I grew up in a typical suburban setting. I wasn’t completely sheltered, but I wasn’t exposed to a ton of diversity, either. It was also the early ‘90s, so “diversity” didn’t mean the same thing it does today, especially as it relates to the LGBTQ+ community. Kids using the “F” word was normal, and there wasn’t one single person at my high school who was out. When I was 15, I went to see a Saturday night midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which you can watch these days with a Disney+ subscription. Looking back, it was one of the best things that I could have ever done at the time.
It’s hard to believe that Rocky Horror has turned 50 years old this year, and as part of the celebration, some of the cast members, including Tim Curry and Nell Campbell, spoke about how important it was to people whose sexual identity was outside of the mainstream (especially by the standards of 1975).
Curry, who almost lost his role to Mick Jagger, went even further to discuss how important it was to everyone, not just queer people, but everyone. I agree with Curry, and I think it goes further. It was vital to me, as a straight man. First, it got me out of my comfort zone that I didn’t even realize I was in, and second, it was the first time I really met and befriended openly gay and queer people. At 15, I was unconsciously coming to an understanding that their sexuality and identity weren’t some “other” that I couldn’t conceive.
My Own Experience With Rocky Horror
As I wrote about the Rocky Horror cast members’ comments, it got me thinking about my own journey with the film and those legendary screenings. Not long after I had friends with driver’s licenses, I started attending midnight screenings of Rocky Horror. In those days, they were every Saturday night at one of the local independent theaters in town. A friend of mine was dating a girl who was a whole lot more “worldly” than us (as worldly as a teenager can be, I suppose), and she was already a veteran of the screenings.
I still remember walking into the horror musical the first time (you never forget your first), and immediately being enthralled and curious. It felt a little dangerous, as it was late at night, and people were smoking cigarettes and drinking booze in the theater. At first, I didn’t fully recognize the cross-dressing members of the shadow cast (or the audience), but once I did, it didn’t freak me out; it made me more curious.
Soon, I was going regularly. Not every week, but usually once a month or so. I would take old friends who had never been, and sing the Rocky Horror songs with new friends I’d made. It never felt weird, but it did feel edgy, and for a teenager, edgy is good. It felt like something forbidden. Until it just felt, frankly, normal.
Looking back, there is no question that these experiences have helped shape me into the person I am today. I’m a person who strives to be open to all sexualities and lifestyles, but more importantly to me, to not pre-judge people on anything other than their integrity and their honesty. Not just my friends in the LGBTQ+ community, but everyone.