Was James Dean gay? He never admitted it, except to say, rather enigmatically, "I am certainly not going to go through life with one hand tied behind my back."
Based solely on this statement, and the secret hopes of many a smitten homosexual male, one would have to assume that this was the case. I say, "HOGWASH!" (Actually, I say something much stronger, but this is a family show).
James Dean was NOT gay. Sure, he may have dabbled a bit, but just because you know how to swim, it doesn't make you an Olympic Gold medalist. The only reason gay people say James Dean was gay is that they WISH he was. There is not a true Dean fan on Earth who hasn't looked at him and thought, "I would do him".
Anyone who has done any reading on James Dean's life (I have), most surely know of his unwillingness to conform to anyone's expectations of him. He knew what his goal was and he went after it regardless of the fallout.
Much has been written about this aspect of his life, probably because it was never really resolved. There was no clear "Yes" or "No" answer to the question. Somehow I get the distinct impression that James Dean relished in this speculation about his true sexual preference. Something to think about: If James Dean was truly gay, and given his disregard for authority, I am reasonably sure that, had he been told by studio execs to "date women" (as his co-star in Giant, Rock Hudson, was forced to do), Jimmy being Jimmy would have done exactly the opposite. Now, I realize there are those who would discount this by saying that a move so bold would have cost him the career he worked so hard for, but James Dean was not one to be told that he couldn't do things, because he would go right out and prove to you that he could. This is just my opinion, mind you. I do realize that he must have known that a declaration of homosexuality in the early fifties would have probably cost him more than his livelihood.
Sure, it was no secret that some of his closest friends were gay, and that he had at least two "relationships" with men. Sal Mineo, "Plato", was hopelessly in love with Jimmy and told him so, but
Jimmy never acted on that information. Most of the references to his sexual preferences leaning toward homosexuality were voiced by people who were homosexuals themselves, and in my opinion (humble as it is), never witnessed Jimmy "in the act", but only dreamed it. Therein lies the "wishful thinking" on their part.
I quote now George Perry, who wrote a book entitled "James Dean", which is the only book I know of that was authorized by the James Dean Estate: "The brief, same-sex interlude was all part of the process, but the likely outcome was that Jimmy, having experimented and having used one such relationship as a ruthless means to a career boost, was unlikely to continue in that direction."
Bear in mind also that, at age 24, James Dean may not have known himself whether he was gay, straight or bisexual. Only that such liaisons resulted in finding steady work in the craft he so loved. And for that, if nothing else, the entire James Dean fanbase should be eternally grateful.
One last thought: It really does not matter to me what James Dean did to get where he got, or what he did once he got there. The fact is and always will be that James Dean left a legacy of only three major films, and his star burns brighter today than anyone in the history of film. That alone should be enough for anyone.
Based solely on this statement, and the secret hopes of many a smitten homosexual male, one would have to assume that this was the case. I say, "HOGWASH!" (Actually, I say something much stronger, but this is a family show).
James Dean was NOT gay. Sure, he may have dabbled a bit, but just because you know how to swim, it doesn't make you an Olympic Gold medalist. The only reason gay people say James Dean was gay is that they WISH he was. There is not a true Dean fan on Earth who hasn't looked at him and thought, "I would do him".
Anyone who has done any reading on James Dean's life (I have), most surely know of his unwillingness to conform to anyone's expectations of him. He knew what his goal was and he went after it regardless of the fallout.
Much has been written about this aspect of his life, probably because it was never really resolved. There was no clear "Yes" or "No" answer to the question. Somehow I get the distinct impression that James Dean relished in this speculation about his true sexual preference. Something to think about: If James Dean was truly gay, and given his disregard for authority, I am reasonably sure that, had he been told by studio execs to "date women" (as his co-star in Giant, Rock Hudson, was forced to do), Jimmy being Jimmy would have done exactly the opposite. Now, I realize there are those who would discount this by saying that a move so bold would have cost him the career he worked so hard for, but James Dean was not one to be told that he couldn't do things, because he would go right out and prove to you that he could. This is just my opinion, mind you. I do realize that he must have known that a declaration of homosexuality in the early fifties would have probably cost him more than his livelihood.
Sure, it was no secret that some of his closest friends were gay, and that he had at least two "relationships" with men. Sal Mineo, "Plato", was hopelessly in love with Jimmy and told him so, but
Jimmy never acted on that information. Most of the references to his sexual preferences leaning toward homosexuality were voiced by people who were homosexuals themselves, and in my opinion (humble as it is), never witnessed Jimmy "in the act", but only dreamed it. Therein lies the "wishful thinking" on their part.
I quote now George Perry, who wrote a book entitled "James Dean", which is the only book I know of that was authorized by the James Dean Estate: "The brief, same-sex interlude was all part of the process, but the likely outcome was that Jimmy, having experimented and having used one such relationship as a ruthless means to a career boost, was unlikely to continue in that direction."
Bear in mind also that, at age 24, James Dean may not have known himself whether he was gay, straight or bisexual. Only that such liaisons resulted in finding steady work in the craft he so loved. And for that, if nothing else, the entire James Dean fanbase should be eternally grateful.
One last thought: It really does not matter to me what James Dean did to get where he got, or what he did once he got there. The fact is and always will be that James Dean left a legacy of only three major films, and his star burns brighter today than anyone in the history of film. That alone should be enough for anyone.