I remember watching Angels In America a few years ago. The closeted gay Morman in the play opens up at one point to describe his inner struggle, between his faith and his sexuality.
He talks about a biblical account where Jacob spends the night wrestling god's angel.
In the end Jacob triumphs, and the angel says:
"Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and men and have prevailed" (Genesis 32:28)
The Morman talks about seeing this scene as intensely homoerotic. Two specimens of masculinity spending the night locked together in an embrace. The irony of him being sexually excited by the scene, and also of it being a metaphor for him battling his sexuality, does not pull any punches.
For the Morman, he can never see his sexuality as a blessing. It is something he must fight against and never win. For him, faith and sexuality can not be reconciled. Unfortunately this a myth perpertrated by fundamentalist religious people, who spend their time looking outward, instead of inward, judging instead of embracing.
The angel can represent something different in every person. For the Morman, it was his sexuality, for others it may be their lack of a partner, for others it may be an addiction to something, for others it may be a fear of something.
We all struggle against something. The secret of mastering it it is to realise that many times our struggles can actually be our blessing, and that why it is an angel he battling against, not a demon.
And yes, it is very erotic.
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