Scarlet Masque Theatre Journal New Beginnings and Fond Farewells Vol. 1 | Page 16

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sings a song about the joys of beastiality in a musical supposedly focused on contemporary gay
issues. Links such as these, although most likely called to satirize these common depictions of
the LGBTQ+ community, were seen as damaging to the outward image by activists who were
desperate to portray themselves as normal people with normal lives. With the rise of the Gay
Liberation Movement, reactions had to have been mixed, if for no reason other than it was the
only musical of its kind at this time of heightened political activity. Although Al Carmines himself
denied the connection between politics and art, The Faggot could not be separated from politics
solely because of its timing, not due to its value solely as artistic expression. People were
scared of any “negative” portrayals of homosexuals in the Gay Liberation Movement. The
leaders of this activist movement were actively working to repeal sodomy laws that made their
private sexual encounters illegal, and aggravating the defense of politicians who could
potentially point to some piece of art like this as self-referential and biographical in nature would
not be in their best interests. As the LGBTQ+ community became more visible, they became
more scrutinized by the general public who opposed them in the first place. 6
The WOW Café Theater (1980-Present)
We will step away briefly from looking at specific pieces of theater to address one of the
more significant spaces for the development of lesbian and female-centered theatre in New York
City, in order to more correctly give account for all aspects of queer drama and not center on
cisgendered gay male writers and pieces focused on those people (although this essay is far
from complete on most other categories of representation of the LGBTQ+ community). I will
start with a brief history of the space, its goals, and the stories that its founders shared in an
interview conducted in 1984 7 then move on to talk about some of the kinds of works it produces,
William N. Eskridge. 2008. Dishonorable Passions: Sodomy Laws in America, 1861-2003.
New York: Viking. 167-169.
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Jill Dolan, Carmelita Tropicana, and Holly Hughes. 2015. Memories of the Revolution: The
First Ten Years of the WOW Cafe Theater. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. 14-27.
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