Lavender marriage
Encyclopedia
Lavender marriage is a type of male-female marriage of convenience
in which the couple are not both heterosexual and conceal the homosexual or bisexual orientation of one or both spouses. In gay slang
, the heterosexual spouse in a lavender marriage is referred to as a "beard
" for a wife
.
stars to enter into marriages of convenience
to protect their public reputations and preserve their careers. The destruction of the career of MGM actor William Haines
, who refused to end his relationship with his male partner Jimmy Shields and enter into a marriage at MGM's direction, was said to have prompted a number of marriages of this type. While the term is no longer in common usage, rumors suggesting that some high profile celebrity couples marry to conceal the sexual orientation of one or both partners continue to circulate.
Among the couples and individuals who have been reported to have entered "lavender marriages" are:
Marriage of convenience
A marriage of convenience is a marriage contracted for reasons other than the reasons of relationship, family, or love. Instead, such a marriage is orchestrated for personal gain or some other sort of strategic purpose, such as political marriage. The phrase is a calque of - a marriage of...
in which the couple are not both heterosexual and conceal the homosexual or bisexual orientation of one or both spouses. In gay slang
Gay slang
LGBT slang, LGBT speak or gay slang is a set of slang used predominantly among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. It has been used in various languages, including English and Japanese since the early 1900s as a means by members of the LGBT community as a group to self-advertise as a...
, the heterosexual spouse in a lavender marriage is referred to as a "beard
Beard (female companion)
Beard is a slang term describing a person who is used, knowingly or unknowingly, as a date, romantic partner , or spouse either to conceal infidelity or to conceal one's sexual orientation...
" for a wife
Wife
A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
.
History
Although there have been a number of prominent lavender marriages in history, the phrase itself came into colloquial use during the 1920s, when the imposition of morality clauses into the contracts of Hollywood actors caused some closetedCloseted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
stars to enter into marriages of convenience
Marriage of convenience
A marriage of convenience is a marriage contracted for reasons other than the reasons of relationship, family, or love. Instead, such a marriage is orchestrated for personal gain or some other sort of strategic purpose, such as political marriage. The phrase is a calque of - a marriage of...
to protect their public reputations and preserve their careers. The destruction of the career of MGM actor William Haines
William Haines
Charles William "Billy" Haines was an American film actor and interior designer. He was a star of the silent era until the 1930s, when Haines' career was cut short by MGM Studios due to his refusal to deny his homosexuality...
, who refused to end his relationship with his male partner Jimmy Shields and enter into a marriage at MGM's direction, was said to have prompted a number of marriages of this type. While the term is no longer in common usage, rumors suggesting that some high profile celebrity couples marry to conceal the sexual orientation of one or both partners continue to circulate.
Among the couples and individuals who have been reported to have entered "lavender marriages" are:
- Actor Rock HudsonRock HudsonRoy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
, who, under movie studio pressure and worried about rumors that ConfidentialConfidential (magazine)Confidential was a periodical published quarterly from December 1952 to August 1953, and then bi-monthly until 1978. It was founded by Robert Harrison and is considered a pioneer in scandal, gossip, and exposé journalism. Newsweek said it featured "sin and sex with a seasoning of right wing...
magazine was planning to expose his homosexuality, married Phyllis GatesPhyllis GatesPhyllis Lucille Gates was an American secretary and interior decorator notable for her three year marriage to the actor Rock Hudson....
, a young woman who worked for Hudson's agent. - British diplomat Harold NicolsonHarold NicolsonSir Harold George Nicolson KCVO CMG was an English diplomat, author, diarist and politician. He was the husband of writer Vita Sackville-West, their unusual relationship being described in their son's book, Portrait of a Marriage.-Early life:Nicolson was born in Tehran, Persia, the younger son of...
and his wife Vita Sackville-WestVita Sackville-WestThe Hon Victoria Mary Sackville-West, Lady Nicolson, CH , best known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author, poet and gardener. She won the Hawthornden Prize in 1927 and 1933...
, who were both bisexual, were monogamous early in their marriage but after the birth of their two sons acknowledged their preference for the same gender and engaged in love affairs. - American composer Cole PorterCole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
, in 1919, married Linda Lee ThomasLinda Lee ThomasLinda Lee Thomas was an American socialite, the wife of musical theatre composer Cole Porter.A descendant of the Lee family of Virginia, daughter of Louisville banker William Paca Lee and his wife, née Lily Hill, Linda Belle Lee was, in her youth, a noted beauty...
, a rich divorcee from KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Thomas was aware of Porter's homosexuality, but since her first husband was reportedly abusive, friends speculate she preferred the idea of a marriage based on mutual respect. Porter also preferred the heterosexual image this offered his budding career. They remained together until her death.
In fiction
Fictional examples include:- The plot of the 1993 film The Wedding BanquetThe Wedding BanquetThe Wedding Banquet is a 1993 film about a gay Taiwanese immigrant man who marries a mainland Chinese woman to placate his parents and get her a green card. His plan backfires when his parents arrive in the United States to plan his wedding banquet....
, which centers around a lavender marriage between two Chinese AmericanChinese AmericanChinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
s. - The 1996 episode of The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, titled "A Fish Called SelmaA Fish Called Selma"A Fish Called Selma" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons seventh season and originally aired on March 24, 1996. The episode sees Troy McClure attempt to resurrect his acting career by marrying Selma Bouvier. Show runners Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein were fans of Phil Hartman and wished to...
", in which Troy McclureTroy McClureTroy McClure is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He was voiced by Phil Hartman and first appears in the second season episode "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment". McClure is a washed-up actor, usually shown doing low-level work, such as hosting infomercials...
enters into a lavender marriage with Selma Bouvier to conceal his unusual sexual desire for fish/aquatic animals. - The Italian-American character Salvatore in the series Mad MenMad MenMad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
(2007), who entered into a lavender marriage to conceal his homosexuality from the early 1960s Madison Avenue advertising agency around which the series is centered. However his wife did not know of his sexual orientation. - In the show Samantha Who?Samantha Who?Samantha Who? is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from October 15, 2007 to July 23, 2009. The series was created by Cecelia Ahern and Don Todd, who also served as producers...
(2007-2009), the character Andrea Belladonna agrees to enter into a lavender marriage with gay basketball player Tony Dane. - In the 2008 Hindi movie 'Fashion', the character Rahul Arora, a gay fashion designer, marries Janet, a heterosexual model, to conceal his sexual orientation.
- The Playboy ClubThe Playboy ClubThe Playboy Club is an American television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 2011 to October 3, 2011. Set in 1961, the series centers around the employees of the original Playboy Club operating in Chicago....
, a 2011 television series on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, includes a lesbian Playboy BunnyPlayboy BunnyA Playboy Bunny is a waitress at the Playboy Club. The Playboy Clubs were originally open from 1960 to 1988. The Club re-opened in one location in The Palms Hotel in Las Vegas in 2006...
in a lavender marriage with a gay man. The two are members of the Chicago chapter of the Mattachine SocietyMattachine SocietyThe Mattachine Society, founded in 1950, was one of the earliest homophile organizations in the United States, probably second only to Chicago’s Society for Human Rights . Harry Hay and a group of Los Angeles male friends formed the group to protect and improve the rights of homosexuals...
.
See also
- Alla NazimovaAlla NazimovaAlla Nazimova , was a Russian American film and theatre actress, a screenwriter and film producer. She is perhaps best known as simply Nazimova, but also went under the name Alia Nasimoff.-Early life:...
- Boston marriageBoston marriageBoston marriage as a term is said to have been in use in New England in the decades spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries to describe two women living together, independent of financial support from a man. The term was little known until the debut in 2000 of the David Mamet play of the...
- Doom BookDoom BookThe Doom Book was a list of 117 names created in the 1930s by United States censor Will Hays. The list included actors, actresses, directors, and others in the film industry whose private lives were "contrary to public morals" and who as a result should not be employed by Hollywood studios...
- Hollywood marriageHollywood marriageA Hollywood marriage originally meant a glamorous high society marriage between Hollywood celebrities. However, the term has grown to also have strong negative connotations of a marriage that is of short duration and quickly ends in separation or divorce...
- Mariage blancMariage blancMariage blanc is a marriage which is without consummation. The persons may have married for a variety of reasons, for example, a marriage of convenience is usually entered into in order to aid or rescue one of the principals of the marriage from persecution or harm; or for economic, social or visa...
, an asexual marriage undertaken for the protection of one party - Mixed-orientation marriageMixed-orientation marriageA mixed-orientation marriage is a marriage in which one of the partners is heterosexual and the other is bisexual or homosexual.- Motivations:Some cite spiritual reasons for getting married...
- Sham marriageSham marriageA sham marriage or fake marriage is a marriage of convenience entered into with the intent of deceiving public officials or society about its purpose. Arranging or entering into such a marriage to deceive public officials is itself a separate violation of the law of some countries...