The Celluloid Closet

I am thankful in a way that you decided to show us the Celluloid Closet. To be honest, I was (still am) extremely ignorant about LGBTQ coding in movies. I never thought that they were very few mainstream movies that address gender identity because I didn't think to look for gender identity while watching films. I'm happy to say that this film and the reading of the article "Changing the Nature of Queer Film Criticism" has shed some light on me.

These were a few things that struck me:

1) Who knew that prior to the 1950's, the LGBTQ community was shown in comical way. I felt outraged that audiences would laugh and make fun of gay men with high voices and feminine gestures. Why are gay men always shown as so flamboyant? Why are lesbian women shown as either butch or sexy?

2) The dying gay person. WHY HOLLYWOOD? WHY? I feel incredibly stupid that I never noticed this in films. Since the late 60's and early 70's until today, the queer always dies at the end of the movie. Is this supposed to show society's outrage towards the LGBTQ community? Is it realistic? Why are they still dying at the end of films? Tom Hanks dies in Philadelphia (early 90's) and Jake Gyllengaal's character, Jack, from Brokeback Mountain is beaten to death.

Does this show society that we have come a long way? Or is this showing society that nothing will change?

I'd like to think that these films show society how far we have evolved from the past, but I am waiting for a movie where there is a "happy" ending.