Harvey Fierstein Remembers Feeling 'Vilified' by Gays for Writing Torch Song in the '80s

Torch Song, a reboot of Harvey Fierstein's award-winning 1982 play Torch Song Trilogy, opens on October 19 at Second Stage. Directed by Moises Kaufman, the production stars Michael Urie as Arnold Beckoff, the Jewish gay drag artist and torch singer Fierstein played in the original production and the subsequent film version.

When Fierstein appeared on Show People with Paul Wontorek in 2011, he recalled that the now-loved play made him feel like an enemy of the gay community when it first premiered because of Arnold's journey from single love addict to a more domesticated life as as a father.

"When I wrote Torch Song, I was vilified by the gay community: ‘He’s just trying to make us like heterosexuals. I don’t want to ever get married. Who the hell wants children?' Now, look around," Fierstein said. "It’s not about what I want for myself. What I want for myself is my own business. It’s about the fact that I live in America, and America is supposed to be about freedom, and America is supposed to be about choices."

Watch the clip below, and catch Torch Song off-Broadway at the Tony Kiser Theatre.