Was this Hollywood's first non-derogatory gay character?
Gay characters were rare enough back then, but I think this was the first major one to be portrayed without any condescension. Can anyone think of an earlier example?
shareI'm not sure if it counts, but one of the bad guys in "North by Northwest" is gay. It's very understated -- in fact, I didn't realize it until after I saw the movie and looked up information on it online. Because he's a bad guy, I'm not sure how non-derogatory it is, but there's nothing stereotypical about him. He's not a "diva", "queen", wants to go shopping or talk fashion, etc.
shareI would say making him a sadistic sociopath counts as derogatory.
shareI thought Junie Moon was ahead of its time in this respect and the attitudes presented. Although having him turn seemed a bit naïve by modern standards. Obviously gay men are just waiting for the right woman. I had thought they were making a point about sexuality when the rich lady was trying to get him to walk again, but apparently not.
There was other stuff as well. Were they implying that he 'caught the gay' during his childhood from Guiles?
Some aspects were problematic, but for the most part I felt they took an enlightened approach in this aspect of the movie.