The most treacherous of all lives, are the ones borne in irony. Some create it voluntarily, while rest are pushed into it.
Living in constant fear of unacceptance and derision due to something that needs assistance Such ironic was the life of Rock Hudson, who was rather sinned twice by God: as a man of unique sexual orientation, and one among many who contracted the HIV disease.
Roy Fitzgerald, famously known as “Rock Hudson”, was purportedly named after the Rock of Gibraltar and the Hudson River, by his agent and confidant, Henry Willson. One of the last stars of Hollywood’s Golden Era, whose life will forever be tainted with the secret struggles of concealing his sexual identity, Hudson regardless, ascended to a pedestal where he was known as “The King of Hollywood”.
(Source: Hollywood Insider)
Closeted in an era where an openly gay man could hardly be a cinema sensation, Hudson was Hollywood’s heartthrob. His newfound stardom began in 1954 with his first film, “Magnificent Obsession”, and in only a year he was nominated for the Academy Award for his film, “Giant”. However, the severe tabloid scrutiny of his private life, made him take certain conflicting decisions. In 1955, he announced his wedlock to Willson’s secretary, Phyllis Gates. This tumultuous marriage that lasted three years was only a coverup of his unacceptable sexuality, silencing numerous tabloids. He starred in the massive Romantic hit, “The Pillowtalk”, to later also traverse the television industry by starring in the long-running series, “McMillan & Wife”.
Despite the rising LGBT movement of 1950s and 60s, Hudson never openly came out to express his sexual identity. His statement of having contracted HIV in 1984 was the only instance that could formally conclude who he was, beyond the confines of binary gender. At that time, the medical community and general public regarded AIDS as the ‘Gay Plague or GRID (gay-related immune deficiency), hence formally declaring his HIV positive status was rather a bold statement to address the sheer ignorance and normative stereotyping associated with homosexuality and diseases. It is unfortunate how even the King of Hollywood found himself at crossroads when given a choice to hide his true self or face moral scorn and ridicule. The mental fabric of the 1900s was a disempowering weave of shame and secrecy for all homosexuals, be it Hudson, who spent a year seeking experimental treatments that could save him from publicly announcing his diagnosis, and eventually his sexuality.
Rock Hudson was everything a romantic, dreamy man in 1960s was supposed to be- hunky and extraordinarily handsome, however, he was also a pioneer. Despite fearing backlash, his truth about AIDS made his sexuality all but clear. A message sent by Hudson, at a fundraiser read, “I am not happy that I am sick. I am not happy that I have AIDS; but if that is helping others, I can at least know that my own misfortune has had some positive worth”. During the time of umpteen ostracizations, the mere touch of an HIV-positive individual was considered lethal. The medical community found itself with no answers to the dilemma of this disease, only to leave it be a godly act to sinful individuals. Hudson, however, found his way through these obstacles of ignorance and outward validation, to leave behind a trail of change.
(Source: Classic Hollywood Central)
Hudson would have been an enthusiast and LGBTQIA+ revolutionary had he been a Hollywood sensation of the present century. From listing homosexuality as a personality disturbance and the cause of many fatal diseases to accepting homosexuals as who they are; the human race has taken strides of sensitized development. However, it is succinctly appropriate to say, ‘there is a long way to go from here.
This article has been written by Ms. Vanshika Arora, a first-year student of the Army Institute of Law, Mohali.