The Gay Stereotypes of “In & Out” are Terribly Dated and Painfully Relevant
Perpetuating the homophobia we’re trying to satirize
I would never claim to have grown up in a homophobic household.
But for whatever reason, when we went to see the 1997 comedy In & Out, I distinctly remember my mom saying, “Don’t go to the bathroom alone!”
When I asked why, she said “You gotta be more aware. Do you see all the men sitting next to each other in the theater? Think about why that is.”
I never had the gumption to say “Yes, okay — and?! What’s your point?!” But that was the climate of the late 90’s, with the AIDS epidemic just beginning to wane. The most well-meaning of parents indulged in quiet homophobia.
And kids were the same. A few years later, I sat with some friends watching a DVD of In & Out on our lunch break. When two men kissed in the film, a girl in my class covered her mouth and said “Ew!” right in front of me.
But of course, aside from these unfortunate moments, my memory of In & Out is that it was one of the funniest movies of my childhood. It was on all the…
