Mister Rogers' Surprisg Relatnship wh Gay Costar Officer Clemmons

Contents:

• WAS MR. ROGERS GAY?
• MISTER ROGERS ENURAGED GAY COSTAR OFFICER CLEMMONS TO STAY THE CLOSET AND MARRY A WOMAN
• MISTER ROGERS' SURPRISG RELATNSHIP WH HIS GAY COSTAR OFFICER CLEMMONS
• MISTER ROGERS TOLD CO-STAR DON'T COME OUT AS GAY, AND MARRY A WOMAN
• 'WASN'T HE GAY?': A REVEALG QUTN ABOUT MISTER ROGERS

WAS MR. ROGERS GAY?

Though evangelils would sometim wre to him askg him to nmn homosexualy, Rogers never would, stead sayg he — and God — loved everyone jt as they were. But this wasn’t the extent of Mister Rogers’ gay activism. Rogers tentnally hired gay people to work on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

MISTER ROGERS ENURAGED GAY COSTAR OFFICER CLEMMONS TO STAY THE CLOSET AND MARRY A WOMAN

Two members of the Neighborhood, John Reardon and Franis Clemmons, were both openly gay and among some of Rogers’ clost iends.

Clemmons later pared the scene to the Bible passage which J wash Peter’s feet, sayg, “The signifince of Fred dog that for a black gay man is not lost.

MISTER ROGERS' SURPRISG RELATNSHIP WH HIS GAY COSTAR OFFICER CLEMMONS

Someone, we’re not able to say who, has rmed that you were seen at the lol gay bar downtown wh a buddy om school.

Now I want you to know, Franc, that if you’re gay, don’t matter to me at all. Whatever you say and do is fe wh me, but if you’re gog to be on the show, as an important member of the Neighborhood, you n’t be ‘out’ as gay.

MISTER ROGERS TOLD CO-STAR DON'T COME OUT AS GAY, AND MARRY A WOMAN

But Clemmons kept talkg to Rogers, sayg, “He was the one person I uld talk to about beg gay. He later changed his advice, urgg Clemmons to fd a gay man he was happy wh. While not a public advote for gay rights — fearg makg a statement at that time uld alienate viewers — Rogers’ msage of unndnal acceptance rang te for viewers of all genrs, orientatns and rac.

The book Peaceful Neighbor also speaks to Rogers’ support of gay-iendly Ptsburgh church The Sixth Prbyterian Church. He ma many gay iends there, cludg the radlogist who ultimately acted as Rogers’ medil advote as Rogers died.

'WASN'T HE GAY?': A REVEALG QUTN ABOUT MISTER ROGERS

While Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood never had a gay character, Rogers clearly loved and embraced everyone. How faiar were you wh this Mister Rogers gay activism?

While those clost to him sisted both durg his life and after his ath that he was ed straight, many people still believed the soft-spoken host whose missn life was to teach people to be kr to one another, was homosexual. Rogers gay? "It was somethg people asked me a lot when they found out I was workg on the film: [whisperg] 'Was he gay?

He wasn't as welg of gay rights as he was of racial tolerance. However, he did not get the same sense of welg when Rogers found out that Clemmons had been to a gay bar.