미국 극에 나타난 동성애혐오의 사회적 역할과 효과

The Social Roles and Effects of Homophobia in American Plays

Historically American society has seen women, African Americans, colored peoples and Jews with bias and discrimination. Even though they still suffer from disadvantages in their real world, however, it seems that misogyny, racism and anti-Semitism have lost their theoretical powers. In this sense, homophobia will be the last acceptable prejudice. During the last twenty years, queer culture has provided positive aspects in raising the political and social position of homosexuals. But it shows its limit, and the fear and dislike of homosexuality are still in the societies supporting the traditional gender system. So, the intention of the paper is to discuss the social roles and effects of homophobia, analyzing four American plays, Tea and Sympathy (1953), Boys in the Band (1968), Take Me Out (2002) and The Little Dog Laughed (2006). In the late 19th century, a growing psychiatric tendency defined homosexuality as abnormal condition and a homosexual became a mental patient. On the bases of the medical perspectives, the chapter II, III and IV shows how homosexuality as mental disease, sissphobia and homosexual’s masochism are presented by analyzing Tea and Sympathy and Boys in the Band. Gay liberationists emphasized and promoted the ‘coming out’ as a means of social transformation. But, still even in the 21st century, homosexuls are suffering from homophobia. In the chapter V, the meaning of coming out is discussed through Take Me Out and The Little Dog Laughed.