Homosexuality in Andres Mother by Terrace McNally - Essay Example

The play “Andres Mother” by Terrace McNally is one of the most popular modern plays that address the issue of homosexuality, although it caused ripples when it was first released in the 80s the community is much more accommodating today. Nevertheless, the prejudice that was the central theme in it is still present and gay people sometimes have to contend with rejection and spite from society in general and even their loved ones, which make the play relevant even today. The play is set at the memorial service of a young gay man Andre who is being eulogized by his lover and Cal, his family (Cal’s) and his mother. The playwright uses white balloons, which are symbolic of the soul of the departed, and when those at the memorial release the balloons, they are letting his soul drift to heaven. While Cal’s family has no problem doing this, Cal holds on to his and talks about his friend and how he had struggled with his sexuality, which his mother disapproved of. He explains how terrible a relationship Cal and his mother had and talks about the hardships of a gay person whose family turns its back to him. Andre’s mother remains mute throughout the soliloquy but after reflecting on his words, she decides to accept her sons sexuality albeit posthumously and releases her balloon. Even in the late 1990s and 2000s, many homosexuals experienced psychological distress within family dynamics similar to that of Andre when he was alive. As the main social support, families can reduce the anxiety and pain by treating gays with acceptance, dignity, and above all, love. Even today, gay people are still suffering rejection similar to what Andre got from his mother from their both family and society. In many parts of the world, homosexuality is seen as a taboo and it has been criminalized with “perpetrators” often shunned by their community. Recently in Uganda, the government passed a law that made it a crime to engage in homosexual acts or to assist gays and even agitate for their right (Fallon). Initially the law was required that gay people should be sentenced to death but it was altered so the get life imprisonment, this is evidence of society’s intolerance for homosexuality can be deduced in the fact that on several occasions, people have been lynched on suspicion of being gay. A similar case is evident in Africa’s biggest economic power Nigeria when homosexuality is punishable by over 14 years imprisonment. While in the west, the laws are tolerant and in most cases dictate that there should be no discrimination against people on the basis of their sexual orientation or any other grounds for that matter (Taylor 78), some elements of society still treat gays as outcasts. There are still elements of discrimination covertly veiled under some state laws that are aimed at precluding gay people from rights that straight people would otherwise take for granted. One of these is the Maine version of the family medical leave under which an employee is entitled to take time off to welcome a new child or care for a sick relative. In Maine, gay people have for years been denied this right under the assumption that they cannot have children or regular family which however a prejudicial and discriminative way of reasoning. Such discriminative practices are common in many work places even when they do not use the law for justification. In the play, Andre died from AIDs during the 80’s this was a common cause of death for many Gay men, so much that people assumed it was divine punishment for being gay. However it is worth noting that when someone is suffering from HIV or Aids, they need a lot of care both medical and psychologically so that they can resist the virus and live longer with the condition. In Andres case, he would have benefited a great deal from support from him mother, however her attitude towards same sex relationship as described by Cal was very negative and it is likely that seeking support from her would only have further stigmatized the young man. Unfortunately, many in society, including the families of the victims tend to think that being gay is a sin or sort of sickness and thus refuse to treat them as if they are normal human beings. As a result, gays may end up living undignified lives rejected by their loved ones and this leads to low self-esteem and in many cases ultimately affects their mental wellbeing. This is can be demonstrated by the juxtaposition created between the family of Cal and Andre’s mother, they have all attended his lovers memorial to support Cal and because they had accepted the relationship and genuinely liked Andre. His mother on the other hand seems to have attended the funeral only because she was obligate to and when strangers were mourning her son without judging him she stood mute feeling bitterness over his lifestyle. In their respective lives, Cal and Andre are in way products of the way their families treated them, Cal was confident and appeared to be generally happy with life accepting the inevitable and proudly acknowledging his sexuality to his family. Andre on the other hand, led a sad and bitter life because he being gay was a dirty secret he had to keep from his family and he could not share his problem and probably the anguish of his illness with them nor expect support (McNally 350). We are not told if Cal was infected with HIV as result of his liaison with Andre but even so, it does not appear to a major concern because with a loving and accepting family he would no doubt get the best care and support possible. Fortunately, albeit too late, Andre’s mother accepts her son chosen lifestyle and agrees to let him go although the fact that she had not done so sooner would probably haunt her for a long time. This play can be used as lesson for those individuals who are struggling or downright refusing to accept or acknowledge their family members of friends who are gay. At the end of the day they need to understand that being gay does not make one any less human or less infallible, it simply implies a different sexuality and it is unfair to judge or reject someone for something one clearly does not understand. In modern society, Gay people are faces with myriads of problems including the fact that in many states and countries, they cannot get legally married or adopt children. One of the arguments used by anti-gay groups for denying them the right to adopt children is the fact that gay couples with children have proven to be more likely to be poor and depend on welfare. However, on closer examination of the facts it turns out that the reason they are disproportionately poor is because the government discriminates against them in terms of service provision and they are in most cases likely to pay higher taxes where they are not recognized as couples. Overall, it is apparent that gay people are no different from the rest of society and discriminating against them for their sexuality is no different from racial or ethnic bias (Stone). In addition, this discrimination also hurts the discriminating society as it often develops intolerance not just for homosexuality by many other issues. In Andres mother, one can see that her refusing to accept his state makes her suffer considerably more than anyone else after his death not because she loved him more but because she had a hard time accepting reality. Works Cited Fallon, Amy. "Uganda: Human Rights Record Plunges With Signing Of Anti-Gay Law." ipsnews.. Feb 25 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014 .< http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/02/ugandas-human-rights-record-plunges-signing-anti-gay-law/> McNally , Terrace. “Fifteen Short stories”. N:H:Smith and Klaus Publishers. 1994Print. Stone, Brian. Why Legal Equality Isnt Real Equality. Huffington Post. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014  Taylor, Jami, et al. "Content and Complexity in Policy Reinvention and Diffusion: Gay and Transgender-Inclusive Laws Against Discrimination." State Politics & Policy Quarterly 12.1 (2012): 75-98.  Read More