#you're a ruddy goddess and i worship you

[thatbanditqueen]

on the subject of elvis’s sexuality:

while i don’t think he was bisexual, i’m sure he felt at least some level of attraction to other men, even just as a “that’s a good-looking guy” type of thing. his comfortability with queer men (friendships with little richard, liberace, etc) indicates he was confident in his own sexuality, at least for the most part. apparently he did experience a bit of gay panic, though.

marlon brando and he had a sort-of pen pal relationship going on and apparently elvis wrote to him on more than one occasion panicking about his sexuality.

brando wrote about elvis to another at one time: “He's being churned up inside until he fears himself. I sometimes think he fears that he's a latent homosexual." (all of this is from the book brando on elvis: in his own words)

this all happened in 69, i believe, which is when elvis was feeling incredibly vulnerable and unhappy in a lot of his relationships (particularly with priscilla).

all of this is to say elvis experienced gay panic severe enough to write to his hero about it and brando is a huge gossip.

It is always so nice when a more experienced woman takes the time to tutor a novice like me in Elvis' sexuality ....

I absolutely agree that E would appreciate male beauty, some of the mafia make him out to have been homophobic, but Ii think they project some of their own anxieties there, because he had those friendships. He was always so aesthetically attuned, to himself, the women he dated, the customized fashion, jewelry, decor .... and he was confident enough to follow his own taste and instincts when it came to this which is so fucking hot....

I haven't read Brando's book, in fact, I didn't even know it existed. This story about hiis gay panic doesn't surprise me at all, I am just kind of surprised Guralnick doesn't talk about it because of how thoroughly he researched any mention of Elvis in the press, interviewed people, and read many of the other bios... or maybe I shouldn't be, as revered as that book set is, I do feel like a lot of the sexual stuff is tamped down or ignored... I'll add that there are more books that I haven't read than those I have, still very much a work in progress here.

From the books I have read, though, Elvis is sort of painted as not confiding or talk to male friends in-depth about personal stuff, and characterized as being discouraged from having relationships with other actors in Hollywood. But again, these are impressions I've gotten mainly based on accounts from the mafia so I guess thanks to the anon for helping facilitate my deeper education on Elvis' sexuality.

I absolutely love this story about Brando and now I want to read it because I am a long time Brando admirer, I went through a phase as a teen where I watched as many of his movies as I could...

OK, Elise, I want you to lay it on me.... what are some other books or interviews I should go stick my head into?

xoxox