Flirt or Skirt?
Boys on the Side brought up a lot of issues, both directly and indirectly. Interracial relationships, abuse, gay, straight relationships, the law, and AIDS just to name a few. All of these issues are important to our society today both when the movie came out and today. Boys on the Side brought up interracial friendship with the exsisting relationship between Jane and Holly, and the new friendship between Jane and Robin. The relationship between Jane and Robin also briefly and indirectly addresses the issue of lesbian love. They have a relatioship that develops from friendship into something more. While addressing the romantic/friendship relationship between these two characters, the issue of homophobia has to come up. One of the scenes that somewhat addresses it is when Robin's mother finds out that here daughter was living with a gay female roommate. The lawyer that cross examines Jane also somewhat addresses the issue of homophobia. However as soon as the topic is brought up, it is just as quickly dropped. Racism is an issue that is never really adressed by the characters in the movie. The difference of race between Jand and Robin and Holly is never brought up between the three of them. This is somewhat surprising that the deeper and less defined relationship of lesbian love is more deeply addressed than the issue of racism.