There was already traction within the LGBTQ+ rights movement in America when The Rocky Horror Picture Show was released. It was released just six years after the Stonewall uprising. At the time, many people still believed homosexuality to be a mental illness, and being gay was illegal in many parts of the country. Expressing queerness was far outside the norm, but the film completely disregarded that.
At first, it was a total failure, but once it began showing at late-night screenings at cinemas in New York, it began developing a cult following. Much of this success can be attributed to the LGBTQ+ audiences who enjoyed the embrace of sexual freedom, the new concept of objectification of men for the male gaze and female entertainment, It blatantly opens up discussion about sexual liberation, gender roles, and so many other issues the LGBTQ+ community had to face without having any content to lean on.
It encouraged some people to begin expressing themselves more freely. For writer Matt Baume, seeing Rocky Horror for the first time and witnessing Tim Curry dressed as the sweet [trans person] inspired him to confront his crush and come to terms with this queer identity by the end of the night. For myself, seeing Rocky Horror for the first time this past month was mind-boggling! It felt so empowering to be in a room full of other people raging to the music and dancing around in what would probably be viewed as traditionally “socially unacceptable” outfits! I had never experienced anything quite like it before. As a southerner, growing up any obvious expression of sexuality was strictly taboo. But there in the theatre, it was encouraged and expected!
Fans took the challenge “Don’t dream it, be it” to heart, and the film unified them with their identity and those with similar identities and experiences. As Matt Baum points out, the movie says to so many people, “Don’t worry, you’re not alone ― people like us can find each other at parties in the movie, and parties in real life.”
The Absolute Pleasure of the Rocky Horror Picture Show
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