The Film's Exploration of HIV/AIDS and Homophobia
The film Dallas Buyers Club successfully brings forward two controversial yet unavoidable subjects of homophobia and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the modern world. The film further reveals the full impact of blind obedience on humanity and their capability of empathy. It demonstrates that the world needs just one individual who is willing to show disobedience to the authority, trend, regime, and organizations that oppress individuals to bring change to a whole community. The film depicts the problems that HIV-positive individuals and people in the Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community go through every day in society. Gay men and people living with HIV are some of the groups that experience the highest levels of stigmatization (Hatzenbuehler, Phelan " Link 814). The film paints a clear picture of the effects of stigmatization that is derived from obedience to certain traditional beliefs of causes of HIV and immorality among the gay people (Ruel " Campbell 2168). This essay will argue that it is important to have obedience to issues and topics that we believe in, but we must always avoid blind obedience as it has dire consequences.
Woodroof's Homophobic Reaction to His HIV Diagnosis
Dallas Buyers Club introduces Ron Woodroof, an individual who has been diagnosed with the HIV virus at a time when the medication has not yet been discovered. Woodroof's reaction in receiving the diagnosis gives a clear picture of how gay men are viewed in the community. HIV/AIDS was first discovered in gay men (Ruel " Campbell 2168), which led to the popular belief that the illness is a "gay disease." Woodroof believes that the doctors mixed up his blood work in the laboratory because there is no way he would have the gay illness. It is interesting to see the intensity of hate of gay people in Woodroof. He does not seem as bothered by the diagnosis as much as he is bothered by the fact that the doctor mentioned the probability that he was gay. Scholars have carried out research to determine some of the causes of homophobia among heterosexual men. Theodre and Basow, for example, carried out research to determine the causes of homophobia among heterosexual men.
The Influence of Masculinity on Homophobia
The strongest and best predictor of homophobia is masculinity (Theodre " Basow 42). The current society is insistent on gender roles and stereotypes. For the male gender, masculinity remains an important part of their existence. The fear of being identified as a gay individual leads to homophobia because of the insecurities about their masculinity. When Woodroof expressed his opinion disgust about the suggestion that he could have engaged in gay sex, he was trying to distance himself from the gay community and its social status as well as speak on his beliefs about gay individuals (Theodre " Basow 50). He tries to keep the society from treating him as a gay individual and therefore, reaffirming his obedience to the ideologies of the society that gay men cannot be associated with masculinity. Theodre " Basow noted that "males who believe in the importance of possessing high levels of masculine attributes and low levels of feminine traits... make harsh judgment regarding homosexuals" (43). This form of perception leads to homophobia and stigmatization for individuals living with HIV.
Stigmatization of Individuals with HIV/AIDS
Apart from homophobia, stigmatization of individuals with HIV/AIDS is a rampant occurrence around the world (Ruel " Campbell 2168). After his diagnosis, Woodroof loses friends, job, and home. As much as this is the result of stigmatization, the main reason behind it is the belief that HIV was the illness of the gay people. While it is true that most infections happen between men who have sex with men, heterosexual couples are also at risk of getting infected. However, a majority of Woodroof's friends and colleagues thought that he contracted the illness because he was a gay man, which is ironic because he was very homophobic. However, I feel that the homophobia he experienced partially led to accepting people like Rayon and the rest of his LGBT male customers. HIV-positive gay individuals suffer double because of the ideologies that the society has accepted about HIV/AIDS. The society feels that gay men are immoral, and therefore, they are not surprised when they test positive. The homophobia and stigmatization stop many people from getting tested and knowing their HIV status for the fear of victimization and stigmatization.
Factors Contributing to Stigmatization of Individuals with HIV/AIDS
In a bid to understand the causes of stigmatization of individuals diagnosed with HIV, Ruel and Campbell provide a perfect explanation of these circumstances. As observed in the film, doctors and nurses started wearing facemasks and rubber gloves when dealing with individuals with HIV (Ruel " Campbell 2167). Why? When the epidemic broke out, the source and possible prevention measures were not given to the public. All the public was given was information that would serve to increase stigmatization and homophobic behaviors from individuals. Ruel and Campbell concluded that an HIV diagnosis attracts stigma and pessimistic approaches for the following reasons "(1) It is contracted through...disapproved behavior, (2) it is contagious and puts others at risk, and (3) it's incurable" (2168). A combination of the stigma of HIV/AIDS and homosexuality will obviously escalate the level of hate and prejudice against a group of people. The stigma against gay men and individuals with HIV is mostly based on morality (Ruel " Campbell 2175). From the first stages of HIV discovery, individuals were made to believe that the main cause of the disease is immorality, which encouraged the backlash against gay men. The article by Ruel and Campbell draws a perfect picture and provides appropriate reasons why Woodroof lost his job, friends, and even a place he called home.
Overcoming Stigma and Judgment Against the LGBT Community
To overcome stigma and judgment against the LGBT community and individuals living with HIV, one has to question the reason behind their feelings towards these communities. Further, they should take a step further and decide to challenge the beliefs that seem to hurt people rather than help them. Woodroof is in a situation where he has to fight the medical establishments and the government to get what he deserves. The government is experimenting with a drug that kills every cell it comes into contact. After the discovery that what the hospital is doing is wrong, Woodroof takes it upon himself to help the rest cope with their illness by selling them medication that greatly improves their condition. Now, it cannot be ignored that Woodroof is mainly guided by greed, but the steps he takes towards helping other individuals and especially the gay community is an indication that he matures with time. He even protects Rayon from his homophobic friend at the store who refuses to shake her. Apart from Woodroof, Dr. Eve Saks takes a stand against the hospital for continually using the treatment that had been proven to be "poison" to the patients.
Woodroof's Defiance of Authority and Blind Obedience
Woodroof takes the responsibility of ensuring that he lives beyond the 30 days and decides to move over to Mexico to get drugs that will help him live longer, and he succeeds. Instead of receiving the medication that he was receiving from the hospital, the doctor he meets provides him with a better option that helps him recover better than he expected. The only problem with the drug is that it is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. In such a situation, Woodroof had the option of obeying the rules of the land or looking out for his life. He chooses the latter and decides to smuggle the medication across to the United States despite it not being approved. Eventually, the government decides to make the importation of any medication that is not prescribed illegal. This is aimed at discouraging the efforts of individuals like Woodroof, whom the government feels are preventing changes towards the discovery of new medication.
The Government's Profit-Driven Approach to Medication
There have always been suspicions and murmurs about how the government keeps its citizens in the dark about discoveries to ensure they make profits. In the film, the government decides to sell the failed HIV medication at exaggerated prices without informing the buyers of the dangers of its usage. However, Woodroof manages to stand up for himself and other individuals, and even though he does not fully succeed, he makes a step towards the right direction. Obedience to authority is an aspect that contributes to individuals' daily life, where the individuals feel they have to obey every law without question. Blind obedience has dire consequences, especially with the authorities. Citizens are completely dependent on the government to provide a safe environment for them, but this is not realized most of the time.
The Continuing Challenges of Homophobia and Stigmatization
Homophobia and stigmatization of individuals living with HIV are still evident today (Hatzenbuehler et al. 818). The world is currently experiencing the highest levels of homophobia, especially in the developed world where LGBT relationships are permissible. The numbers of transgender individuals killed every day continue to increase, but the government remains largely silent. The organizations that fight against homophobia continue to face resistance from the people and parties that do not support same-sex relations. The highest numbers of new HIV infections happen among men who have sex with men (Hatzenbuehler et al. 818). However, just like the crowd in the film, many people have refused to accept people with different ideologies from theirs. The individuals suffer from the blind obedience of conservative ideologies that will not allow them to think in any other way. One of the conclusions that come from the film is the importance of acceptance and respect for everybody's beliefs. Despite everybody abandoning him after his diagnosis, Woodroof finds Rayon and Dr. Eve and forms a great friendship. Woodroof demonstrates maturity and acceptance of the people within the LGBT community, who ensure that his business of selling medication flourishes.
The Impact of Stigma on Health and Well-being
The effects of stigma are outlined by Hatzenbuehler et al. in their article. According to the article, stigma is the main cause of inequalities in health (Hatzenbuehler et al. 813). Stigma leads to stress and self-stigma. People start to have self-hatred and suicidal thoughts when the stress symptoms show up. Woodroof, for example, is driven to a point where he wants to commit suicide because of the social stigma he experienced after his diagnosis. Stigma against persons of the LGBT community, and especially transgender individuals, has increased. In the age of social media, it is not difficult to follow the number of hate crimes happening around the world. It is disheartening to know that the hatred against people living with HIV and the gay community is still alive in the 21st century. Stigma will influence different parts of an individual's life. According to Hatzenbuehler et al., stigma influences "(1) several physical and mental outcomes... (2) access to multiple resources (3) health inequalities among disadvantaged communities" (819). These influences are obvious to individuals who discriminate against individuals in the gay community, but they choose to ignore them anyway.
Woodroof's Defiance and Acceptance of Others
Dallas Buyers Club presents in an articulate manner the lives of gay and transgender individuals as well as people living with HIV/AIDS. The film shows the effects that homophobia and stigmatization have on the affected individuals, but at the same time shows that a break from the obedience of tradition results always has positive results. Woodroof goes against his normal homophobic behavior and forms a great friendship with a trans-woman with whom they grow a business known as the Dallas Buyers Club. Further, Woodroof goes against the government and its institutions by fighting for his rights despite the frustrations that the government throws his way. Finally, Dr. Eve gains the strength to stand against the medication on experiment and decides to expose its real side effects.
Bibliography
Hatzenbuehler, Mark L. et al. "Stigma as a Fundamental Cause of Population Health Inequalities". American Journal of Public Health, vol. 103, no. 5, 2013, pp. 813-821. American Public Health Association, doi:10.2105/ajph.2012.301069.
The authors of this article dive into research to determine the effects of stigma and what its effect is on the health of the population. The article concludes that stigma leads to disruption of major aspects of an individual’s life. This disruption eventually leads to major health issues among these individuals. This article was important to show the consequences of obedience to the affected individuals. People who suffer stigmatization face major issues that lead to the poor health situation. It would be expected that people would observe this and change their obedience to their traditional norms but this is not always the case.
Ruel, Erin, and Richard T. Campbell. "Homophobia and HIV/AIDS: Attitude Change In The Face Of an Epidemic". Social Forces, vol. 84, no. 4, 2006, pp. 2167-2178. Oxford University Press (OUP), doi:10.1353/sof.2006.0110.
This article provides a summary of how HIV/AIDS led to the spread of homophobia in the United States. According to the authors the discovery of HIV was connected with the gay community and immorality, which led to the popular belief that people in the gay community were immoral. The media also spread information that intravenous drug users were as affected as homosexuals. The spread of AIDS within the gay community gave outsiders the opportunity to spread lies and rumors about the community, which led to increased homophobia. This article was important to the paper because it helped in understanding why HIV was mostly connected to the homosexuals in the film. It would help understand why everyone thought that Woodroof was gay because he contracted HIV.
Theodore, Peter S., and Susan A. Basow. "Heterosexual Masculinity and Homophobia". Journal of Homosexuality, vol. 40, no. 2, 2000, pp. 31-48. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1300/j082v40n02_03.
The article discusses heterosexual masculinity and the social expectations that the male gender is supposed to conform. Being male and feminine has always been frowned upon, which has led to homophobic issues from the heterosexual males. This article was important to help decipher Woodroof’s reaction to the doctor’s comment on about him being a homosexual. The article further helped in deciphering the reaction of other males towards Woodroof’s diagnosis.
Vallée, Jean-Marc. Dallas Buyers Club. Focus Features and Truth Entertainment, 2013.
