Before the 1980’s, gay characters in American film were generally either unhappy misfits who dutifully committed suicide, or they were murdered. A boom of gay films in the 80’s presented characters who were full, happy people, breaking free of the current stereotypes.
The boom of queer films has continued for thirty years. We’ve had movies about being in the closet and coming out, fighting oppression and dying of AIDS. We’ve been the villain and the vain. If we live in the straight world we’re the best friend, if we live in a queer bubble, all we do is party and chase tail. Queer characters have fallen into new stereotypes. Overwhelmingly, they are defined wholly by their queerness.
All the Others Were Practice is a return to queer characters who are full people. They’re thoroughly queer, but not defined by it. They define what queer means for them. It’s the post-gay romantic comedy.
Post-gay isn’t ex-gay. It doesn’t mean the struggle for equality is over. The characters are just over being labeled. They’re people, and they can’t be summed up with any one word.