Pri Month 2020: Dynasty’s Steven Carrgton creased gay visibily on TV, so why did The CW drop him for the reboot? | MEAWW

Contents:

• ‘I’M GAY’: GORDON THOMSON, DYNASTY’S ADAM CARRGTON, COM OUT—AND TRASH CW’S REBOOT
• 'DYNASTY' STAR GORDON THOMSON COM OUT AS GAY
•  PRI MONTH 2020 STEVEN CARRGTON DYNASTY FIRST GAY CHARACTER TV ABC 1981 SHOW THE CW REBOOT 2017
• DYNASTY'S ORIGAL ADAM CARRGTON COM OUT AS GAY"THE SHAME, THE BREATHTAKG LACK OF SELF-TEEM, HAS ONLY JT BEGUN TO SEEP OUT OF MY SOUL,” SAYS ACTOR GORDON {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}CELEBRIBY DAN AVERYSEPTEMBER 25, 2017/7:59 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}DYNASTY/ABCBY DAN AVERYSEPTEMBER 25, 2017 / 7:59 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"DYNASTY'S ORIGAL ADAM CARRGTON COM OUT AS GAY","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2017-09-25T11:59:11.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2017-09-25T11:59:11.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"DAN AVERY","ARTICLESECTN":"CELEBRI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GORDON THOMSON, WHO PLAYED TWISTED ADAM CARRGTON, ON THE ORIGAL DYNASTY, HAS NO LOVE FOR THE UPG CW REBOOT, LLG “TOTAL SH, AN ABOMATN” A RECENT TERVIEW WH THE DAILY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“WHY LL DYNASTY? IT’S NOTHG TO DO WH DYNASTY AT ALL. IT’S SULTG." THE 72-YEAR-OLD ACTOR SAYS. "IF THE AFTERLIFE EXISTS— DON’T, BUT IF DID—AARON [SPELLG] WOULD BE HAVG MAJOR FS HIS GRAVE. AND THE DIENCE THE CW IS AIMG FOR IS GOG TO THK ’S SH BEE IS SUCH SH THAT A CRETO 6-YEAR-OLD WOULD NOT BE TERTED. IT’S ABOMABLE.”PL ARCHULETA/FILMMAGICLOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 16: ACTOR GORDON THOMSON ATTENDS THE PREMIERE OF "WTERTHORNE" AT THE RENBERG THEATRE ON AUGT 16, 2015 LOS ANGEL, CALIFORNIA. (PHOTO BY PL ARCHULETA/FILMMAGIC){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN THE DB PROFILE THOMSON OPENS UP ABOUT BEG GAY FOR THE FIRST TIME. BORN OTTAWA 1945, THOMSON ADMS HE ALT WH A LOT OF HOMOPHOBIA HIS FORMATIVE YEARS, SOME OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"IT WAS NOT UNTIL I WAS NEARLY 30 THAT [HOMOSEXUALY] STOPPED BEG CLASSIFIED AS A MENTAL ILLNS THE U.S. SO YOU’RE ALG WH THAT. AND THE SHAME, THE BREATHTAKG LACK OF SELF-TEEM, HAS ONLY JT BEGUN TO SEEP OUT OF MY SOUL.”RON GALELLA/WIREIMAGEACTOR GEOFEY STT, ACTRS JOAN COLLS AND ACTOR GORDON THOMSON ATTEND THE 40TH ANNUAL GOLN GLOBE AWARDS ON JANUARY 29, 1983 AT BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA. (PHOTO BY RON GALELLA/WIREIMAGE){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AFTER DYNASTY, THOMSON STARRED ON SANTA BARBARA, AND NTU TO ACT TODAY. BUT HE WAS PART OF THE GENERATN OF GAY ENTERTAERS WHO KEPT THEIR SEXUALY A CLOSELY GUARD SECRET. AND HE STILL SEEMS UNSETTLED BY THE NEW OPENNS HOLLYWOOD, SUGGTG S NOT AVAILABLE TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LEADG-MAN TYP, HE SAYS, ARE "A SOURCE OF FANTASY."DYNASTY/{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"IAN MCKELLEN AND DEREK JABI ARE WONRFUL PEOPLE, BUT PARDON ME, HOW MANY DIENCE MEMBERS FANTASIZE ABOUT FUCKG EHER ONE OF THEM? REALLY. IT HAD A LOT TO DO WH WHAT YOU LOOKED LIKE, I’M AAID."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HE'S ALSO NDID ABOUT NOT LIKG HOW THE '80S SOAP HANDLED STEVEN CARRGTON, HIS ON-SCREEN BROTHER AND THE SHOW'S RINT GAY. (STEVEN IS FORTABLY OUT THE REBOOT, AND SAMMIE JO IS A MAN.)DYNASTY/{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I THOUGHT WAS BULLSH,” THOMSON SAYS. “AT THE TIME, THE AIDS CRISIS HAD A LOT TO DO WH PRSURE ON THE WORK. I KNOW THAT AL CORLEY QU BEE HE FELT THEY WERE NOT ALLOWG HIM TO PLAY THE PART HONTLY. AND THEY WEREN’T."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}STEVEN FLIP-FLOPPED BETWEEN STRAIGHT AND GAY OVER THE SHOW'S NE SEASONS, AND BARELY HAD MORE THAN A FIRM HANDSHAKE WH ANOTHER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“IT WAS APPALLGLY HANDLED," SAYS THOMSON. "THEY OPENED A N OF WORMS AND WEREN’T TE TO , AND THEY ULD HAVE BEEN. THEY HAD GOOD ACTORS PLAYG THE PARTS. IT WAS A BIG SHAME. I’M VERY SORRY.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
• DYNASTY’S JOURNEY OM GAY PANIC TO GAY PRI
• 'DYNASTY' SEASON 3 EPISO 7: SAM AND FLETCHER SHARE A PASSNATE KISS AND FANS N'T HELP BUT SHIP THE NEW GAY UPLE
• JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN IS FIRST MALE NFL ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

‘I’M GAY’: GORDON THOMSON, DYNASTY’S ADAM CARRGTON, COM OUT—AND TRASH CW’S REBOOT

In the origal Dynasty seri, Steven Carrgton ma history as the first openly gay ma character on a prime time drama TV show.

In the reboot, his sexualy was mataed, and to add some spice to ti, Sammy Jo who was a woman the origal seri was ma a male gay man the reboot so as to be Steven's lover. Dallas was the first primetime soap and Dynasty took to another level, makg viable to change the landspe bee was more of a female-driven show, and appealed more to women and gay people. “I thk there were a lot of Dynasty imatns, both daytime and nighttime, that tried to pture that bchy backstabbg, ” Coleman noted of the seri, which tackled storyl such as rape, mental illns, fertily, bisexualy, gay relatnships, and more.

Asi om Billy Crystal, who played a gay character on h edy Soap the 1970s, televisn dramas more than 40 years ago didn’t feature LGBTQ characters ma primetime rol. But Steven was the first gay character primetime — Billy Crystal had done [on Soap], but that was edy. If you're black or brown or Asian, or you're gay, lbian or trans, and you never see yourself reprented, you’re beg told that you’re visible; that you don't exist.

'DYNASTY' STAR GORDON THOMSON COM OUT AS GAY

But to be clear, there were many stumbl durg those early years, as gay TV characters were quietly weaved to stori and met wh cidly mixed rults. It was 49 years ago this month that the first recurrg gay character on Amerin televisn ma his but — set signer Peter Panama on the ltle-known ABC s The Corner Bar. Played by Vcent Schiavelli (Fast Tim at Ridgemont High, Ghost), Peter was met wh risn by, among others, the Gay Activists Alliance, which took issue wh the character’s flamboyance.

 PRI MONTH 2020 STEVEN CARRGTON DYNASTY FIRST GAY CHARACTER TV ABC 1981 SHOW THE CW REBOOT 2017

S to feature an openly gay lead character, though Billy Crystal’s Jodie Dallas drew siar cricism.

DYNASTY'S ORIGAL ADAM CARRGTON COM OUT AS GAY"THE SHAME, THE BREATHTAKG LACK OF SELF-TEEM, HAS ONLY JT BEGUN TO SEEP OUT OF MY SOUL,” SAYS ACTOR GORDON {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}CELEBRIBY DAN AVERYSEPTEMBER 25, 2017/7:59 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}DYNASTY/ABCBY DAN AVERYSEPTEMBER 25, 2017 / 7:59 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"DYNASTY'S ORIGAL ADAM CARRGTON COM OUT AS GAY","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2017-09-25T11:59:11.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2017-09-25T11:59:11.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"DAN AVERY","ARTICLESECTN":"CELEBRI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GORDON THOMSON, WHO PLAYED TWISTED ADAM CARRGTON, ON THE ORIGAL DYNASTY, HAS NO LOVE FOR THE UPG CW REBOOT, LLG “TOTAL SH, AN ABOMATN” A RECENT TERVIEW WH THE DAILY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“WHY LL DYNASTY? IT’S NOTHG TO DO WH DYNASTY AT ALL. IT’S SULTG." THE 72-YEAR-OLD ACTOR SAYS. "IF THE AFTERLIFE EXISTS— DON’T, BUT IF DID—AARON [SPELLG] WOULD BE HAVG MAJOR FS HIS GRAVE. AND THE DIENCE THE CW IS AIMG FOR IS GOG TO THK ’S SH BEE IS SUCH SH THAT A CRETO 6-YEAR-OLD WOULD NOT BE TERTED. IT’S ABOMABLE.”PL ARCHULETA/FILMMAGICLOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 16: ACTOR GORDON THOMSON ATTENDS THE PREMIERE OF "WTERTHORNE" AT THE RENBERG THEATRE ON AUGT 16, 2015 LOS ANGEL, CALIFORNIA. (PHOTO BY PL ARCHULETA/FILMMAGIC){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN THE DB PROFILE THOMSON OPENS UP ABOUT BEG GAY FOR THE FIRST TIME. BORN OTTAWA 1945, THOMSON ADMS HE ALT WH A LOT OF HOMOPHOBIA HIS FORMATIVE YEARS, SOME OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"IT WAS NOT UNTIL I WAS NEARLY 30 THAT [HOMOSEXUALY] STOPPED BEG CLASSIFIED AS A MENTAL ILLNS THE U.S. SO YOU’RE ALG WH THAT. AND THE SHAME, THE BREATHTAKG LACK OF SELF-TEEM, HAS ONLY JT BEGUN TO SEEP OUT OF MY SOUL.”RON GALELLA/WIREIMAGEACTOR GEOFEY STT, ACTRS JOAN COLLS AND ACTOR GORDON THOMSON ATTEND THE 40TH ANNUAL GOLN GLOBE AWARDS ON JANUARY 29, 1983 AT BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA. (PHOTO BY RON GALELLA/WIREIMAGE){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AFTER DYNASTY, THOMSON STARRED ON SANTA BARBARA, AND NTU TO ACT TODAY. BUT HE WAS PART OF THE GENERATN OF GAY ENTERTAERS WHO KEPT THEIR SEXUALY A CLOSELY GUARD SECRET. AND HE STILL SEEMS UNSETTLED BY THE NEW OPENNS HOLLYWOOD, SUGGTG S NOT AVAILABLE TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LEADG-MAN TYP, HE SAYS, ARE "A SOURCE OF FANTASY."DYNASTY/{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"IAN MCKELLEN AND DEREK JABI ARE WONRFUL PEOPLE, BUT PARDON ME, HOW MANY DIENCE MEMBERS FANTASIZE ABOUT FUCKG EHER ONE OF THEM? REALLY. IT HAD A LOT TO DO WH WHAT YOU LOOKED LIKE, I’M AAID."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HE'S ALSO NDID ABOUT NOT LIKG HOW THE '80S SOAP HANDLED STEVEN CARRGTON, HIS ON-SCREEN BROTHER AND THE SHOW'S RINT GAY. (STEVEN IS FORTABLY OUT THE REBOOT, AND SAMMIE JO IS A MAN.)DYNASTY/{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I THOUGHT WAS BULLSH,” THOMSON SAYS. “AT THE TIME, THE AIDS CRISIS HAD A LOT TO DO WH PRSURE ON THE WORK. I KNOW THAT AL CORLEY QU BEE HE FELT THEY WERE NOT ALLOWG HIM TO PLAY THE PART HONTLY. AND THEY WEREN’T."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}STEVEN FLIP-FLOPPED BETWEEN STRAIGHT AND GAY OVER THE SHOW'S NE SEASONS, AND BARELY HAD MORE THAN A FIRM HANDSHAKE WH ANOTHER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“IT WAS APPALLGLY HANDLED," SAYS THOMSON. "THEY OPENED A N OF WORMS AND WEREN’T TE TO , AND THEY ULD HAVE BEEN. THEY HAD GOOD ACTORS PLAYG THE PARTS. IT WAS A BIG SHAME. I’M VERY SORRY.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

Few characters on Fox’s mil dramedy were as well-veloped and fully realized as Santana, who evolved om a qutsential mean girl to a plex, beloved gay character durg the show’s six-season n. Santana’s arc h so many beats that were important and fluential for LGBTQ viewers: Her relatnship wh Brtany was among TV’s sweett, most scere portrayals of young love (regardls of sexualy); like many gay teenagers, she was nonted wh tolerance om her clost fay after g out; and even as Santana’s sexualy remaed a re facet of her character, she wasn’t pigeonholed to exclively Very Special Storyl. Before NBC’s bawdy h s buted 1998, the terr liv of gay characters were seldom explored, if bshed up agast at all.

Pl, Will wasn’t a stereotype; his rtraed (or “borg, ” as Jack might put ) meanor proved that gay characters didn’t need to be outrageo to get the spotlight.

Will & Grace s heyday ma great stris for gay reprentatn, and Will Tman — his small, subtle way — helped nudge that progrs forward, makg safe for gay men to play the “straight man, ” as were.

DYNASTY’S JOURNEY OM GAY PANIC TO GAY PRI

As one of the first openly gay ma characters on an Amerin TV show, Jodie (played by Billy Crystal) drew fire om all sis. Relig groups took umbrage wh the ABC s’s cln of (among other topics) a gay character, while LGBTQ anizatns were ncerned about the portrayal beg stereotypil and/or nflated wh transsexualism, based on the scripts for early episos.

From vatng on a gay cise to servg as the print of the Malibu Stacy Fan Club, Smhers has never been anythg other than himself — and he’s got the growg list of ex-boyiends to prove . Rickie provid an unapologetilly lorful and rg prence as his perplexed pal Angela navigated her high school’s social circl, but Cz’s portrayal went even eper, wh storyl about homophobia and abe wh Rickie’s own fay. In addn, Cz ma history as the first openly gay actor to play an openly gay character on work televisn.

Bt of all, Mchell and Cam fied stereotyp and normalized gay parentg and marriage memorable and touchg ways.

'DYNASTY' SEASON 3 EPISO 7: SAM AND FLETCHER SHARE A PASSNATE KISS AND FANS N'T HELP BUT SHIP THE NEW GAY UPLE

The Fox sudser may have done Doug Savant’s character dirty wh that off-screen ath the fal season, but Matt will still be remembered fondly as one of the first openly gay ma characters on a work TV drama. When Ellen Man me out the April 30, 1997 episo of ABC’s Ellen (pictured above), she beme the first-ever gay lead character a primetime s.

Though Blake’s send-olst child was touted as the first openly gay ma character a primetime drama, the handlg of Steven’s sexualy — largely amed as a stggle, and a tra he often had to nceal — was joyls and imperfect to a pot that origal portrayer Al Corley vated the role.

(Dynasty -creator Esther Shapiro, her fense, sisted to Esquire that Steven “was, is, and always will be gay. Nearly a after High School Mil 3 attempted to pass Ryan off as straight, Disney Channel troduced s first openly gay ma character Cys, one of Andi’s bt iends (played by Joshua Rh, above left).

JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN IS FIRST MALE NFL ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

Though not daytime soaps’ first gay character — AMC‘s own Lynn Carson (played by Donna Pw) and One Life to Live‘s Billy Douglas (Ryan Phillippe) were among her precsors — the dghter of none other than man-mag Eri Kane (played by dtry in San Lucci) ma the biggt real-world headl when she me out as a lbian a pivotal 2000 storyle, and Emmy-wng portrayer En Riegel rose to and surpassed the challenge.

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

Five episos to All The Fay‘s ne-season n, and nearly three s before Will & Grace arrived on the scene, seri creator/social trailblazer Norman Lear already had LGBTQ reprentatn on the bra when he troduced Ameri’s first gay s character the form of Archie’s old iend Steve (played by the late Phil Carey). In the 1971 episo, -penned by Lear and Burt Styler, ragg bigot Archie was forced to reckon wh his prenceived notns about homosexualy (not only was Steve a former lebacker, but, like Archie, he was a stnch nservative!