The Boys in the Band and the events Before/After Stonewall
             Mart Crowley's first play, The Boys in the Band, was considered to be a groundbreaking work in American theatre and the first truly honest portrayal of the lives of contemporary homosexuals. At a time when gay characters were seldom seen in commercial media except as crude stereotypes, this play represented the many themes of homosexual nature at that time and also foreshadowed the things to come in the gay community. Since Crowley's characters are presented with such reality and candidness, they are still effective today.
             Much of The Boys in the Band is concerned with the various ways that gay men thought of themselves in the late 1960's. Each of the different characters represents a lifestyle or perspective that has one meaning in mainstream society but that operates on an entirely different level within this small social setting of New York homosexuals. Each of the characters has their own personal struggle, along with the given continuum of being rejected by society for their sexual preference.
             Whether it be Michael's confusion concerning his religious beliefs being brought up Catholic, Bernard's battle with being both black and gay, Larry's refusal to commit (a problem that is shared by the heterosexual community yet the situation is made worse due to the fact that homosexuals cannot enter into any legally binding agreement like marriage), Harold's concern with his constant diminishing of his good looks with age, or Alan's overcompensation of homophobia, all the characters have separate issues while still dealing with their sexuality.
             A he becomes more and more drunk, Michael becomes more offensive to his friends, making racial slurs at Bernard and anti-semetic statements towar
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