A Little Background on the History Surrounding Rope

In the 1940’s, being a homosexual was entirely unheard of. Human sexuality wasn’t up for interpretation. Right-minded, healthy, normal people were heterosexual. In fact, homosexuality was considered a gender altering disease by most psychologists and physicians. Men were supposed to be masculine and gayness made them effeminate gender failures (Martin 255). Medical professionals believed that, since it was a psychological disorder, homosexuality could be cured through treatments such as electro-shock therapy (Chiang 301). It was forbidden and un-discussed until about 1948 which, perhaps not so coincidentally, is the same year that Rope was released.

            In 1948 behavioral studies scientist Alfred Kinsey and his collaborators published a report called Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. This report redefined male sexuality, although it was largely rejected by the medical community. It attempted to normalize heterosexuality by using statistical evidence to demonstrate that  no male is entirely straight or gay. All men exhibit some homosexual tendencies from time to time (Chiang 302). This horrified and upset the American public. They feared that if these sexual deviants could blend in with society, it would be harder to target and “cure” them and easier for them to corrupt the minds of innocent heterosexuals (Corber 63).

            Because of their ability to live their lives undetected, the government likened homosexuals to communists. On February 28^th, 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy- famous for the “McCarthy Trials”, in which government officials were accused of being communists without much evidence- accused the State Department of hiring a homosexual official despite the fact that the country was currently facing a massive security crisis in the form of the threat of communism (Corber 62). Gays were feared because, just like communists, they have no morphologic features that outwardly distinguish them from normal people and could work in secret to undermine the government and pervert American citizens (Corber 63). Gays and communists were evil and needed to be eliminated.