Matt Bomer Sheds Light on the Lavender Scare in 'Fellow Travelers'

Showtime's new streaming series Fellow Travelers blends an epic love story and political thriller, traversing four tumultuous decades in American history. The series stars Matt Bomer as Hawkins Fuller, a character navigating the socio-political landscape from the 1950s to the 1980s, against the backdrop of events like the Vietnam protests and the AIDS crisis​.

In an exclusive interview with Newsweek's Parting Shot podcast, Bomer shared his initial skepticism about the audience's willingness to embrace a queer love story spanning four decades. He expressed his surprise and gratitude for the support and engagement from the executives at Showtime and the production team, acknowledging the series' potential to educate and inform.

"I was very cynical," Bomer said. "Having been on television for 23 years, I just thought, are people going to invest in a four-decade queer love story?"

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Fellow Travelers is set against the historical backdrop of the Lavender Scare. The event was a significant, often overshadowed, chapter in American history amidst the backdrop of the Second Red Scare and McCarthyism. It was characterized by a widespread moral panic about homosexuals in the United States government, leading to their mass dismissal from government service. This campaign was rooted in the belief that gay men and lesbians were national security risks and communist sympathizers, potentially more susceptible to manipulation and thus posed a threat to the country.

The challenge of depicting a story that spans four decades was a rewarding experience for Bomer. He elaborated on his process of preparing for each decade, making physical and psychological choices to accurately reflect the character's journey through time.

"It's obviously a really daunting thing," Bomer said, expressing his admiration for the work of his co-star Jonathan Bailey and the hair and makeup artists who helped bring the characters to life. "We just had each other's back and we were able to communicate really openly—he's just a dream scene partner."

Bomer believes in the importance of representing queer sexuality authentically on screen. He emphasized the significance of the graphic portrayal of queer sex in Fellow Travelers, explaining how it serves as an external manifestation of the characters' internal psychological experiences. "It's vital for the scenes to be as graphic as they are," Bomer said, highlighting the power dynamics and complex interplay between the characters​.

Bomer's personal favorite aspect of the show was the fashion of the 1970s. He praised the costume designer's work, which he felt added to the authenticity and helped in transitioning between decades. "There was something just so freeing about the bacchanalian aspect of it all," Bomer reflected, highlighting the contrast between the conservative 1950s and the liberated 1970s​​.

"Obviously, it's the rock bottom of Hawk's life. But going from the super controlled conservative '50s to the bacchanalian freedom of the '70s just felt so good."

Bomer drew from his background in portraying Hawk Fuller. Growing up in a conservative Christian home, he related to his character's need to maintain a certain identity for survival, a theme that resonates with many in the queer community. "I had to bifurcate and create a persona that allowed me to survive and attempt to thrive in high school in a 'Friday Night Lights, Texas town,'" he said.

His approach to the role was deeply personal, even beyond his upbringing. "I always kind of got by trying to be the good boy. And Hawk gets to be the bad boy."

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