy Garland's part in "Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy".

My favourite Glee cover is "I Want to Hold Your Hand". You can't tell, right? I only mentioned it here 4 times. Beautiful and full of emotion. It is on constant loop on my iPod.

Kurt, just as Rachel told you last week. "You might be lonely but you are not alone". I love you and I'm so happy that I get to spend time with you every week. Keep the faith, my friend.

The Gays claim back the Oscars!

A lot of pundits online are saying these are the gayest Oscars ever. The musical numbers, the humour, Jackman, the strong showing of "Milk". All I'm saying is; that is how it should be. The Oscars are the Gay Super Bowl and it's time they became what they actually are.