Does anyone else feel it's out of place? These artsy rebels have never heard of bisexuality? It's not as if Maureen played by anyone's rules so why the shock and giggles?
Maybe Benny didn't know Maureen as well as he thought? He thought it was a funny twist on top of Mark being dumped.
shareI don't really remember the other characters' reactions...you mean when Benny laughed? That was just him being an a$$hole, as usual...
"What race are you? If you don't tell me I'll just...assume the worst."
This takes place during the late 80s and early 90s...homosexuality and bisexuality were still new and not widely accepted. Even the most progressive people didn't truly know how to break away from societal expectation during that time...so someone admitting their non-binary gender preference would cause some stress, anxiety, or giggles. It was tough for those born before the 80s. It was tough for those of us born in the 80s or even those born in the early 90s. These new generations have it easy. Gay is the new tolken black. Marriage equality is national. Recognition of drug addictions and STDs are respectable conversation topics. Up to about 2008, this was not the case. I am 30. Seeing the last 6-8 years and how things have changed makes me want to cry...I am happy that things have changed, but I am angry that youth today are such disreapectful $h!t$ about things.
sharelegally GLBT rights was in a completely different place. It was not 'mainstream' like it is now. Sodomy was still on the books, Marriage wasn't even legal in any state during the time period of this play. Joanne's parent are doing something 'daring' by hosting the reception.
shareHoney, I hate to break it to ya, but same-sex relationships were not NEW in the nineteen-eighties, or the eighteen-eighties, for that matter -- Ask Oscar Wilde. Or an ancient Greek!
shareUh, bisexuality is still not completely understood/accepted even in modern times.
sharethe relationships themselves were not 'new' but legal and formal recognition by the States did not exist.
Maureen and Joanne do not have property rights...etc.
I would still laugh my ass off if that happened to one of my friends. Hell, if it happened to me, I would understand the laughter.
Wendy? Darling? Light, of my life!