The Inner Conflict of Gay Organization

most of them are non-essential neither to the plot nor the storyline. It can be seen in the dialogue below on page 37-38. There are sorts of different opinion regarding how these men see gay, sexuality, etc. In the end, this is the chapter where they set aside different political agendas and created an official Gay Hotline Service regarding AIDS. MICKEY. Its difficult to write this without sounding alarmist or scared. Okay, but then listen to this: I am sick of guys moaning that giving up careless sex until this blows over is worse than death . . . I am sick of guys who can only think with their cocks . . . I am sick of closeted gays. Its 1982 now, guys, when are you going to come out? By 1984 you could be dead. … BRUCE. But we cant tell people how to live their lives We cant do that. And besides, the entire gay political platform is fucking. Wed get it from all sides. NED. You make it sound like thats all that being gay means. BRUCE. Thats all it does mean MICKEY. Its the only thing that makes us different. NED. I dont want to be considered different. BRUCE. Neither do I, actually. MICKEY. Well, I do. BRUCE. Well, you are NED. Why is it we can only talk about our sexuality, and so relentlessly? You know, Mickey, all weve created is generations of guys who cant deal with each other as anything but erections. We cant even get a meeting with the mayors gay assistant Kramer, 1985:37-38 The dialogue above takes place in Ned‘s apartment where they have a conversation regarding the presidency of GMHC. In this scene, Tommy Boatwright is also introduced although he doesn‘t cause any significant changes to the plot or the characters‘ conflict. According to the play, the dialogue on scene 5 is the first conflict between them. Before GMHC presidential election, Ned started to argue concerning his published article about how gay men should act for the greater good. Ned characteristic is seen in Mickey‘s quotation of Ned‘s article. Ned‘s selection of foul languages gives this a sense of urgency for those who read it. For gay men who have to live a different life, unlike Ned who is open about his gayness, they are offended by his article. Bruce and Mickey are those gay men who has a closed gayness and choose to be heterosexual if it necessary. Mickey and Bruce attack Ned with their conceptions of gay men and gay political platform. They believe that at the time, being gay men is about the free sex. Ned oppose that idea and instead of support, Ned gets thwarted by his friends. It starts from Mickey who quoted in what Ned writes and Bruce tries to deny what Ned has stated. This is considered as the first spark that makes Ned‘s stands out from the rest of Gay men in this play. How he dares to be different and speaks up with irrational emotion is the main idea behind this play. MICKEY. Or able to afford so much therapy. Although God knows I need it. [looking at his watch] Look, its late, and we havent elected our president. Ned, I think it should be…Bruce. Everybody knows him and likes him and…I mean, everybody expects you to- NED. You mean hes popular and everybodys afraid of me. NED. [to BRUCE] Well, it looks like youre the president. BRUCE. I dont think I want this. NED. Oh, come on, youre gorgeous and were all going to follow you. BRUCE. Fuck you. I accept. NED. Well, fuck you, congratulations. Kramer, 1985: 36, 40 Although it is not as significant as the argument before on page 36, but the election of Bruce Niles as the president of GMHC is an indication that Ned will be set aside and the way he works is affected. The dialogue above on this scene can be seen as how Ned‘s idea and confrontational way of resolve gay men problems does not work and Bruce‘s placid way on dealing with their complications win hearts of gay men. Eventually , this leads to Ned‘s outrage towards the GMHC in the end of Act II of the play. The main conflict in the organization starts to crumble on scene 13, this is the part where Ned is removed from the GMHC board of directors. Although it only happens to Ned Weeks, the main character, the main idea is still the same. This is the board of the director letter to Ned Weeks. In this scene, the only one who talks to Ned is Bruce, his close friend. BRUCE. [takes a letter out of his pocket] The board wanted me to read you this letter. We are circulating this letter widely among people of judgment and good sense in our community. We take this action to try to combat your damage, wrought, so far as we can see, by your having no scruples whatever Mr. Ned Weeks is hereby removed as a director. We beg that you leave us quietly and not destroy us and what good work we manage despite your disapproval. In closing, please know we always welcome your input, advice, and help. [BRUCE tries to hand NED the letter. NED wont take it. BRUCE tries to put it in NEDs breast pocket. NED deflects BRUCEs hand.] Kramer, 1985: 57 The quotation above is a reflection of most of gay men works at that time. Most of the GMHC members are trying to resolve this problem without adding drama or chaotic interpretation towards gay men. Meanwhile, most of the GMHC agrees with Bruce‘s approach of the situation, Ned weeks‘ controvers ial and ‗harsh‘ style of problem solving does not suit well for GMHC. How Gay men stood to be ―invisible‖ in the public eye is not an effective way to campaign their most critical and vulnerable time according to Ned. The letters toward Ned as read by Bruce is the decision of the majority or all of the board members of the GMHC. Ned‘s position as the Director of Gay Men Health Crisis is dismissed by the board member, which is another word in saying that he is fired by the GMHC. The words that are chosen in the letter is emphasized how the majority of the GMHC are afraid that what Ned did or done can backfire. By the end of this scene, Ned chooses to quit the GMHC although the line ‗In closing, please know we always welcome your input, advice, and help ‘ is stated on the letter.

3. The HIV plague

The terrible fact which David reveals to Ned is one of the problems that New York face at that time, which is around late 1980 and early 1981. According to the New York Times, on January 15, 1981, the first known victim that died due to HIV is a young man name Nick Rock. This is the first ever case that recorded on the media regarding HIV at that time. ― A young gay man named Nick suffers a seizure and loses consciousness. His boyfriend, Enno Poersc h, rushes him to St. Luke‘s-Roosevelt, where he‘s diagnosed with toxoplasmosis, a disease usually found in cats. ―I had no idea it was the beginning of an epidemic,‖ recalls his doctor, Michael Lange.‖ Farber, 1991 The quotation above is stated in November 1, 1980. This is the date when Nick Rock was brought by his boyfriend. This is one of the first documentation of HIVAIDS which deal with homosexual. Today, New York Times has made a timeline and elaboration of this disease released on October 1980. The Normal Heart also uses the story above which at that time has not been published to the community yet as one of the scene on the play. BRUCE. [calling from off] Where do I go? Where do I go? EMMA. Quickly put him on the table. What happened? BRUCE. He was coming out of the building and he started running to me and then he…then he collapsed to the ground. EMMA. What is going on inside your bodies [CRAIG starts to convulse. BRUCE, MICKEY, and NED restrain him. She takes a tongue depressor and holds CRAIGs tongue flat; she checks the pulse in his neck; she looks into his eyes for vital signs that he is coming around,- CRAIGS convulsions stop.] You the lover? Kramer, 1985:20 The quotation above has a similarity of action by the characters regarding with the actual event that occurred on November as written by Altman, whom is a New York Times journalist. Bruce Niles can be considered as Enno Poersch, the boyfriend of the victim who is Nick Rock or in this case, Craig. This is the beginning of the mysterious plague that is soon spread throughout the States. Craig is the first ever victim of HIVAIDS according to the play. In the first scene of act one, Craig was collapsed on the road and Bruce, Mickey and Ned is there with him. Although it is unclear how long and how do they bring Craig, in the end he ended in Emma‘s hospital. Emma‘s reaction to Craig‘s body indicates that Craig is not her first patient. Despite not her first, this disease is still a mysterious one. There is also another point of interest in the text below. EMMA. Long before we isolated the hepatitis viruses we