Gay films haven't ever been shown in theatres/cinemas before have they?

Brokeback mountains was released in theatres if I'm not mistaken and so have other LGBT films.

 

I know how you feel. Aside from Brokeback Mountain, I can't think of any mainstream movie where the main characters were gay and had their sexuality be relevant to the story.

I prefer movies with LGBT characters. I never realized how disconnected from heterosexual characters I felt, until I started watching LGBT movies. Like, for example, I could watch a romance film between two gay men and it's like... wow. I can feel it, and I have to pause and wonder: "Is this how straight people feel all the time when they go to watch a romantic movie? Or do I only feel this way because seeing two gay men portrayed like this is so rare?"

 

At least in the US, gay films have been given theatrical release for a long time. Boys in the Band is the earliest I can think of--it was released in 1970. Cruising was released in 1980, Making Love in 1982.

 

I love you Phillip Morris and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry are the first two that come to mind. Also, Bruno

 

Well, Rocky Horror is really more of a weird religion than anything, but it's one really cool film with LGBT themes.

 

Brokeback Mountain was definitely on the big screen here in the US

 

I've never even heard of broke back mountain but maybe I'll give it a shot once I'm done with the fosters.

 

There have even been films that aren't gay-themed, but have some pretty intense gay/lesbian scenes, like Black Swan.

 

Andrew, that is one intense film, it ain't a happy movie, just a warning :/. It does kind of suck that there isn't much representation of the LGBTQ community in film. And rom coms delegate too many stereotypes for gay couples, whom are used as comic relief even sometimes... Not cool. But I guess you can see some representation in TV shows, Will and Grace and Modern Family, that isn't entirely bad.

 

A few more that come to mind are The Crying Game, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Birdcage, In and Out.

There's also one coming out soon called Jenny's Wedding.

 

wasn't the hours sort of a gay movie ?

And Alexander was pretty focused on how gay he was.

 

I think the thing is that mainstream gay characters/stories/films are only ever about a characters sexuality. A gay character in a soap will have to be in denial or coming out, gay characters in film have to have some internal battle or be facing prejudice.

I would like to see more depictions of gay people that avoid all that. It is not that these things don't happen, but I'd just like to see our "narrative" opened up a bit more so we have the possibility of more interesting stories and futures being written for us.

I'm talking more gay characters in sci-fi, gay action heroes, gay leading romances, gay superheroes or sidekicks, gay antiheroes etc etc.

 

The movies that I listed are probably before your time.
I was too young to see Priscilla when it was at the cinema, and it was late 90s I think that I (accidentally) saw In and Out. This was in a small town in country NSW so I'd say Gladstone would have had them as well.

I live in Brisbane now and have been to Gladstone a couple of times.

Fingers crossed that Jenny's Wedding gets a major release.

 

RENT also came out in theatres.

You could also check for film festivals. Where I'm from (both Canada and Japan) they happen pretty frequently and usually have awesome not-really-mainstream content.

 

You will have better chances at festivals ("queer cinema" and other festivals), and, if you have one nearby, in smaller independent "revival house" or "repertory theatre" cinemas, that run more "niche market" content.

 

Matthew Shepard was a Friend of Mine was at a niche indie theatre back in March, but it was in a notoriously bad area of Detroit. I hear it will be on Logo soon, but I don't have Logo.