Queer black representation in films

I felt rather privileged to be invited to speak as a panellist at a film festival organised by Rainbow Noir this weekend. I was amazed by the independent films I watched, some heart warming some pointing out a frightening reality experienced by QTIPOC around the world.

At the heart of this festival lay two basic ideas one to showcase Black LGBT history through cinema and the second to provide a wider representation of the LBGT community. Representation is perhaps the most important issue here. October in the UK is celebrated as Black History Month. Which while essential is not very well publicised and often is met with accusations of racism. These accusations could not be further from the truth. History is often told in an ethnocentric manner, forgetting an essential part of the process. The history of black people is often forgotten or told crudely, lacking in nuance. However even within the events organised as part of Black History Month some histories are not told.

At a conference I was earlier this month a participant spoke about how the only Black History they learnt was about slavery. Black identity is not a monolith it covers several intersectional identities, each of which have their own intellectual standpoint. In an era when LGBTQ identity is either (re)criminalised or punished by death history of the community takes on a political meaning. A  classic example is India where both pro and anti LGBTQ rights groups argue by using history as an example. Claiming and locating homosexuality either in the west or in an ancient past does little to remedy the situation at hand. Homosexuality is often spoken about as a western idea and a consequence of westernisation threatening to erode the moral fabric of ‘traditional’ society. Despite these claims LGBTQ history does exist, it does not always follow a linear path or conform to the present day narrative, it is still a history that needs telling.    

Films are perhaps the best medium to capture and transmit this history. A popular means of communication of ideas films are often used as propaganda and the mouthpiece of the nation. The three biggest cinema industries (Indian, Chinese and Hollywood) are characterised by their heteronormative content. Given the nationalistic element it comes as no surprise that most films communicate a heteronormative, patriarchal reality. LGBTQ characters if present tend not to be main characters adding very little to the plot. Then of course there is the problem of stereotyping where the LGBTQ character lacks nuances and is solely a part of the scenery. The Vito Russo Test seeks to address the issue of LGBTQ representation in films its criteria being. While it does not guarantee the film is a good representation a lot of mainstream films fail to pass this test.

Representation is  a problematic area of mass media. at its heart lies the idea that mere inclusion is not enough for representation to matter it needs to be nuanced, it needs to challenge and dismantle stereotypes. The problem with an incorrect representation is that it informs a large majority about a minority. Playing into existing fantasies about a minority  a poor representation does  not build an understanding of minorities as people. Mainstream cinema tends to be formulaic and ahistorical even when it attempts to portray history it presents an anachronistic version of history.  Black people and particularly black LGBTQ people are excluded from this cinematic history.

Watching the numerous films I did on Saturday one could see a nuanced narrative of the community, safe, precarious, dangerous, celebratory, happy and sad. These were not mainstream films, while not perfect they captured the nuanced life of the community. Thinking back of the LGBTQ films I have watched it was almost always the non-mainstream films that have done any justice to the subjects they seek to represent. This is particularly true of Indian cinema, mainstream cinema uses homosexuality as a running gag through films, gay best friends, fashion designers or butch women bodyguards are the only visibility the community receives. In contrast Indian art cinema which is not commercially viable manages to create complex characters for whom there is sympathy not scorn. Memories of March by Rituparno Ghosh is one such film that tackles homophobia, coming out of the closet and acceptance without resorting to stereotypes. While the film is by no means perfect it is mature in its depiction of the LGBTQ community in India.

As stated earlier mere presence is not always indicative of representation, knowledge of the subject (in this case the LGBTQ community) is essential. Mere visibility does not always help tackle a complex subject, as Foucault points out visibility is a trap. While it is assumed that films have little or no effect on our formation of stereotypes the idea is not true. Films represent our daily lives, our fantasies. It is no surprise then that the common Hollywood trope where the black man dies first is also a reality on the streets of America.  When the only image one sees of transgender characters is comical, promiscuous and confused is it any surprise then that those are the exact slurs used against transgender people in real life.  In my research on Bollywood films and their audience the blur between cinematic reality and mundane reality crossed paths. While whistling at raunchy musical numbers on screen the men who watched these films also extended this behaviour to women around them. Cinema is not divorced from reality neither is it a discrete entity which is contained in a cinema hall. To represent accurately is not pedanticism but a necessity.

                                                          Trailer Memories in March