WORDS: CIARA FORRISTAL
It seems almost to be taken for granted that Scandinavia has been a beacon of liberal values and sexual liberation throughout the years, particularly with regard to the slow development of tolerance and liberation in the rest of the western world. However, the three-part Swedish drama series Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves, sheds light on the fact that only thirty years ago, such tolerance and acceptance amongst the Nordic race was difficult to conceive. Albeit an off-putting title, this series poignantly highlights the scourge of the AIDS epidemic in Stockholm in the early 80s, which the voice-over at the beginning of each episode states “was like a war fought in peacetime”. Based on the novels of Jonas Gardell’s trilogy of the same name, this series creates intimate portraits of three interconnected homosexual men, as well as providing a broader picture of the environment, mentalities and attitudes towards homosexuality and the emergence of AIDS as the “new plague” of society.
The sexual awakenings of both Rasmus (Adam Pålsson) a nineteen-year-old boy from rural Värmland who has recently moved to Stockholm, and the deeply conflicted Jehovah’s Witness Benjamin (Adam Lundgren) and their subsequent relationship with each other form an integral element of the series. The arresting imagery of the flashbacks of their childhood concerning mirrors and glass is highly evocative of the nature of their simultaneous presence and absence within a society that legally acknowledges but continues to marginalize homosexual men. Even though same-sex conduct was decriminalized in 1944 and homosexuality was declassified as a mental illness in 1979, the series emphasizes the hostile reception to homosexual men, particularly evident in the ‘Fairy Ring’ of Stockholm train station where gay men position themselves in a prime location to proposition each other, only to retreat to dimly-lit back-alleys and shaded parklands. This motif of mirrors and glass continues to be a central theme especially in the relationship between Rasmus and Benjamin, where their visibility as a couple is strained by Benjamin’s refusal to come out to his devout parents. Defining himself as “nobody” Rasmus frequently cheats on Benjamin, the result of which causes Benjamin to smash a mirror to ascertain whether he himself truly exists without acknowledge an essential component of himself.
Symbolism features extensively throughout the series and to a large extent, evocatively highlights the continuing uncertainty and dangers that homosexual men in 80s Sweden and elsewhere faced. However, at times this symbolism can be quite overbearing and clichéd, particularly the recurring imagery of the white elk which, like homosexual men, like Rasmus, are quite rare in Värmland. His father relates the story of how in other parts of Sweden, whole herds of them exist and that “people shoot them because they are different.” Moreover, the excitement elicited by Rasmus’ family at the appearance of a solitary white elk, conveys their willingness to embrace the possibility of such rarities in provincial towns like their own.
At times the series is harrowing to watch, particularly the flash-forwards to Rasmus and his cadaverous circle of friends, covered in lesions, lying lifelessly on a hospital bed. The prominence of the epidemic in the news, with headlines such as ‘The First Innocent Person to Die from AIDS’, as well as medical guidelines such as the title of the series, highlight the fact that homosexual men were dehumanized in a society legally accepting of their status. The title of the series, is also echoed by Benjamin himself when reciting the Book of Revelation which states the need for Christian charity and tolerance as “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes”, a kindness lacking in a society prized for their liberalism. Tragically, the demonization of these men, led Paul’s inner circle in particular to downplay the real threat posed by the virus, claiming that it was society’s attempt to put them back in the closet. Rasmus’ first sexual encounter is painful to watch, knowing that his sexual partner, believing his lesion to be a mere allergy, exposes Rasmus to this fatal contagion. This exposure, deeply underscores the developing relationship of Rasmus and Benjamin, which is occurring in real-time throughout the series, as the audience is constantly aware that death looms largely on the horizon.
This series is thought provoking and, although to a certain extent, similar in theme to Angels in America, it breaks new ground with regards to the plight of homosexual men during the outbreak of AIDS in the 80s. Sweden acts as a microcosm for the western world and highlights the harsh reality that if such treatment and attitudes existed in a highly tolerant society, the experience in other countries could tragically have been even more severe.
Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves can be seen on Mondays on BBC 4 at 10 pm.
