THE RISE OF GAY POLITICS IN THE AIDS EPIDEMIC OF
1980S IN NEW YORK IN
LARRY KRAMER’S
THE NORMAL
HEART
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
RADITYO KRISNAMURTHI
Student number: 114214111
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
ii
THE RISE OF GAY POLITICS IN THE AIDS EPIDEMIC OF
1980S IN NEW YORK IN LARRY KRAMER’S
THE NORMAL
HEART
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
RADITYO KRISNAMURTHI
Student number: 114214111
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
iii
A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis
THE RISE OF GAY POLITICS IN THE AIDS EPIDEMIC OF
1980S IN NEW YORK IN LARRY KRAMER’S
THE NORMAL
HEART
By
Radityo Krisnamurthi Student Number: 114214111
Approved by
Sri Mulyani Ph.D 15 November 2016 Advisor
v
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yand bertanda tangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma
Nama : Radityo Krisnamurthi
Nomor Mahasiswa : 114214111
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul
THE RISE OF GAY POLITICS IN THE AIDS EPIDEMIC OF
1980S IN NEW YORK IN LARRY KRAMER’S
THE NORMAL
HEART
Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin kepada saya maupun memberikan royalty kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal 10 November 2016 Yang menyatakan,
vi
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY
I certify that this undergraduate thesis contains no material which has been previously submitted for the award of any other degree at any university, and that, to the best of my knowledge, this undergraduate thesis contains no material previously written by any other person except where due reference is made in the text of the undergraduate thesis.
Yogyakarta, November 10, 2016
vii
viii
For
My Dear Grandpa in Heaven
And
ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This page is dedicated to those who help and support me in the process of my study in Sanata Dharma and writing this undergraduate thesis. First of all, I would like to thank The Almighty God, my savior Jesus Christ, Holy Mary and to all of the angels and saints for their overflowing blessings and strength during my process which enable me to overcome many difficulties.
Second, I would like to express my gratitude to my thesis advisor, Sri Mulyani Ph.D, who has helped me in writing this thesis. I thank her for the advice, the encouragement and the guidance that she gave to me patiently. I also express my gratitude to Dra. Theresia Enny Anggraini M.A., Ph.D. as co. advisor of my thesis. I thank her for her advice and guidance to complete my thesis. I would also like to thank all the lecturers of English Letters and the staff for the guidance and knowledge that they gave to me since I entered English Letters Department.
Most importantly, I would never finish this undergraduate thesis without help, support and love that comes from many people in my life. My deepest gratitude for all love and support from both of my parents who never stop encourage me. I am grateful also for my big sister‘s endless support and love from abroad. For my late grandpa, thank you for your wisdom and believe.
x
Department and John De Britto that I cannot mention one by one, I am grateful for their support.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ... ii
APPROVAL PAGE ... iii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ... iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ... v
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ... vi
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ... 5
A. Review of Related Studies ... 5
B. The Rejection of the Disease by New York City Citizen in The Normal Heart ... 35
C. The Rise of Gay Politics in The Normal Heart ... 38
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ... 41
xi ABSTRACT
Radityo Krisnamurthi. The Rise of Gay Politics in The AIDS Epidemic of 1980s in New York in Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2016.
This undergraduate thesis focuses on the play The Normal Heart written by Larry Kramer. This play reflects the real condition of New York society in the early 1980s as the impact of HIV/AIDS. The main character is Ned Weeks based on the writer himself and his experience during the rise of gay politics in 1980s.
There are two objectives in this study on which the researcher wants to achieve. First, to find out the depiction of the society of New York as seen
through Larry Kramer‘s The Normal Heart. Second, to find out the rejection of
the HIV/AIDS and the relation towards the rejection of the homosexual as seen on
The Normal Heart.
The researcher applies library research method to gather the data and references for this study and uses cultural studies approach who analyze the novel to have a better understanding in the rise of gay politics and gay rights movement.
From the analysis, the researcher reveals some practices harassment towards LGBT especially gay men community. The rise of gay politics started in the sexual liberation movement in the late 1970s. Then the sexual liberation movement manages to create a state of mind in the gay community where they can have free sex without being ashamed of their sexuality. These free sex relationships caused a widely-spread disease which later called HIV/AIDS and caused many young gay men under the age of 40 to die. Then the gay community created many ways to tackle this deadly epidemic eventually cause the rise of gay politics that help LGBT to have the same rights as anyone and take action towards HIV/AIDS epidemic.
xii ABSTRAK
Radityo Krisnamurthi. The Rise of Gay Politics in The AIDS Epidemic of 1980s in New York in Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart. Yogyakarta Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2016.
Skripsi ini berpusat pada drama yang ditulis oleh Larry Kramer. Drama ini merefleksikan keadaan masyarakat kota New York pada awal tahun 1980an sebagai dampak dari penyakit HIV/AIDS. Krakter utama dalam drama ini adalah Ned Weeks yang merupakan penggambaran dari penulis yang mencerminkan kebangkitan politik gay di tahun 1980-an.
Penelitian ini mempunyai dua tujuan yang ingin dicapai penulis. Pertama, untuk mengetahui gambaran dari masyarakat New York seperti yang terlihat melalui The Normal Heart karangan Larry Kramer. Kedua, mengetahui penolakan dari HIV/AIDS dan hubungannya terhadap penolakan kaum homosexual pada drama ini.
Penulis menggunakan metode penelitian kepustakaan untuk mengumpulkan data dan referensi untuk penelitian ini dan menggunakan pendekatan kajian budaya ketika menganalisis drama tersebut untuk memiliki pemahaman yang lebih baik dalam kebangkitan politik gay beserta pergerakan hak-hak gay.
Dari hasil analisis, penulis mengungkapkan beberapa praktik pelecehan terhadap LGBT oleh masyarakat umum, khususnya laki-laki gay. Maraknya politik gay dimulai pada gerakan pembebasan seksual pada akhir 1970-an. Gerakan pembebasan seksual berhasil menciptakan keadaan pikiran dalam komunitas gay di mana mereka dapat melakukan aktivitas seks bebas tanpa perlu takut akan sexualitas mereka masing- masing. Markanya praktik seks bebas ini menyebabkan tersebarluasnya penyakit yang kemudian disebut HIV / AIDS dan menyebabkan banyak pria gay muda di bawah usia 40 untuk mati. Kemudian komunitas gay menciptakan berbagai cara untuk mengatasi epidemi mematikan ini akhirnya menyebabkan munculnya politik gay yang membantu LGBT memiliki hak yang sama dengan siapa pun dan meng ambil langkah dalam
1 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of Study
Psychology Today states that sexual orientation is a term used to
describe on which human patterns of emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction. Human senses of personal and social identity are also based on those attractions. There are three main sexual orientations within the heterosexual-homosexual continuum: Bisexuality, heterosexuality and homosexuality. There is rarely any scientific explanation why people develop a certain act of sexual orientation. The issue of what determines one sexual orientation is still commonly debated. While most scientists agree that both nature and nurture play complex roles, the determinants of sexual orientation are still poorly understood.
(https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hide-and-seek/201509/when-homosexuality-stopped-being-mental-disorder) Current research into its
alter their appearance and the way they look, their speech patterns, gestures, manners and general bearing immediately give them away.
The term homosexual started to rise in the late 19th century and has gradually increased in the 20th century. In the late 19th century, the gay community has emerged among people in America and has become one of the largest communities in New York City. The sexual liberation for gay community in the 1980s was haunted by the disease that today called AIDS.
The Normal Heart is a play that was first premiered on April 21, 1985,
Off-Broadway production. This story is about Ned Weeks, a gay writer, who struggles in pulling together an organization focused on raising the awareness of unidentified which kills a large amount of gay men. Larry Kramer, through his play, shows the gay community (which focused on GMHC and Ned Weeks) struggles to convince the US citizen that AIDS is a national plague which is not only can be brought by gay people only. The play also has some biographical parallels which are shown through the characters and the plot of the play.
community. How the gay community move between social aspects and started to speak in political area among gay and how the wider community sees it are reflected through the play. Until today, there are only speculations regarding the history behind the gay politics. With this study, the historical background and the social background of gay politics can be identified.
B. Problem Formulation
The researcher formulates two questions to help answer in the analysis, which are
1. How is the society described through the setting and the characters in The
Normal Heart?
2. How is the rejection of the diseases related to the rejection of the homosexual itself through The Normal Heart?
C. Objectives of The Study
The main goal that the researcher attempts to achieve on this undergraduate thesis is not only to describe the social condition and political condition of the homosexual (gay people) but also to use the queer theory to elaborate the issues that are related with their sexual orientation and how they react in public, the society and their own society group or organization.
plague spreading. Then after finding the relation of the political and social concerning the gay community, the queer theory would help the researcher to access the deviant act of these characters as the result of the changes in the political background.
D. Definition of Terms
5
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A. Review of Related Studies
Several studies have been done to analyze certain questions regarding gay politics and queer theory, among other, is the writer Steven Epstein with his
Gay Politics, Ethnic Identity: The Limits of Social Constructionism. This
journal shows the contradictory ideas of answering the question about gay and what it means to be gay or lesbian certainly testifies the difficulties of answering it. Sexuality is one of the main topics that this journal discusses. This article does not only discuss what causes homosexuality or heterosexuality instead this article also explores how lesbians and gay men live on a day-to-day basis and interpret their sexual desires and practices to situate themselves in the world. These theory and self-understanding may or may not block or shape the political activism by gays. The idea of essentialist and constructionist understandings of gay identity also appear and discussed in this journal. It discusses more about how gay politics related with the socially constructed contexts and the psychological aspects of homosexual from which helps the researcher to analyze the grounds behind gay political movement.
The second journal that used is written by Neil Deuchar called AIDS In
New York City with Particular Reference to the Psycho-Social Aspects. This
journal. This article created the survey of qualifications of AIDS patients. How AIDS came to the United States and the statistics of the originated people who came from Europeans, Africa and Asia, and the cause of AIDS at that time which is still unknown. According to this journal, there are some indication of a person that gets this disease. There are also some effects on the public. Many AIDS victims have been fired from their jobs, driven out from their home by terrified and ashamed families, and abandoned by similarly disposed lovers. The body of patient often disowned by family, and even the funeral director refuse to the handle their bodies as seen in the The Normal Heart the movie. The media have played a role in feeding the public a huge amount of sometimes misleading information. Eventually, most AIDS patient only contacted with their nurse with their masks, and gloves. The effects of the attitudes towards the patient are horrible. From subtle cognitive changes, lack of sex drives and withdrawal from the society, this journal helps the researcher to show the impact of AIDS in New York from the Psycho – Social Aspects since AIDS is not simply a concern for scientists, doctors and medical researchers, it has important social dimensions as well. And from the data of this journal helps the researcher to analyze other aspects aside from the loss of the New York citizens (Problem Formulation no.1).
The third entry of the related studies is a dissertation written by Jessica De Young Kander entitled: Reading Queer Subtext in Children’s Literature:
Finding LGBT Voices in Literature for Children and Young Adults. This
gay, bisexual and/or transgendered (LGBT) identities to find depictions of
queerness in subtext underlying seemingly ―straight‖ texts. This journal
analyze on how these children and teenagers can see children books as a queer literary work. The researcher uses five children‘s texts: Ferdinand, Elmer, Ivy and Bean, Speak, and Harry Potter. These examples are used to illustrate
binaries in our culture between what is considered normative (the expected norm) and identities that are labeled as deviant (in opposition to the constructed
norms). She uses Queer theory as a ‗surgical equipment‘ to identify the
children literature one by one. As a result, each of the children text which can
identify as a ‗straight‘ text can be seen as a Queer text also. The dissertation by
Jessica De Young Kander helps the researcher to use the Queer theory as an analytical tool as seen on her dissertation.
B. Review of Related Theories
Here are some of the theories that are necessary to support the analysis. 1. Queer Theory
Queer can be adjective, a noun, or a verb. In widespread use, it is most
commonly an adjective, meaning ―not normal,‖ or, more specifically, not
that emerges in the early 1990s. Queer theory is grounded in gender and sexuality.
The theory mostly derived from post-structuralist theory and deconstruction and was originally associated with radical gay politics of ACT UP, OutRage! And other groups which embraced "queer" as an identity label that pointed to a separatist, non-assimilations politics (Blackburn, 1996: 31).
‗Drawing on both Michael Foucault and Jacques Derrida, queer theory
explores the ways in which homosexual subjectivity is at once produced and excluded within culture, both inside and outside its borders’ (Namaste, 1994: 229). Queer theory is grounded in gender and sexuality. Due to this association, a debate emerges as to whether sexual orientation is natural or essential to the person, as an essentialist believes, or if sexuality is a social construction and subject to change (Barry: 2002, 139-155).
The essentialist feminists believed that genders "have an essential nature (e.g. nurturing and caring versus being aggressive and selfish), as opposed to differing by a variety of accidental or contingent features brought about by social forces‖. Due to
this belief in the essential nature of a person, it is also natural to assume that a person's sexual preference would be natural and essential to a person‘s personality.
(Blackburn: 1996: 34). Queer theory attempts to maintain a critique more than define a specific identity. The Queer theory started by the statement that there
is no ‗natural‘ sexuality- a traditional accorded to heterosexuality- there is no
Queer theory questions traditional constructions of sexuality and sees non- heterosexual forms of sexuality as sites where hegemonic power can be undermined. Queer theory is a continuation of the post structuralism in which the insistence on the constructed nature of all classifications in terms of (biological) sex, sexuality, and gender. Queer theory related with the play that shown in the main idea of the play. The Normal Heart tells the story of a gay activist whom not afraid of being closeted gay. He tried to speak to the public regarding to the AIDS epidemic and his work indicates a few critiques towards closeted gays and towards the government. His movement in many ways reflected the queer theory.
2. Queer Theory on Politics
raises skepticism about rights discourse and other forms of universalism in
gay politics.‖
The researcher uses Laurent Berlant and Michael Warner‘s theory on Heteronormativity to reveal the qualities of queer in the world of politics.
―By heteronormativity we mean the institutions, structures of understanding, and practical orientations that make heterosexuality seem not only coherent—that is, organized as a sexuality—but also privileged. Its coherence is always provisional, and its privilege can take several (sometimes contradictory) forms: unmarked, as the basic idiom of the personal and the social; or marked as a natural state; or projected as an ideal or moral accomplishment. It consists less of norms that could be summarized as a body of doctrine than of a sense of rightness produced in contradictory manifestations—often unconscious, immanent to practice or to institutions. Contexts that have little visible relation to sex practice, such as life narrative and generational identity, can be heteronormative in this sense, while in other contexts sex between men and women might not be heteronormative. Heteronormativity is thus a concept distinct from heterosexuality. ―(Berlandt and Warner: 1998)
It means that the world is set and structured in heterosexuality. Every aspect of human lives, i.e. education, clothing, music, norms, religion etc. is in heterosexual continuum including politics. The heteronormativity helps the researcher to evaluate its role on the rise of gay politics.
3. Labeling Theory
(politicians, judges, police officers, etc.) typically impose the most significant labels. Labeled persons may include drug addicts, alcoholics, criminals, delinquents, prostitutes, sex offenders, and psychiatric patients, to mention a few. The consequences of being labeled as deviant can be far-reaching. Social research indicates that those who have negative labels usually have lower self-images, are more likely to reject themselves, and may even act more defiantly because of the label. Unfortunately, people who accept the labeling of others—be it correct or incorrect—have a challenging time changing their opinions of the labeled person, even in light of evidence to the contrary.
a. Labeling in Homosexual
The application of labeling theory to homosexuality has been extremely controversial. Alfred Kinsey and his colleagues have shown differentiation between the behavior and the role attached to it. They also observe the negative outcome of labeling and accursed of labeling people as homosexual.
"The term 'homosexual' is generally used to refer to anyone who engages in overt sexual practices with a member of his own sex, the practice being called 'homosexuality.' This usage appears to be based on a medical and legal frame of reference and provides much too broad and heterogeneous a categorization for use here. I refer only to individuals who participate in a special community of understanding wherein members of one's own sex are defined as the most desirable sexual objects, and sociability is energetically organized around the pursuit and entertainment of these objects." (Goffman, 1963)
term has been used as a medical and legal conduct, society has been using
this term for harassing them and the label ―Homosexual‖ has become one of a
form of offense. The labeling theory is applicable in cases regarding with LGBT. Labeling theory helps to analyze the effect of labeling in gay community towards AIDS epidemic which leads to the movement of gay activist both in the play or the reality. Labeling is how society act of putting
label to those whom they don‘t understand. The same situation occurs on
AIDS epidemic which the homosexual men started to feel afraid and some of them even felt angry once more for having liberal sex because of it. Their act of self-defense and why did they do these can be explained with the labeling theory. Eventually, labeling of homosexual cannot be done without heterosexual and thus those two terms complement each other.
4. Socio-Historical Background
Before the late 70s arrived, the stigma that surrounds LGBT was
highly negative and taboo. Especially before the Stonewall riot which
eventually embarked the birth of The Gay Rights Movement. By the end of
Jimmy Carter‘s presidency, the idealistic dreams of the 1960s were tattered
down by inflation, foreign policy turmoil and rising crime. In response, many
Americans embraced a new conservatism in social, economic and political life
during the 1980s, characterized by the policies of President Ronald Reagan.
This trend also continues in the raising of homosexual not only in New York
City, but also in the states. After World War II, New York City and the United
Stonewall confrontation provoked a firestorm of counter-resistance. The year
1978 was the prime time for gay men. It‘s the time for the sexual liberation
movement, not only for the homosexuals, but for the people in general.
Especially those who lived in urban areas such as New York City. People have
a higher percentage of tolerance towards homosexual in New York City more
than anywhere on the planet.
Ever since the HIV/AIDS go public, most people haven‘t grasped the
danger yet and with the misconception from the media, the government opt to
stay below the radar concerning HIV. For many people in the United States,
the early 1980s was a troubled and troubling time. The radical and
countercultural movements of the 1960s and early 1970s, the Watergate
scandal, the Vietnam War, insecurity in the Middle East and economic crisis
at home had destabilized Americans‘ confidence in their fellow citizens and in
their government the reflections of this statement can be seen from the late
Ronald Reagan‘s policy regarding with the HIV impact. How Gay men have a
many gay men eventually come out and join gay communities as their form of
alliance and a ‗save haven‘.
C. Theoretical Framework
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
started to work as an activist and help Ned Weeks with his campaign for gay people to stop having sex. They receive a lot of provocation and disbelieve from their own people. After a couple of months, gay people kept on dying. Ned Weeks was provoked by this and the gay liberation movement and AIDS
awareness are him and his colleagues‘ main focus for the rest of the story
New York, along with San Francisco, and Los Angeles, became the ground zero of the first wave of AIDS epidemic. At that time, there was a believe that AIDS could eradicate the entire population of homosexual men and the gay community. In the play, one of the problem that faced by homosexual men is how the AIDS campaign had a clash with the gay liberation a decade back.
Gay men are intensely urban and only a few of them that lives in a country free by choice on a permanent basis. Most of them live in a city because of the
variety that city offers them to enjoy one‘s live. Based on the play, the setting
of the place is at New York. The famed city is also known for the violent demonstration that occurs in 1969 that widely considered as the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and became the early stages of the LGBT rights movement. In 2014, The Normal Heart was adopted to a movie with the same title and receive a hugely amount of positive reaction from all layers of the society. Most of the actors who involves with the movie itself are publicly open gay.
This study uses cultural studies approach because it is focused on the finding and questioning of the historical impacts it brings to layers of society throughout the literary text. Queer theory tackles many queer related issues and the researcher will focus more on the rise of the queer politics. According to Michael Warner (Warner, 1993:7) Queers live not only to engage coitus
with partners, but it implies that they want to have a ―mark‖ in the world.
Since the HIV/AIDS and The Stonewall Riot taken its place in the world, gay people started to emerge from its closeted world. According to Berlant and Warner, (Warner, 1998: 547) the sexual convention in society i.e. pornographic videos, phone sex, etc. are all related to heterosexuality, but what if the sex acts are not in your usual and conventional ways. The world of politics in queer view can be seen through that same glasses. The contextual approach of this study also can be seen explicitly on the details that surrounds the play with the actual events that occurred during the HIV crisis of New York. It is a form of protest and message to the people worldwide that related with LGBTQ rights. Another approach that the researcher use is cultural studies approach.
―Arising from the social turmoil of the 7960s, cultural Studies is
composed of elements of Marxism, poststructuralism and postmodernism, feminism, gender studies, anthropology, sociology, race and ethnic studies, film theory, urban studies, public policy, popular culture studies, and postcolonial studies: those fields that concentrate on social and cultural forces
Which means that cultural studies can be derived from many form of
theory and studies. The bottom line of this epic study is to focus on social and
cultural idea which eventually created diversity. For this undergraduate thesis,
the researcher uses Queer theory, labeling theory, and socio- cultural
background. It is not a single, standardized approach to literature (or anything
else) but a field that binds its adherents through some common interests and
purposes, although they are addressed in widely divergent ways.
―The intent is to connect historical, social, and economic knowledge surrounding the topic, a topic that may not seem to be very literary at all. Because any context is virtually unending, the critic never knows enough. As a result, interpretations made from a cultural studies perspective tend to be opened and continue to evolve as they are affected by new information.‖ (Dobie: 2012, 175)
Another point of interest quoted from Dobie is the intention of Cultural Studies itself which is to connect historical and social knowledge in The Normal Heart. Cultural Studies can help the researcher for the reinterpretation of the play from an open perspective.
C. Method of the Study
The research of this study is library research. The sources can be collected throughout the written form of the data and supporting data. The object can be collected from libraries and internet sources. The primary source is the original play written by Larry Kramer.
formulations. After formed the problem formulations, the researcher gathered the theories and the previous studies which are related to the play and to help solve the problem formulations. After gathered enough evidence and theories, the researcher started to apply them into the play by using queer theory are used after the researcher finished analyzing the main characters which are Ned Weeks, labeling theory, and the HIV/AIDS historical development to answer the problem formulations.
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
A. The Depiction of the Gay Society
Homosexual relationship in The Normal Heart is the essence of the play itself and it is not just partially or secretly done by the characters in the play. Gay men play a very important role to pursue the conflict and end it. A societal condition can be seen through the lenses of many branches, such as historical, governmental, environmental, etc. In this analysis, The Normal Heart has somewhat similar depiction of the society. The depiction of society in The Normal Heart mostly describe the condition in New York City, United States of America in the year 1980 up to 1989.
1. Strong Relationship between Gay Men
There are conditions of several gay men in New York State area as stated in the play in the first scene.
[DAVID comes out of EMMA's office. There are highly
visible purple lesions on his face. He wears a long- sleeved shirt. He goes to get his jacket, which he's left on one of the chairs.]
DAVID. Whoever's next can go in. CRAIG. Wish me luck.
MICKEY. [hugging CRAIG] Good luck. [CRAIG hugs him, then NED, and
goes into EMMA's office.]
DAVID. They keep getting bigger and bigger and they don't go away. [to
NED] I sold you a ceramic pig once at Maison France on Bleecker Street.
My name is David.
NED. Yes, I remember. Somebody I was friends with
then collects pigs and you had the biggest pig I'd ever seen outside of a real pig.
DAVID. I‘m her twenty-eighth case and sixteen of them are dead. [He leaves.] (Kramer, 1985: 14-15)
that including David and Craig. David and Craig are the first two victims of the disease according to the play. David is the first known victim that seen in here. There is an information that there are already twenty-eight cases regarding this identical disease from the last line. In addition, seventeen of which are deceased. The Homosexual in New York has disease that are widely spread between them and Dr. Emma office has had twenty- eight cases of these ill homosexuals with the same disease. Unfortunately, sixteen of them are declared dead. Another aspect that the researcher can point is how David which is another stranger to Ned and Mickey is willingly to telling Ned a distressing news which involves gay men. The relationship of them shows how close of those to one another. For a heterosexual, this phenomenon occurs very rarely. For normal person, it is strange to share personal information or personal issue to someone they barely know each other. It is different from gay people who thinks that sharing that sort of information means telling their own deep and horrid secret. It shows the different character of a gay men and how sexual orientation brings one closer to another without any mutual sexual attraction.
2. The Inner Conflict of Gay Organization
The strong relationship won‘t last long, eventually their strong bond will
most of them are non-essential neither to the plot nor the storyline. It can be seen in the dialogue below on page 37-38. There are sorts of different opinion regarding how these men see gay, sexuality, etc. In the end, this is the chapter where they set aside different political agendas and created an official Gay Hotline Service regarding AIDS.
MICKEY. "It's difficult to write this without sounding alarmist or scared." Okay, but then listen to this: "I am sick of guys moaning that giving up careless sex until this blows over is worse than death . . . I am sick of guys who can only think with their cocks . . . I am sick of closeted gays. It's 1982 now, guys, when are you going to come out? By 1984 you could be dead." …
BRUCE. But we can't tell people how to live their lives! We can't do that. And besides, the entire gay political platform is fucking. We'd get it from all sides. NED. You make it sound like that's all that being gay
means.
BRUCE. That's all it does mean!
MICKEY. It's the only thing that makes us different. NED. I don't want to be considered different.
BRUCE. Neither do I, actually. MICKEY. Well, I do.
BRUCE. Well, you are!
NED. Why is it we can only talk about our sexuality,
and so relentlessly? You know, Mickey, all we've created is generations of guys who can't deal with each other as anything but erections. We can't even get a meeting with the mayor's gay assistant!
(Kramer, 1985:37-38)
started to argue concerning his published article about how gay men should act for the greater good. Ned characteristic is seen in Mickey‘s quotation of Ned‘s article.
Ned‘s selection of foul languages gives this a sense of urgency for those who read
it. For gay men who have to live a different life, unlike Ned who is open about his gayness, they are offended by his article. Bruce and Mickey are those gay men who has a closed gayness and choose to be heterosexual if it necessary. Mickey and Bruce attack Ned with their conceptions of gay men and gay political platform. They believe that at the time, being gay men is about the free sex. Ned oppose that idea and instead of support, Ned gets thwarted by his friends. It starts from Mickey who quoted in what Ned writes and Bruce tries to deny what Ned has stated. This is considered as the first spark that makes Ned‘s stands out from the rest of Gay men in this play. How he dares to be different and speaks up with irrational emotion is the main idea behind this play.
MICKEY. Or able to afford so much therapy. Although God knows I need it. [looking at his watch] Look, it's late, and we haven't elected our president. Ned, I think
it should be…Bruce. Everybody knows him and likes him and…I mean, everybody expects you to-
NED. You mean he's popular and everybody's afraid of me.
NED. [to BRUCE] Well, it looks like you're the president.
BRUCE. I don't think I want this.
NED. Oh, come on, you're gorgeous and we're all going to follow you.
BRUCE. Fuck you. I accept.
NED. Well, fuck you, congratulations. (Kramer, 1985: 36, 40)
be set aside and the way he works is affected. The dialogue above on this scene can be seen as how Ned‘s idea and confrontational way of resolve gay men
problems does not work and Bruce‘s placid way on dealing with their
complications win hearts of gay men. Eventually, this leads to Ned‘s outrage towards the GMHC in the end of Act II of the play.
The main conflict in the organization starts to crumble on scene 13, this is the part where Ned is removed from the GMHC board of directors. Although it only happens to Ned Weeks, the main character, the main idea is still the same. This is the board of the director letter to Ned Weeks. In this scene, the only one who talks to Ned is Bruce, his close friend.
BRUCE. [takes a letter out of his pocket] The board wanted me to read you this letter. "We are circulating this letter widely among people of judgment and good sense in our community. We take this action to try to combat your damage, wrought, so far as we can see, by your having no scruples whatever Mr.
Ned Weeks is hereby removed as a director. We beg that you leave us quietly and not destroy us and what good work we manage despite your disapproval. In closing, please know we always welcome your input, advice, and help." [BRUCE tries to hand NED the letter. NED won't take
it. BRUCE tries to put it in NED's breast pocket. NED deflects BRUCE's hand.]
(Kramer, 1985: 57)
The quotation above is a reflection of most of gay men works at that time.
Most of the GMHC members are trying to resolve this problem without
adding drama or chaotic interpretation towards gay men. Meanwhile, most of the GMHC agrees with Bruce‘s approach of the situation, Ned weeks‘
effective way to campaign their most critical and vulnerable time according to
Ned. The letters toward Ned as read by Bruce is the decision of the majority or all of the board members of the GMHC. Ned‘s position as the Director of Gay
Men Health Crisis is dismissed by the board member, which is another word
in saying that he is fired by the GMHC. The words that are chosen in the letter
is emphasized how the majority of the GMHC are afraid that what Ned did or
done can backfire. By the end of this scene, Ned chooses to quit the GMHC although the line ‗In closing, please know we always welcome your input,
advice, and help‘ is stated on the letter.
3. The HIV plague
The terrible fact which David reveals to Ned is one of the problems that New York face at that time, which is around late 1980 and early 1981. According to the New York Times, on January 15, 1981, the first known victim that died due to HIV is a young man name Nick Rock. This is the first ever case that recorded on the media regarding HIV at that time.
―A young gay man named Nick suffers a seizure and loses consciousness. His
boyfriend, Enno Poersch, rushes him to St. Luke‘s-Roosevelt, where he‘s
diagnosed with toxoplasmosis, a disease usually found in cats. ―I had no idea it was the beginning of an epidemic,‖ recalls his doctor, Michael Lange.‖ (Farber, 1991)
Heart also uses the story above which at that time has not been published to the community yet as one of the scene on the play.
BRUCE. [calling from off] Where do I go? Where do I go?
EMMA. Quickly put him on the table. What happened?
BRUCE. He was coming out of the building and he started running to me and then he…then he collapsed to the ground.
EMMA. What is going on inside your bodies! [CRAIG
starts to convulse. BRUCE, MICKEY, and NED restrain him. She takes a tongue depressor and holds CRAIG's tongue flat; she checks the pulse in his neck; she looks into his eyes for vital signs that he is coming around,- CRAIG'S convulsions stop.] You the lover?
(Kramer, 1985:20)
The quotation above has a similarity of action by the characters regarding with the actual event that occurred on November as written by Altman, whom is a New York Times journalist. Bruce Niles can be considered as Enno Poersch, the boyfriend of the victim who is Nick Rock or in this case, Craig. This is the beginning of the mysterious plague that is soon spread throughout the States. Craig is the first ever victim of HIV/AIDS according to the play. In the first scene of act one, Craig was collapsed on the road and Bruce, Mickey and Ned is there with him. Although it is unclear how long and how do they bring Craig, in the end
he ended in Emma‘s hospital. Emma‘s reaction to Craig‘s body indicates that
Craig is not her first patient. Despite not her first, this disease is still a mysterious one. There is also another point of interest in the text below.
knew about the diseases they caused and how they got around. I think I'm right about this. I am seeing more cases
each week than the week before. I figure that by the end of the year the number will be doubling every six months. That's something over a thousand cases by next June. Half of them will be dead. Your two friends I've just diagnosed? One of them will be dead. Maybe both of them. NED. And you want me to tell every gay man in New
York to stop having sex?
EMMA. Who said anything about just New York? NED. You want me to tell every gay man across the
country -
EMMA. Across the world! That's the only way this disease will stop spreading.
NED. Dr. Brookner, isn't that just a tiny bit unrealistic? EMMA. Mr. Weeks, if having sex can kill you, doesn't
anybody with half a brain stop fucking? But perhaps you've never lost anything. Good-bye.
(et al.)
The dialogue above take place in Emma‘s office after the death of Craig.
In her office, Emma also examine Ned for any signs of the disease. After examining him, Emma propose a motion to Ned concerning gay men worldwide. In this scene, Larry Kramer also dictates the situation of this disease. Without any knowledge whatsoever, without any direction to solve and help the victims of HIV, the helplessness of the character in the story is seen through the character actions. Emma‘s first line above includes a brief comparison between AIDS and hepatitis. The first step in eradicate or containing a virus is to discover and learn
how the virus spreads. Emma‘s only supposition regarding the disease is sexual
scene, Emma get upset with Ned‘s reaction as he refers to die and have sex rather
to live and have safe sex.
FELIX. Aren't you worried about contagion? I mean, I assume I am about to become a leper.
EMMA. Well, I'm still here.
FELIX. Do you think they'll find a cure before I… How strange that sounds when you say it out loud for the first time.
EMMA. We're trying. But we're poor. Uncle Sam is the only place these days that can afford the kind of research that's needed, and so far we've not even had the
courtesy of a reply from our numerous requests to him. You guys are still not making enough noise.
FELIX. That's Ned's department in our family. I'm not feeling too political at the moment.
(Kramer, 1985: 66 )
Scene 10 is the defining act that describe the whole situation regarding HIV/AIDS. The dialogue above is between Felix, Ned Weeks boyfriend who is a New York Times journalist. Scene 10 is approximately around a year after Ned
and Felix gets together one year after the first scene. At this point, it is still
unclear whether or not Ned already has the disease. Felix secretly visited Emma in
her office to check on his rapidly declining condition. Eventually they find out
that Felix has HIV/AIDS. It is stated by Emma that after one year, she still has no
cure or any indication to find the cure of this disease. The scene above depicts
not clearly stated as what we call today. There‘s no hard proof that it is AIDS
except the fact that it attacks the human immune system. In the first scene of the play, Emma stated few facts (only known symptoms) of AIDS.
4. Denial from the Society
MICKEY. Well, I'll certainly write about it in the
Native, but I'm afraid to put it in the stuff I write at work.
NED. What are you afraid of?
MICKEY. The city doesn't exactly show a burning interest in gay health. But at least I've still got my job: The Health Department has had a lot of cutbacks. (Kramer, 1985:15)
Another depiction of society according to the play is about the social acceptance of Homosexual especially homosexual men. The term homosexual is often categorized as a form of psychological disease, instead of gay are more to the lifestyle. From Mickey‘s final line above, he stated that the city is not interested in gay health, although 16 people are dead. The city means New York City and Mickey works for the Health Department in there. Instead of helping, the Health Department chooses to neglect the health issue because of the people that
affected are ‗merely‘ homosexual. Another point to be taken is how Mickey
realize how he and his friends are neglected, instead of fight the system, Mickey chooses to bolster his job and even give credit to The Health Department. In this scene, Mickey is talking to Ned and to tell the reader about his characteristics. The evidence from the statement above can be seen in scene 7 of the play.
not started one single test tube of research. Where's the board of directors of your very own hospital? You have so many patients you haven't got rooms for them, and you've got to make Felix well . . . So what am I yelling at you for? (Kramer, 1985: 53)
The scene above is taken from page 53, scene 7. At this latter stage of the play, the government should have noticed about the epidemic regarding gay all over the state. Ned clearly states that the government does not do any single action that help homosexual. Whilst the government does not take any action and passively waits. From the forward script of the play by Joseph Papp (Papp, 1985: 8), the scene above is approximately around one year from the first scene. This means that the labeling theory in homosexual can be seen as a deviant role in the society even at this crucial stage of the epidemic spread. This is the phase whereas the government notices about the AIDS spreading throughout New York City state. Instead of intervene, the government chooses to neglect the fact that there are already 238 cases for a single doctor.
EMMA. Don't be on my side! I don't need, you on my side. Make your side shape up. I've seen 238 cases me: one doctor. You make it sound like there's nothing worse going around than measles. (et al.)
The dialogue above is taken from Scene 6 of the play. Taken place in
Ben‘s office, Ned‘s older brother who works as a successful lawyer for years.
NED. All I'm asking for is the use of your name. You don't have to do a thing. This is an honorary board. For the stationery.
BEN. Ned, come on — it's your cause, not mine. NED. That is just an evasion!
NED. Would you be more interested if you thought this was a straight disease?
BEN. It has nothing to do with your being gay.
NED. Of course it has. What else has it got to do with? BEN. I've got other things to do.
NED. But I'm telling you you don't have to do a thing! BEN. The answer is No.
NED. It's impossible to get this epidemic taken seriously. I wrote a letter to the gay newspaper and some guy wrote in, "Oh there goes Ned Weeks again; he wants us all to die so he can say told you so."
BEN. He sounds like a crazy. (Kramer, 1985: 43-45)
The dialogue above is between Ned and Ben who are brothers. In this scene, Ben already give Ned financial support that Ned needs. Ben is a lawyer in a big firm which implies also that he has a lot of money. Ned eventually ask for Ben aid in fighting HIV/AIDS and run Gay Men Health Crisis. From the dialogue above, Ben already give Ned and the organization a sufficient amount of financial support. This scene, Ned tried to ask Ben for his support by using his name as an honorary board member in GMHC. Ben refuses and implies that he does not want anything to do with Gay men problems and illness. From social background, Ben is a heterosexual with a family consist of a wife and two children. The labeling of
homosexual is the base of action in Ben‘s part. In the late 1970s, the majority
people is still shocked on how many gay people that are opened. These gay men and women who opened their sexuality to the world also affect their relation with
and opted to see it as a disease that need to be treated. This scene is stated that Ben and his family took Ned to therapy a couple of time more than Ned should in his lifetime. It is later stated in this scene that Ben still has trouble in accepting Ned, not as his brother, but as his Gay brother. Ben condition is also a reflection of the society at that time. Younger people who are not closeted anymore usually from the age of seventeen up to the early twenty years old are not accepted
BEN. Look, I try to understand. I read stuff. [picking
up a copy of Newsweek, with "Gay America" on the cover] I open magazines and I see pictures of you guys
in leather and chains and whips and black masks, with captions saying this is a social worker, this is a computer analyst, this is a schoolteacher—and I say to myself, "This isn't Ned."
NED. No, it isn't. It isn't most of us. You know the
media always dramatizes the most extreme. Do you think we all wear dresses, too?
BEN. Don't you?
NED. Me, personally? No, I do not. (Kramer, 1985: 46)
It is clear that at this point how gay men‘s crisis on this epidemic shows a
potential to be an international trouble. There is also another problem that Gay
not a hundred percent correct or wrong. How image can be achieved from mass
media and other communication form. Ben choose to recognize the sexually
openness and active of Gay men from Newsweek, a weekly magazine from
America established in 1933.
NED. In some place deep inside of you you still think I'm sick. Isn't that right? Okay. Define it for me. What do you mean by "sick"? Sick unhealthy? Sick perverted? Sick I'll get over it? Sick to be locked up?
BEN. I think you've adjusted to life quite well.
NED. All things considered? [BEN nods.] In the only area I consider important I don't have your support at all. The single-minded determination of all you people to forever see us as sick helps keep us sick.
BEN. I saw how unhappy you were!
NED. SO were you! You wound up going to shrinks, too. We grew up side by side. We both felt pretty much the same about Mom and Pop. I refuse to accept for one more second that I was damaged by our childhood while you were not.
BEN. But we all don't react the same way to the same thing.
NED. That's right. So I became a writer and you became a lawyer. I'll agree to the fact that I have any
number of awful character traits. But not to the factthat whatever they did to us as kids automatically made me sick and gay while you stayed straight and healthy. (Kramer, 1985: 45-46)
cover its deficits in the early 1970s. At the beginning of the epidemic there was no funding from neither federal or city government. Many the people in the USA are still in the phase of accepting these homosexual as one of their own part of the society and the other are denies homosexual existence. Although the Gay Community has made a few steps in dealing with this national pandemic, there are still struggles regarding homosexual around the country at these times. Most of the homosexual in the big cities such in New York, Los Angeles, etc. Are already
‗open‘, but there are still many homosexuals who are ‗closeted‘.
NED. You mean the word gay is on the envelope? BRUCE. You‘re damn right. Instead of just the initials.
Who did it?
NED. Well, maybe it was Pierre who designed it.
Maybe it was a mistake at the printers. But it is the name we chose for this
organization…
BRUCE. You chose. I didn't want "gay" in it. MICKEY. No, we all voted. That was one of those
meetings when somebody actually showed up. BRUCE. We can't send them out.
NED. We have to if we want anybody to come to the dance. They were late from the printers as it is.
BRUCE. We can go through and scratch out the word with a Magic Marker. NED. Ten thousand times? Look, I feel sympathy for young guys still living at
home on Long Island with their parents, but most men getting these. . . Look at you, in your case what difference does it make? You live alone, you own
your own apartment, your mother lives in another state… (Kramer, 1985: 47)
From Bruce‘s testament above, who is a closeted homosexual, the fear of
experience opening their true self (sexuality) to the world while the world is still labeling them as ‗not normal‘. The fear of closeted homosexual also can influence the settlement of AIDS epidemic. It is still an inconvenient situation to closeted homosexual, especially Bruce Niles. He wants the government to help the homosexual, but in the same time, he also wants to keep his low-profile sexuality to a minimum which is almost an impossible task to do as the head of the Gay men organization. The existence of homosexual men and their own denial as homosexual in the eye of society causes a great deal of disunity among themselves.
The social depictions above can be detected by applying the labeling theory. Gay men can create a shift of their social interaction. The shift implies that labeling theory can create layers in the society. If one chooses a heterosexual partner as their sexual attraction, the society claims it as normal and convergence. The other way around goes to homosexual. If one chooses a homosexual partner as their main/or one of their sexual attraction, automatically the society will label them as a divergence and abnormal social behavior. This abnormal behavior according to the majority people can cause them to be mentally different and in most circumstances tend to move to a group of the same sexual orientation (Goffman, 1963: 81). One of the reason why gay men are very open to one
another which most of them are, is because of the safety from the ‗wrongdoings‘
of most people around them.
B. The Rejection of the Disease by New York City Citizen in The Normal
New York is famous as one of the world greatest cites of the copulation of many different ethnics, social status and race, also culture. It is not a peculiar thing for many communities can gather and create a new post for them to feel more comfortable. With more communities accumulate, theoretically there will be more problems that surfaces inside these big or small communities or between other community which more or less have the same problem. The same act also happened during the HIV outbreak in New York City. According to an Interview Archive by Dr. Simberkoff, one of the chief of staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Medical Center, who was a member of the Infectious Diseases staff in 1980 and one of the first medical researchers to treat AIDS patients. He stated that the first outbreak was associated with gay male-related immunodeficiency disease which at that time was hardly known about. Gay and homosexual are closely related with a marginal by many of mainstream residents of New York City. Among them are drug addicts and
prostitutes. Human has a nature to be afraid of something that they don‘t
understand. In the early 1980, the HIV/AIDS treatment was underfunded and uneven. As stated in the GMHC history timeline, as late as 1986, the Reagan (Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States of America) administration continue the pursue the public that this plaque only threatens the life and largely attack homosexual men and drug users. In the Normal Heart, the depiction of this event can be seen in scene 9 of the play.
It's not the city's responsibility to take care of us. That's why New York went broke.
NED. What we're asking for doesn't cost the city a dime: let us meet with the mayor; let him declare an emergency; have him put pressure on Washington for money for research; have him get the Times to write about us.
BRUCE. The Mayor's not going to help. Besides, if we get too political, we'll lose our tax-exempt status. That's what the lawyer in your brother's office said.
(Kramer, 1985: 57)
The meeting room in the City Hall is a perfect expression of the author as an
act of protest in describing how gay men situation at that time. In the state of
emergency and crisis, the government didn‘t do a lot to help them. When Ned and
Bruce asking for a meeting with the mayor, the first chance they got is in a
basement of the City Hall instead of an office. There are too many situations that
does not help gay men whatsoever. The author tries to recreate the first event of
the GMHC with government officials in the play. How heteronormativity is
accepted in the government office. There is this great fear surrounding the New
York City officials concerning LGBT.
NED. All I'm asking for is the use of your name. You don't have to do a thing. This is an honorary board. For the stationery.
BEN. Ned, come on — it's your cause, not mine. NED. That is just an evasion!
(Kramer, 1985: 45)
In scene 6, when Ben, Ned‘s brother asked to be the honorary board member
whereabouts. From the whole scene 6, Ben didn‘t deny that he still thinks
homosexual is a disease.
BEN. Ned—you can be gay and you can be proud no matter what I think. Everybody is oppressed by somebody else in some form or another. Some of us learn how to fight back, with or without the help of others, despite their opinions, even those closest to us. And judging from this mess your friends are in,
it‘s imperative that you stand up and fight to be prouder than
ever.
NED. Can‘t you see I‘m trying to do that? Can‘t your
perverse ego proclaiming its superiority see that I‘m trying to be
proud? You can only find room to call yourself normal.
BEN. You make me sound like I‘m the enemy.
NED. I‘m beginning to think that you and your straight
world are our enemy
part of the problem in the world. Ned says ―straight world‖ which he emphasizes
not only Ben, but the whole country doesn‘t approve gay sickness and its
importance.
C. The Rise of Gay Politics in The Normal Heart
In The Normal Heart, the audience or the reader of the play are given a
journey of how HIV/AIDS slowly developing from an unknown, small hospital
politics does not directly relate with the rise of HIV/AIDS itself. Instead, the rise
of gay politics and all of the political aspects comes as a form of struggle from a
handful of people towards HIV/AIDS.
Ned Weeks is a character who deliberately described as the author
projection and a form of protest. Ned Weeks have traits that prominent than other
characters on the play. He is hotheaded and outspoken person in the surface.
These traits give a sense of urgency in a way to solve the gay men problems that
other character does not have. Bruce Niles gives a different perspective on how
most of the gay people perceive HIV/AIDS. He is also a symbol of how most gay
men with a position act and sought to fight HIV/AIDS with discretion and
conflict. The character Bruce Niles plays an important role in the play. In order to
seek each point of view weaknesses, the role of an anti-hero is given to Bruce.
What Bruce Niles goal in his time as the president and activist in the play is
simply to raise the awareness towards HIV/AIDS for gay men around him. In
time, Bruce‘s way of democracy and political view does not have much impact on
the community or society. While Ned‘s approach is more direct in conflict and
outspoken causes GMHC to split in the goal. Ned realize that in order to fight for
their rights, the most effective way is from the political stand. Bruce is try to
avoid political areas and agendas. He chooses to keep do what they do best, which
is the center of gay community in help those who infected with the disease.
In July 3rd 1981, The New York Times published an article regarding the
rare cancer seen in 41 homosexuals. Although the government declared as an
HIV/AIDS happened almost a year after. By year‘s end, there was a cumulative
total of 270 reported cases of severe immune deficiency among gay men, and 121
of those individuals have died. Some researchers begin to call the
condition GRID (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency). This terminology influences
both the medical profession and the public to perceive the epidemic as limited to
gay men, with serious long-term consequences for women, heterosexual men,
hemophiliacs, people who inject drugs, and children.
As stated in The New York City‘s Public Library Archives and Manuscript, Larry Kramer was the one of GMHC founders. It was also stated that it was in his
apartment that GMHC was founded. It is similar to Ned Weeks‘ with GMHC. In
1983, Larry Kramer resign from GMHC. There was still a fuzzy facts surrounding that resignation. Meanwhile, Ned‘s dismissal is projected very clear that the
GMHC and Ned Weeks have taken a different path in resolving this AIDS
problem. Larry Kramer joined and also formed another coalition of Gay Rights in
a group called ACT UP!. The Aids Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP!) works
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
This is the last chapter of this undergraduate thesis. The object of this study is a play written by Larry Kramer, entitled The Normal Heart published in 1985 and performed first at Off-Broadway in 1985. The researcher composes two problem formulations. This chapter aims to highlight the main points of each subchapter in the analysis without giving any further explanation.
44
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ABSTRACT
Radityo Krisnamurthi. The Rise of Gay Politics in The AIDS Epidemic of
1980s in New York in Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2016.
This undergraduate thesis focuses on the play The Normal Heart written by Larry Kramer. This play reflects the real condition of New York society in the early 1980s as the impact of HIV/AIDS. The main character is Ned Weeks based on the writer himself and his experience during the rise of gay politics in 1980s.
There are two objectives in this study on which the researcher wants to achieve. First, to find out the depiction of the society of New York as seen
through Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart. Second, to find out the rejection of
the HIV/AIDS and the relation towards the rejection of the homosexual as seen on
The Normal Heart.
The researcher applies library research method to gather the data and references for this study and uses cultural studies approach who analyze the novel to have a better understanding in the rise of gay politics and gay rights movement.
From the analysis, the researcher reveals some practices harassment towards LGBT especially gay men community. The rise of gay politics started in the sexual liberation movement in the late 1970s. Then the sexual liberation movement manages to create a state of mind in the gay community where they can have free sex without being ashamed of their sexuality. These free sex relationships caused a widely-spread disease which later called HIV/AIDS and caused many young gay men under the age of 40 to die. Then the gay community created many ways to tackle this deadly epidemic eventually cause the rise of gay politics that help LGBT to have the same rights as anyone and take action towards HIV/AIDS epidemic.
