Homosexuality in Set It Off
"It is fair to make thargument that there are lesbians who embody Cleo's brand of femal masculinity, but that does not necessitate the latent homophobia that emanates from women who are supposed to be Cleo's best friends and from the audience response.." Waiting to Set It Off Kimberly Springer (pg. 188)
"Cleo has no illusions about her chances for mobility, and the film's implicit message is that homosexuality or innappropriate masculinity will not get you any where you need to go in a society that emphasizes heterosexuality or femininity for biological women." Waiting to Set It Off Kimberly Springer (pg. 189)
Although Set It Off focused on empowering women who were oppressed by the system (which is portrayed as run completely by men, mostly white), I found it disturbing the way lesbianism was explicity condemned. As Springer put it, the movie portrayed lesbianism as a characteristic that should be acted upon and displayed only in private. Whenever Cleo's girlfriend is around, Frankie, Stoney and Tiesan look away making comments about keeping her romantic endeavors out of their sight. This reinforces the belief that homosexuality should be kept private; out of sight from the public. Showing that Cleo's best friends are unwilling to support her tells audiences that homosexuality is indeed something that doesn't need to be tolerated. Also, the fact that Cleo was the only one spoke frequently about how she was doomed for the ghetto and a life of crime can enforce the belief that lesbianism is a setback for women. This is reinforced by Stoney's heterosexual romance with Keith which saved her life in the end. Being a movie that empowers oppressed women to take matters into their own hands, I thought that it would show homosexuality in a positive way. To me, the movie tells the audience to overcome social and economic circumstances but not sexuality circumstances.