Rockler says a straight world understands lesbianism as a sexual behavior, rather than an emotional one, giving the viewer an option to bypass the queerness of their relationship. When Alex’s mother saw the movie, she argued with her that it represented a friendship: “The movie’s not gay,” she told Alex. “Don’t ruin it.”īut Flagg, who had relationships with women throughout her life, wrote a very gay book- Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe- in which Idgie and Ruth’s relationship is unambiguously queer.
While the central love story in the novel never labels Idgie and Ruth as lesbians, the pair are accepted by their community as life partners.
