It's like shooting fish in a barrel - even a perfectly valid point gets those politically correct knees jerking!
In the era the movie is set in, Billy being revealed as gay would have been even worse than his mother discovering he had
gasp
had relations with a lady! Maybe his father, were he around, and on finding out about the shenanigans at the hospital, would have been glad and said "Give her one for me, son" but no one would have shown him any mercy for being outed as gay. Sad, but it is most definitely how it was.
No Guru, No Method, No Teacher.

And your point?

I read the book. Harding's wife was hot!

child please

This message has been deleted.

Interestingly enough, Harding was.
Scariest words in English: Were from the federal government and were here to help. R. Reagan

It's quite excellent. You might be able to find it online free.
Scariest words in English: Were from the federal government and were here to help. R. Reagan

Thank You. I need to put the book on my list.
Ephemeron.

The book makes absolutely no implications that Billy was homosexual. Billy is very much heterosexual in the book.
On the other hand, Harding's homosexuality is referenced in many passages in the book.
Scariest words in English: Were from the federal government and were here to help. R. Reagan

Although you're right that being a "Momma's boy" was often (at sometimes still is) a stereotype which hinted at the person being gay, but in this case (both in the book and the movie) he is heterosexual and his mother (as well as nurse Ratchet) wants to prevent him from becoming a man (which says more about the mother and hints at her problems with men). Those gay Momma's boys usually voluntarily adore their mothers (even if they are domineering characters), Billy just fears his mother (who knows what she has done to him when he was little, there's much room for speculation, she's possibly punished him for something his father did; she did emasculate him against his will).

Wait a minute. In the context of the character and the story? Or projecting a disdain outside the movie?
Billy, especially in that time frame, 1950's/60's certainly caricatured a stereotype. I haven't read the book but I bet it did too. The idea of a "Momma's boy" even in psychiatric labeling would have indicated homosexual tendencies.
Let the poster explain them self.
I sometimes wondered if his suicide attempt was because of only disappointing his mother or also for more personal reasons.
Someone that read the book maybe could elaborate.
Remember this was 50 years ago, not todays perceptions.
Ephemeron.

Good job at making yourself look like a fool, nakedgirl.
Ironically, no, the poster is not looking foolish. I see "gay" set off your anger, though.
The point is: if Billy was known to be gay, Nurse Ratched was be even more difficult with him, considering homosexuality was even more disdained that it is now.

Good job at making yourself look like a fool, nakedgirl.
He won.
Get over it.