McNair Scholars Journal Volume 21 | Issue 1 Article 6 2017 Bury Your Gays: History, Usage, and Context Haley Hulan Grand Valley State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mcnair Recommended Citation Hulan, Haley (2017) "Bury Your Gays: History, Usage, and Context," McNair Scholars Journal: Vol. 21 : Iss. 1 , Article 6. Available at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mcnair/vol21/iss1/6 Copyright © 2017 by the authors. McNair Scholars Journal is reproduced electronically by ScholarWorks@GVSU. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/ mcnair?utm_source=scholarworks.gvsu.edu%2Fmcnair%2Fvol21%2Fiss1%2F6&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages Bury Your Gays: History, Usage, and Context 1. Abstract story. Many instances of this trope draw a direct correlation between the couple Bury Your Gays is a literary trope that has confessing their feelings for one another, appeared in media across genre since the kissing, having sex for the first time and end of the 19th century. Works using the the character’s death; they often die mere trope will feature a same-gender couple and moments or pages after their relationship is with one of the lovers dying and the other confirmed for the audience. The surviving realizing they were never actually gay, often lover will then go through a process of re- running into the arms of a heterosexual acclimation whereby they realize that their partner. This trope was originally used as attraction amounted to an experiment or a way for gay authors to write about gay temporary lapse in judgement—or even characters without coming under fire for insanity, as homosexuality was classified as breaking laws and social mandates against a mental illness until 1974—and they then the “endorsement” of homosexuality. fall into the arms of a heterosexual partner However, Bury Your Gays persists today to live happily ever after and lead a normal, in a time and social context in which it is straight life (McConnaughy). no longer necessary to give gay characters Haley Hulan and stories bad endings in order to be Originally, Bury Your Gays (also called McNair Scholar published. Dead Lesbian Syndrome due to the disproportionate amount of female Previous scholarship on this trope has characters who fall victim to the trope) was focused on a specific genre or time period, “put in place” as it were to allow LGBTQ+ such as Lesbian Pulp or the Production authors to tell stories which featured Code Era during Hollywood’s Golden characters like them without risking Age. This paper, however, is interested in social backlash, breaking laws regarding tracking the trope’s usage across genre and “promoting” homosexuality, or the loss time period It begins with an overview of of their career and that of their publisher how queer characters have been portrayed (Healey). The trope has continued to in various genres and the conventions, appear in novels, plays, films, and television such as queer coding, that have been (and series throughout the past one hundred still are) used to portray those characters plus years; it persists in western media in and why those conventions were/are modern times, even though many laws employed by creators. In total, eight against homosexuality have been abolished narratives—2 novels, 2 plays, 2 films, and despite the formation of the LGBTQ+ 2 television shows—are examined using rights movement and despite changing the critical lens New Historicism, taking social attitudes towards homosexuality into account especially the historical and and the LGBTQ+ community in general. Danielle DeMuth social context in which a given work was In short, Bury Your Gays is no longer Faculty Mentor produced. Primary sources—such as the necessary, and its implementation is no text itself, interviews, and introductions longer the refuge it once was. and forewords written by the original creators—are used alongside secondary Previous scholarship concerning Bury Your sources (reviews, previous scholarly Gays’ usage focuses on a specific genre or analysis, etc.) and given equal weight in the subgenre, on a specific time period, culture, analysis of these works and the use of Bury or historical context. The usage (and Your Gays therein. perhaps misusage) of the trope is discussed in “Who’s Lying? the Issue of Lesbianism 2. Introduction in Lillian Hellman’s the Children’s Hour” by Carol S. Tufts, which specifically Bury Your Gays is a literary trope which scrutinizes the play as a work that uses originated in the late 19th century, gained Lesbianism as the metatextual villain. traction in the early 20th century, and Historical and social context is explored which persists in modern media. The in “From Cold War Lesbian Pulp…” by pattern of this trope’s usage states that Michelle Ann Abate. She discusses the in a narrative work (novels especially), differences between two works by lesbian which features a same-gender romantic pulp and young adult fiction author couple, one of the lovers must die or Marijane Meaker, focusing on the social otherwise be destroyed by the end of the context in which these two (quite similar) 17 Volume 21, 2017 works were being produced. Yvonne Keller Each of the examined texts are separated The following questions will be asked also focused on lesbian pulp fiction in into specific subheadings depending on and answered by taking a close look at “‘Was it Right to Love Her Brother’s Wife how specifically Bury Your Gays is used the above works as well as the context in so Passionately’…,” specifically on the in their primary storyline: As Refuge, which they were produced. However, some connection between media representation As Catharsis, As Exploitation, and As background on how queer characters have and the formation of Lesbian identities. Spectacle. This is done for the sake of both been represented in various media is needed organization and to give the reader a better prior to discussion of specific works. Indeed, there is a connection: Sarah C. understanding of the purpose of this paper; Gomillion and Tracy A. Giuliano’s 2011 that is to examine this trope’s usage if that • Why are gay characters consistently killed study, “The Influence of Media Role usage changes from era to era and creator off in narrative? Models on Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual to creator. Identity,” consists of both a survey and • Do gay authors also do this to their an extensive interview process of GLB The critical lens New Historicism is used to characters/ have they in the past? Why? adults. They concluded that there is a examine these texts and to answer specific • Does the author being queer change direct link between media representation questions about them and Bury Your Gays the context in which those deaths are of the LGBT community and a majority itself. New Historicism is an area of critical happening? of individuals’ process of self-acceptance theory which focuses not only on the texts and self-actualization as queer people. that one is examining but the social and • What about social climates? Amber B. Raley and Jennifer L. Lucas’ historical context in which those texts work, “Stereotype or Success? Prime-Time were created and viewed. New Historicism • Surely gay characters have received Television’s Portrayals of Gay Male, Lesbian, connects the fictional with real history and varied treatments in narrative in the past and Bisexual Characters” took a deep look at real people, which is the most important as compared to now; what exactly has the 2001 TV season. Raley and Lucas used aspect of any project that examines the changed about those treatments? the guidelines set by Cedric C. Clark’s 1969 usage of literary tropes by virtue of the 3. Background editorial, “Evolutionary Stages of Minorities nature of tropes themselves; tropes are in the Mass Media” for examining minority patterns in fiction which arise from various The Criminal Amendment Act of 1885 representation in mainstream media. They circumstances. outlawed “committing acts of gross concluded that depictions of the LGBT indecency with male persons” (Section community had not, at that point in time, The context in which those patterns are 11). Decency laws like this were largely progressed beyond the “Ridicule” (or formed cannot be separated from the tropes informed by the medical world’s stereotyping) phase. themselves and must be acknowledged in preoccupation with homosexuality as not the study of them. This means that I take something a person was but rather what a Recently, because of an influx of gay into account both secondary and primary person did. Same-gender sex was described characters dying on television since sources—such as reviews and interviews. as “perverse acts” by many psychologists, the 2016 TV season—an influx which The last essential piece of New Historicism and often viewed as the result of a lack seemingly began with the death of that needs to be discussed here is its of “proper” sexual stimulation (at least Commander Lexa on CW Network’s acknowledgement that true objectivity does in the case of men who were thought to young adult drama The 100—many people not exist. My scholarly analysis of these be largely out of control of their own and institutions have begun tallying up texts as well as their use as examples here sexual urges). Nevermind that many of television death tolls for gay characters, are not only colored by my own readings of the gay and bisexual “patients” that these including Variety, The Mary Sue, and them but indeed comprised mostly of those psychologists examined often spoke of The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against readings (Tyson 286-287). their same-gender attraction as a matter or Defamation, or GLAAD. The recently- The texts examined are: piece of their personal identity (Burgette launched #LBGTfansdeservebetter 627-628).