Stigma
1 2016-06-23T01:06:36-07:00 Gary Walker-Roberts ff82d71fc8661901c549a69ff80c9bac7b614722 10094 1 plain 2016-06-23T01:06:36-07:00 Gary Walker-Roberts ff82d71fc8661901c549a69ff80c9bac7b614722This page is referenced by:
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2016-06-23T00:30:53-07:00
To Be or Not to be: GAY?
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2016-06-23T01:10:15-07:00
Thoughts to chew on.... Louis XVI's sexuality never surfaces in the film; however, there is only one scene that shows Louis XVI having sex with Marie once. As previously discussed there are many scenes that allude to Louis XVI being homosexual, but it must remain that the rumors add to great theatrical drama. Although it is true that many people of the high society during the period remained in the closet. According to the article, "Stigma and Discrimination," published by Gay and Bisexual Men's Health, "Homophobia, stigma (negative and usually unfair beliefs), and discrimination (unfairly treating a person or group of people) against gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men still exist in the United States and can negatively affect the health and well-being of this community." This article was recently posted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Now going back in history to Louis XVI's era, it would have been impossible for him to come out of the closet. Many historians and people reject the idea that Louis XVI was homosexual and explain his lack of sexual desire for women on a severe medical condition.
In fact, the article, "The truth about Louis XVI's marital difficulties," explains how the "medical problem" was responsible for his lack of sexual interest in women. The article states, " Historians agree that the marriage of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette was only consummated seven years after the official ceremony. The delay could have been due to a genital abnormality (phimosis), a strict religious upbringing, a difficult childhood and the immaturity of the spouses, factors that may have inhibited sexuality. In this paper we try to determine whether Louis XVI overcame his sexual problems following an operation (circumcision) or as a result of a spontaneous cure." We will really never know the truth about Louis XVI's sexual orientation. Regardless of what side of the argument you stand with, Coppola certainly does not deny or confirm Louis XVI's homo or heterosexuality in the film! However, the film does not allude to the fact that he has a sexual medical condition; on the contrary, the doctor gives Louis XVI a clean bill of health!
