I watched ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry’ last night. I half-expected this to be purely making fun of homosexuality, but I was pleasantly surprised. Instead it presented a strong stance against homophobia, and how gays are constantly being discriminated purely because of their sexuality.
If we are not treated with the prior knowledge of the two main characters, Chuck & Larry, are straight, then the two are really believable as gay partners. There is chemistry between the two, and even though most of it is rooted in their long-standing friendship, it makes a case of how two men can fall in love with each other.
As the movie develops, the characters develop. Sandler (Chuck) transitions from being a homophobic, sexist playboy to a sensitive, thoughtful supporter of gay rights. James (Larry) changes from the mournful widower who doesn’t appreciate his son’s artistic side to being ready to move on and acknowledge that there’s more to growing up than just doing sports. It’s endearing that Chuck’s children stand by his side, even when other kids call their dad(s) 'faggots.' Note: The accepted vernacular is gay.
The scene when Larry reads his colleagues’ petition for the both of them to be transferred was especially poignant. If the friends you thought you knew for years abandon you just because of your sexuality, then you’ve gotta wonder if they were your friends to start with.
Throughout the whole movie, we are reminded of how absurd it is for people to dictate how people should live their lives and how their sexual orientation should be. The movie takes a satirical view on the evangelists, who try to shove their beliefs on other people.
The movie aside, I am against the homophobic disease. We are so obsessed with being disgusted over somebody else’s sexual orientation, we forget that the person is a human being too. We overlook the fact that the person might be a better human being than us. Ask yourself, if your friend who you’ve known suddenly comes out and say that he/she has been gay all these years, what would you do?
If that happened to me, I would shrug it off, saying that it’s no big deal, and that we’re still friends, no matter what. If you know me, you would’ve probably seen me joking that I was gay. This is because I resent homophobia, and I want to see other people’s reaction to a homosexual friend. I’m not gay, but I need to know that my friends will stick with me, no matter what my beliefs are. I remember a friend confessing that she might be bisexual, and I thought it was brave of her. Even though she never embraced her lesbian side, the fact that she was willing to discuss if she was, was endearing to me.
Many guys are hypocrites when it comes to homosexuality. They say they despise gays, but trust me, they wouldn’t think twice of watching a lesbian flick.
Even if you think homosexuality is a sin, that doesn’t necessarily make the person evil or immoral. That’s just one aspect of their lives. How do you know the person hasn’t contributed much more to the community than you? And how stupid is it to assume that homosexuals are always horny? Just because a guy is into guys doesn’t mean he’s a pervert who would grab another guy’s arse at the first opportunity.
Anyways, if you’re using religion to argue against homosexuality, forget it. Religion is supposed to be a personal experience. Not a reason to dictate how other people live. Like what the Quran said, ‘your religion is your religion, my religion is mine.’ We are not supposed to shove what we believe down into other people’s throats.
And don’t argue that homosexuality is immoral. From what point of view is it immoral? From a religious point of view, yes. But not everyone subscribe to religion. To the society? How is it that one’s sexuality that doesn’t affect other people’s lives at all immoral? And besides, outside religion, morality is subject to one’s opinions. One might think that society over individuality is the better moral guideline, and vice versa. We cannot decisively argue that any of the two is superior over the other.
Unnatural? On what basis? The fact that there are two distinct genders? We didn’t use to wear clothes. Isn’t nakedness supposed to be natural? We didn’t ride cars or buses. Isn’t walking supposed to be natural? Homosexuality has been around for so long. If you dig into literature, you’ll find traces of homoeroticism. You’ll find it (although obscure) in history books, in ancient Greece and other civilisations.
I hope the government doesn't find this particular blog entry. I think it doesn't help that my blog is listed in Simpur's site. Oh well. This is my honest opinion. I don't think it's too controversial, and I know many Bruneians share the same feeling, even the straight ones.
Signing out
Over and out
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