Gay Rights and Stereotyping

One of the subtle historical antecedents that can be connected to Remember the Titans is gay rights, stereotyping, and the counterculture that arose in the 1960s and 1970s.  Halfway through the film, the audience is introduced to a new characters that joins the football team during their camp.  One day during practice, a military father comes to the practice and explains to Coach Boone and Coach Yoast that him and his son just moved to the area and that his son was interested in playing with T.C. Williams.  The father was impressed with T.C. Williams because both African American and white players were integrated together.  When the coaches were talking to the father and son, Gerry made a snide comment to the rest of his teammates about the new guy, which is later given the nickname "Sunshine," that he looked like a fruitcake.  Sunshine was a white player who had long hair and had the general Hippie look that came into popularity during the 1970s (Hist page 466).  The stereotyping that the players placed upon Sunshine reminds me a lot of the Columbia student from Major Problems.  In the document "A Protester at Columbia University Defends Long Hair and Revolution," the student is tired of having stereotypes and associations placed upon him because of the length of his hair (Major Problems document "A Protester at Columbia University Defends Long Hair and Revolution").  The student makes the argument that as far as he knew, there was no correlation between hair length and violence, or hair length and intelligence.  The Columbia student argues that he should be able to have his hair long and be able to have a hairstyle that is however long he chooses it to be.  The student is arguing for the right to individualism and self-expression (lecture 11/10/11).  Within the first minute of seeing Sunshine, the players were already stereotyping him as being gay or being a hippie.  During the late 1960s, America saw the growth of a counterculture of young people who rejected traditional politics and social values (Hist page 465).  People who adhered with the counterculture, also called hippies, rejected the attempts to change American society and instead chose to "check out" of society (Hist page 466).

In the next scene, Sunshine decides to make a move that extremely upsets Gerry.  In the locker room, Sunshine tells Gerry that he knows why Gerry is trying to make fun of him in front of the rest of his teammates.  Gerry, looking confused, did not expect it when Sunshine swoops in and kisses Gerry in the locker room, in front of the rest of their teammates.  Gerry, being extremely upset, charges at Sunshine and tries to fight him.  The issue of gay rights can definitely be discussed here in this scene.  It is never really clear whether Sunshine was being serious when he kissed Gerry, or if he was just trying to make a point.  During the 1970s, gay men and lesbians tried to begin demanding equality.  People in the gay rights movement argued that since barriers against racial and religious minorities were beginning to collapse, their group should also begin to be recognized as societal equals (Hist page 481).  One of the major problems that gay rights advocates had to face was that consensual sex between two people of the same sex was illegal in almost every state (Hist page 481).

In the next scene, the players are eating lunch in the lunchroom when Petey, an African American player on the team, approaches Sunshine about kissing Gerry.  Petey asks Sunshine if he was just messing around or if he was serious.  Sunshine plays like he does not know what Petey is talking about.  Petey says that he has a right to know because he is Sunshine's roommate and he doesn't want Sunshine to make a move on him.  Still playing like he doesn't know what he is talking about, Sunshine finally says "If it's not that big a deal, then why talk about it?"  Finally, Petey loses his cool and screams "You know what I'm talking about, stop messing with my mind!"  The interesting point that comes up here is why Sunshine continually plays like he doesn't know what Petey is talking about.  It seems like Sunshine is playing with Petey, as if its a game.  The Major Problems document "Carl Wittman Issues a Gay Manifesto, 1969-1970" is a document that discusses the gay rights movement and the fact that the group that was fighting for gay rights wanted to be treated as societal equals, just like everyone else (Major Problems document "Carl Wittman Issues a Gay Manifesto, 1969-1970").  Carl Wittman discusses that he wants everybody that is gay to come out and be inspired by black people and all of their movements (lecture 11/10/11).  The group is trying to not be discriminated against and be recognized/accepted as a group.