Ifra Azmat

Khurshid Alam

PEL 01163012

Semester 3

Queer binaries are not a cultural phenomenon rather it is psychological. A psychological

study of homosexuality in Angels in America by Tony Kushner.

The play is very complex, metaphorical, shows patients of AIDS and homosexuality in

America in 1980s. There are two parts of play. First is Millennium Approaches and second is

Perestroika. Certain minor and major characters are super natural and deceased persons. Acts in

play overlap each other, in this way it seems a quite complex play.

Homosexuality is a recurrent motif in the play. It seems a cultural phenomenon

apparently in the play but in certain parts of play when characters don’t want to accept their

homosexual identity then it comes to know that it is still a social taboo in American society.

Homosexuality is not a cultural phenomenon instead it is a psychological one in almost

every part of world not only in America. An article named “Taliban use 'honey trap' boys to kill

Afghan police” by Anuj Chopra shows how Taliban use “beautiful boys, handsome boys” as sex

child slaves to penetrate in borders and to kill their enemies. It is known as “bacha baazi” there.

Children without beard or “bacha bereesh” are target of lustful police commanders. In the article

it is mentioned that the addiction to boys is far more than addiction to opium and police officers

consider it as a perk of their job. They refuse to post in the areas where they cannot have children
for sex. They see it as a cultural practice not as child abuse. "Bacha bazi is pervasive sexual

slavery of children, seen widely as a cultural practice and not a crime,"

In conservative areas where women are invisible and unattainable due to steep bride

prices “ bachas” play the role of women by wearing makeup and bells in feet to satisfy the need

of commanders and police forces. They have “predatory behavior” for children. In the article it is

mentioned that once an officer was arrested in this case but they had to release him just to

combat his duties. They cannot eliminate such elements from society in situation of war because

these are their “job perks”. Child sex slavery and homosexuality is more popular in specific

departments such as Police, Army, Madrassas.

Narcissism leads to homosexuality. (Freud)

Homosexuality is not something, people are born with, instead it is a social impact on a

person. (Ellis)

Nature cannot do any harm to a person without any particular reason. If being gay or

homosexual is a natural or biological phenomenon there would not be any disease like AIDS.

Nature takes revenge in form of such horrible disease for going against it.

There are several psychological reasons behind this unnatural phenomenon.

 Unhealthy relationship with a female due to criticized, as a child. in a harsh manner.

 Sexual abuse by a male

 Certain physical or Biological issues

 Emotional problems
  Fear to be degraded

AIDS was diagnosed in 1959 for the first time which was a result of a man’s sex with a

Chimpanze in Nigeria and later in few decades several deaths occurred due to this deadly virus.

Angels in America consists of two parts, part one is Millenium Approaches and part two is

perestroika. The play is subtitled as “A Gay Fanstasia on National Themes”. Fantasia is a type a

music in which composer use his imagination for free play, he let one musical idea flowing with

other. In the same way play is designed. Kushner makes scenes overlap each other. His

characters move simultaneously from one scene to other, from office to house and then to other

place. In both parts of play characters are trying to make sense of world in New York. Prior who

is a homosexual having AIDS and his lover Louis has left him and gets involved with Joe. Joe’s

wife Hannah is having a slow nervous breakdown due to ambiguous condition of her husband.

Joe’s mother comes from other city to help out the couple. Roy Cohn do not want to show his

identity as a homosexual and attempts to remain in closet. He is also victim of AIDS. Belize is an

Afro-American nurse who take care of Prior and Roy cohn in hospital. Part one of the play is

about the introduction of the characters and their lives and part two deals with the themes of the

play.

Angels in America shows how homosexuality is prevailing in American society. By

keeping in view the above mentioned reason of homosexuality people are not homosexual by

nature but by nurture. In a dialogue between Harper and Joe, Harper asked him about whether he

is homo or not. “Harper: It was wrong of me to marry you. I knew you. It's a sin, and it's killing

us both. Are you a homo?” it seems that she was known of the fact since they were married but

they were afraid to admit.

 “Roy: AIDS is for homosexuals”

When Roy Cohn is diagnosed with AIDS he refuse to accept it in front of doctor and

says AIDS is for homosexuals and he is not a homosexual, it can be cancer but not AIDS. It

means he is aware of nature’s revenge in form of AIDS and his statement it seems that all gay

men have AIDS. This non-acceptance of his identity is a scene of prime significance. This shows

that being gay is bad thing and to remain in disguise is only solution to it.

“Roy Cohn is a heterosexual man, Henry, who fucks around with guys”

Roy Cohn do not want to admit the fact that he is a gay. Because being a gay means being

submissive and he do not want to express his submissive self in front of other people. He want to

remain in closet. But finally as he was a victim of AIDS he admits his disaster.

“Mom. Momma. I'm a homosexual, Momma”

Joe chooses his mother to tell his truth. It seems Joe do not trust other women but only his

mother but he tell his truth to Roy Cohn that he would understand his problem. It shows the

psychological distrust between a man with woman. He does not seem to trust his wife in this

regard.

“I try to tighten my heart into a knot, a snarl, I try to learn to live dead, just numb, but

then I see someone I want and it's like a nail, like a hot spike right through my chest, and I know

I'm losing”

Joe tells his wife that how does it feel to remain in closet and being a homosexual. He

tells her emotions when she is aware of the fact that he is a gay.
 “Joe: I want to touch you. Can I please just touch you um, here?

(He puts his hand on one side of Louis's face. He holds it there)

Joe: I'm going to hell for doing this”

Joe knows that homosexuality is not a natural phenomenon and God will punish him for going

against the nature instead of that he is submissive to his own psyche.

“Prior: I can handle pressure, I am a gay man and I am used to pressure, to trouble, I am tough

and strong”

As angel comes to Prior he admit his identity as a gay and shows that it is a stereotype that gay

men are weak and submissive. Instead they are more strong due to discrimination in society as

society does not accept them as they are.

Homosexuality is not an accepted phenomenon in any part of world. Despite of many

laws and favors, it is not accepted in any society. Some people criticize it on the base of religion

while others consider it as a social taboo. It is a psychological phenomenon which leads to

ultimate disaster because it is against the nature and nature knows how to take revenge. AIDS

and impotency in submissive partner is the result of such immoral acts.

Citation:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/taliban-honey-trap-boys-kill-afghan-police-

034032649.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw

http://genderwholeness.com/lds/understanding/what-causes-male-homosexuality/

Angels in America By Toni Kushner.