Queerness Film Analysis

According to Doty, queerness is a mass culture reception practice. It is “inclusive of” rather than “instead of”; an expression as well as a movement, that is mainly resistant to straight culture on a wide range of positions. It describes a range of impulses and cultural expression through various communities such as straights, bisexuals and transsexuals. In the form of queerness, sexual desires constituting queerness are central to expression of lesbian and gay cultural identities; it is not bound by sexuality as a whole.
For example, Doty suggest that heterosexuals and homosexuals can operate within straight cultural spaces and positions. Homosexuality and queerness share some solidarity through sexual desire, but not necessarily by expression and identification. While homosexuality is configured towards unity within a community, queerness goes farther to diversify the communities into one super coalition, just as political parties who share similar values form a coalition. Some of those communities still hold traditional concepts but are
Using Doty’s reasoning, Velvet Goldmine offers a multi-dimensional perspective of queerness as a whole. Two characters clearly embody these perspectives: Brian Slade and Curt Wild. Slade embodies a mainstream approach to queerness; he promotes his lifestyle as a desire that transcends both homosexuality and heterosexuality. Throughout the film, he usually presents himself as if to suggest a feminine personality (use of lipstick, makeup, mascara.) In his press conference, he applies a swagger of confidence in order to effectively speak out about his bisexuality. His objective is not necessarily for his sexuality to be accepted, but to be acknowledged. Slade wants to create solidarity among the homosexual, bisexual and transgender communities, but does not give the impression that he is entirely resistant to heterosexual norms. His marriage to Mandy Slade proves