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now the vampire is destroyed by exposure to the sun rather than
killed with a stake. This is reminiscent of McCarthyism and the
quest to force dissidents—along with homosexuals—out into
the obliterating light of public exposure.
This need to destroy the enemy is evident in other Hammer
films, such as
The Brides of Dracula
(1960), in which the vam-
pire in torn to pieces and the remains are scattered under the
shadow created by a cross. But Dracula tends to rise from the
dead, as he does in
Dracula, Prince of Darkness
(1966). Here
he returns by drinking the blood of another man—read into that
what you will—but is of course destroyed by the end of the film,
this time drowned under a layer of ice. He returns yet again in
1968’s
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave,
and is again revived
by the blood of a man.
T
HE
E
RA OF
L
IBERATION
Explicitly “gay” movies began to appear following the Stonewall
Riots of 1969, starting with
The Boys in the Band
in 1970 and
continuing with such films as
Fortune and Men’s Eyes
(1971),
Dog Day Afternoon
(1975), and
Midnight Express
(1978). There
were also a number of “underground” gay movies, notably those
of JohnWaters (1973’s
Pink Flamingos
and 1975’s
Female Trou-
ble
), and of course
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
(1975).
Vampires in American popular culture reflected this opening
of the gay closet, yielding a kind of “coming out of the coffin.”
In
Dracula A.D. 1972
, Dracula shows up in the late 20th century
and encounters outlandishly clad hippies. The Count is wor-
shipped in the film by Johnny Alucard (Dracula backwards), de-
scribed by one critic as being modeled on Malcolm McDowell’s
character in
A Clockwork Orange
(1971), “a black-clad Goth-
punk vampire wanna-be.” This shock of change for Dracula was
similar to what much of Middle America must have experienced
seeing “out” homosexuals and gay pride parades on television.
Another film, 1967’s
The Fearless Vampire Killers
, directed by
Roman Polanski, was an early signal that sex was back. This
funny, slickly produced movie helped pave the way for the more
sexual, and even openly gay, vampires to come in the 1970s.
Blatantly sexual vampires began to proliferate in popular cul-
ture, just as open and sometimes public sexuality was becoming
a major part of gay culture. In the early 1970s, European films
such as
Dracula’s Vampire Lust
(1970),
Bite Me, Darling
(1970),
and
Jacula
(1973) were released with explicit sex scenes. In
1976,
Spermula
was released in the U.S. with semen substituting
for blood and with obvious homosexual undertones. Vampires
were also becoming more sympathetic. In
Count Yorga, Vampire
(1970), the vampire lives in modern-day L.A., and he’s just like
everyone else in his need for affection. Then came
Blacula
(1972)
and
Scream, Blacula, Scream
(1973), in which a black Dracula
lives, parties, and has sex in L.A. The decade ended with a re-
make,
Dracula
(1979). The vampire, portrayed by actor Frank
Langella, is attractive and highly erotic. This romantic version of
the classic novel takes the emphasis away from explicit sex, as
though in anticipation of the 1980s.
In the 1970s, vampire literature made a big splash with author
Anne Rice. In her novels, vampires live among humans, have al-
ways lived among humans, and have a distinct, separate culture.
This is analogous in a number of ways to homosexuality, with its
wider acceptance, the realization that being gay is not a choice,
and the existence of a separate and still largely hidden gay sub-
March–April 2014
19
An Unspoken Compromise
by Rizi Xavier Timane, PhD
“A searing memoir.”
— Truth-out.org
“An honest and important piece of work!”
— Jami Davis, MSW
“
Dr. Timane brings up thought-provoking points and con-
sistently finds ways to raise the self-esteem and value of
anyone reading.…something that usually takes us at
least two dirty martinis.”
— Gay List Daily
www.rizixaviertimane.com www.amazon.comRizi Xavier Timane, PhD, ASW, is a Nigerian-born trans-
gender minister and certified grief recovery specialist re-
siding in LosAngeles, California. He grew up in an
extremely religious Christian home and was subjected to
multiple exorcisms and other reparative attempts by his
family and the church to “pray the gay away.” An Unspo-
ken Compromise takes you through his journey of self-
discovery and spiritual exploration including:
• Coming out as a trans boy at eight years old
• Identifying as a lesbian in homophobic Africa
• Transitioning while facing societal and family rejection
• The religious persecution & bullying he has suffered all along
Rizi’s message to the LGBT community is twofold. First,
be your authentic self—it’s the only way to inner peace
and happiness. Second, if you are in search of a relation-
ship with God, a spiritual path to unconditional love and
acceptance does exist for you free from condemnation and
negative judgment.