On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 20:10:39 -0600, Gerald Clough   
    wrote:   
      
   >Perhaps not. I can see the point of the maker. Gay cowboys gives it the   
   >hook of being set in a culture with very little tolerance. Lots of angst   
   >and soul searching.   
      
   That angst is nothing more than a cultural artifact that denies -   
   dislikes - reality.  So the picture is perceived as having a mystery   
   that will make it more exciting and engaging than it would otherwise   
   be.  It will be a profitable box office hit.   
      
   >There certainly are gay cowboys - and gay anything   
   >else. And, if you want to tell a gay cowboy story, the 1960's at least   
   >provide some frame of reference. Easier than doing enough research to   
   >set it in the 19th century. They bought the rights to a short story. I   
   >wonder if they considered setting it in the old West. It might have   
   >induced some "oh, come on, now" response and might have bound them to   
   >try too hard to be convincing about something with little or now   
   >existing commentary.   
      
   Actual historical accounts are probably difficult, if not impossible,   
   to find.  For one thing, the rural isolated population was mostly   
   illiterate, which would make accounts rare.  Many were persons   
   comfortable living outside established rules and without women.  There   
   was no authority checking up on them.  Hard to believe these people   
   are going to be asexual celibates for months until they take a cowtown   
   prostitute in a semiannual payday fling.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)