In the play of Angels in America, Roy is a political figure who hates gay people and actively pushes the narrative that they spread AIDs. In some instances, this can be viewed negatively due to the amount of people advocating for gay rights and refusal of gay people spreading AIDs. Tony Kushner does an interesting take with Roy, as they constantly set representations for someone in the political with homophobia.
During the exchange with Henry and Roy, the process of getting Roy to accept his illness was a never-ending denial, especially for their character. However, the things Roy talks about in Act 1 Scene 9, “No say it. I mean it. Say: ‘Roy Cohn, you are a homosexual.’ And I will proceed to destroy your reputation and your practice and your career in New York State, Henry. Which you know I can do” (Kushner 45). Roy uses his power as a political figure to shut down any ideas of Henry claiming that Roy might be gay. In addition, during the AIDs epidemic there might be possibilities of politicians preventing research of curing AIDs as seen in the quote. Roy seems to carry this skewed perception of reality, especially when they go out of their way to deny their disease. In Act 1 Scene 9, Roy says, “AIDS. Homosexual. Gay. Lesbian. You think these are names that tell you who someone sleeps with, but they don’t tell you that” (Kushner 46). This ties together the issues of AIDs being linked with homosexuality, since it is viewed in a negative light enforcing discrimination and shame on the LGBTQ community by people in power.
Something Roy brings up near the end of their conversation with Henry is that there seems to be men sleeping with him to get good connections like communicating with the President and such. A part of hypocrisy that Roy continues to deny any relation to AIDS and homosexuality and even deconstructing labels. In Act 1 Scene 9, Roy tells Henry,” Not ideology, or sexual taste, but something much simpler: clout. Not who I fuck or who fucks me, but who will pick up the phone when I call, who owes me favors. This is what a label refers to” (Kushner 46). This showcases the level of denial Roy has for their sexuality going as far as using it for “clout” and not acknowledging the proper use of labels for LGBTQ folk.
Despite my very, very strong dislike of Roy Cohen, he is undeniably one of the most complex characters of the play. Cohen is gay and he is a politician, but he can never be both. His repeated denial of his diagnosis of AIDs emphasizes the internalized homophobia exhibited in many political figures (and people in general) during this time period. It is in part because of the internalized homophobia held by the conservative base of the Reagan Administration that the AIDs crisis went unaddressed for so long.
I’d say Roy Cohn, while a terrible person, is a very fun character to read. The idea that he is not gay but rather just a man who happens to sleep with men is as funny as it is depressing that not only is someone so deeply in the closet and filled with self-loathing that they could believe this, but that this person is one of the most influential people in America. I think Roy Cohn is a sort of alternate version of Joe in this play. He is Joe if he went fully to the right, if he never met Louis. He is a statement by Kushner: That conservatism, at least in some ways, cannot coexist with being queer.
I believe Roy in the play struggles a lot with internalized homophobia to the point where he gets actively gets enraged by the concept of other people being gay (ex: Joe’s confession and coming out to him in the hospital). There is a likelihood that the distaste he shows comes from an insecurity (as he’s gay and Jewish, and due to being a part of marginalized groups, he doesn’t want to be seen as an outlier or someone who should be seen as “lesser than” the dominant majority). Then again, he could also be closeted and have feelings for Joe.