Attitudes and beliefs have changed a great deal since the early 1990s regarding gay people and their culture. Torch Song Trilogy pre-dates this by about 10 years and shows what gay lives and goals were like before major victories for equality and an understanding of HIV. While times and attitudes change, people generally remain the same insofar as goals are concerned. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who’s ever wondered about “the gay agenda” or how people can walk a line between “drag queen fabulosity” and “a nice quiet home life”. I believe this movie does a fantastic job of demonstrating in real-time the values and beliefs and most importantly the experience of gay life regardless of decade. Moreso, while only recently the idea of representation has come to the focus of conversations it’s always been true. This film gave is culturally important because it became a megaphone for a culture and a bridge between worlds. While the main character is fairly sure of himself and what he wants, he faces some hard truths about HOW he’s gone about working toward his goals and how he interacts with friends, lovers, and family. Fair warnings: This movie will RIP YOUR HEART OUT and also if you’re not used to Harvey Firestein’s voice it might take a little getting used to.