ABSTRACT
The rave reviews did not last long. In 1971, gay liberationist Dennis Altman called The Boys in the Band “Crowley’s portrait of unredeemed mis ery,” and complained that not all homosexuals were “corrupted by self-hate” (36). In 1972, another gay liberationist, Peter Fisher, provided a similar cri tique. Noting the original reception, he wrote, “ The Boys in the Band was seen as a breakthrough by many people, but it presents a stereotypical picture of unhappy people unable to come to terms with themselves” (203). In the years since, many critics have been equally dismissive of both the play and subse quent 1970 film.2 For example, in a recent essay, Joe Carrithers complains that “Gay viewers may search for a positive depiction of their lives, the diver sity of their lives, but that search will be in vain” (65) .3
