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Ben L

5 Nov. 2014
Masculinity and Sexuality in Dallas Buyers Club
Tradition masculinity, as stated by Cooper Thompson in her article We Should
Reject Traditional Masculinity, demands independence, pride, physical strength,
aggressiveness, and power. Because of this need to show all these attributes, violence
is usually the tool which enforces and maintains ones image of masculinity. Cooper
argues that new masculinity must allow boys to accept vulnerabilities, and learn to
express emotion without using violence.
In Dallas Buyers Club, essentially everyone in Ron Woodroofs home town, a
western trailer park, is entrenched in traditional masculine ideas. At the beginning of the
film, Ron is shown trying to escape a bet that he has lost. He is shown running for his
life, with his assailants threatening some sort of violence as a retribution for him not
honoring the bet. Ron must escape this problem, so, using his traditional idea of
masculinity, he decides to strike a police officer. This is an example of Ron not working
out his problems in a responsible manner, but instead using violence.
Cooper argues that the problems associated with traditional masculinity stem
from two main problems: misogyny and homophobia. Misogyny is the prejudice against
women, while homophobia is the prejudice against homosexual people. This causes
problems because, first and foremost, it puts some groups of people below others,
which is fundamentally wrong. Secondly, it forces people who embrace traditional
masculinity to avoid even the positive attributes of femininity (kindness, being open
about emotions, etc.). These two problems lead to a traditional man being hateful and
emotionally secluded.
When Ron arrives at the hospital after being shocked at his job, the doctor
informs him that he has HIV, and will only survive another month. Ron immediately
goes into denial, stating I aint no faggot. He then threatens the doctor with violence.
To dissect this scene, Ron felt that his masculinity was threatened when the doctor
informed him of his disease, as he thought the doctor was accusing him of homosexual
acts. Ron chose to threaten the doctor to reassure his masculinity, and also denied that
he had the disease because of his homophobia.
When Ron first meets Rayon in the hospital he is disgusted. She shows him
kindness and friendship, yet, because of Rons homophobia, he shows her hatred.
Although a bigot, Ron cant turn down the opportunity to bet some money, so he allows
Rayon to play cards with him, and slowly begins to loosen up to the idea of her

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sexuality. Later, Rons legs start to cramp. Of course, with him being the picture of
masculinity that he is, his first instinct is to tuff it out and not ask for help. Rayon quickly
steps in and messages Rons calves, introducing to him the idea that traditional
masculinityin this case suffering through painis not always the best answer. This is
significant because it is the first instance of a new world of acceptance, love, and
shared pain that Ron will experience throughout this film.
After his friends find out that Ron has HIV, they begin to shun him. At the bar,
one of his friends even threatens violence toward him solely because they think that he
is gay. This is an example of homophobia, and a group creating an other. This is also
meaningful to Ron because he can now feel the exclusion and hatred that Rayon felt
when he treated her differently in the hospital because of her sexuality. In becoming an
other, Ron no longer looks at Rayon as an other.
When shopping at a supermarket with his new friend and business partner
Rayon, Ron comes across one of his old friends. Ron notices that he is disgusted by
Rayon, so Ron physically forces him to shake Rayons hand. Although he uses
violence to solve this problem, this scene marks Rons total acceptance and love for
Rayon.
As the film progresses, Ron begins to shift his view of masculinity. He starts to
accept Rayons sexuality and opens up by sharing his emotions. To Eve, Ron states
that [he] wants [his] life to mean something. The Ron that we were introduced to at
the beginning of the film would have never considered sharing this thought. Based on
this scene alone, the viewer can see the transformation from traditional masculinity to
Coopers new masculinity that Ron has undergone. Ron is no longer homophobic, he
seems to be using much less violence (although he still uses some), and is embracing
his vulnerabilities and emotions.
This film is the story of a traditional man, Ron Woodroof, coming to understand
that traditional masculinity is oppressive and unfulfilling. He undergoes the radical
change from a western cowboy who hates gays, to the owner of the Dallas Buyers
Club, a place where people with HIV or AIDS, most of whom are gay, can get medicine.
But the beauty doesnt lie in the story alone. This film not only shows a man going
through these changes, but also invites the viewer to experience them, and to come out
of the film with a whole new understanding of masculinity and sexuality.