LBGTQ TV: A history of gay characters, om Stonewall to 'Batwoman' | CNN

Contents:

• TV'S GAY CHARACTERS, BEFORE AND AFTER ELLEN
• LBGTQ TV: A HISTORY OF GAY CHARACTERS, OM STONEWALL TO ‘BATWOMAN’

TV'S GAY CHARACTERS, BEFORE AND AFTER ELLEN

"The shows don't simply rely on stereotypil "gay bt iends" or feature women kissg as a publicy stunt. Mickey Milkovich's g out on Showtime's "Shamels" was hailed as a moment that shattered gay stereotyp.

Although the show largely follows Otis and Eric is technilly Otis' bt iend, would be wholly accurate to place Eric the "gay bt iend" box; actor Ncuti Gatwa, who is also gay real life, says that's by sign. It was jt one year after Ellen Man beme the first character to e out on TV — a move that subsequently tanked "Ellen's" rankgs and likely led to the show's "Will & Grace, " a show that largely foced on two gay men, was so popular that was revived 20 years Msg, who plays Grace, told TheWrap that she origally saw their gay lead (Eric McCormack's Will) as the most "revolutnary" aspect of the show.

Moreover, featurg two different gay men who were vastly different om one another helped challenge the stereotyp that still plague gay men to this day.

LBGTQ TV: A HISTORY OF GAY CHARACTERS, OM STONEWALL TO ‘BATWOMAN’

HBO's "The Wire" handled Omar's sexualy "a measured and matter-of-fact way, " Glen Weldon wrote for Decir, dubbg the notor stick-up man "one of TV's first gay superhero. Fox's "Glee" was often praised as an LGBTQ haven, but Kurt — the show's first openly gay character, who famoly kicked a field goal for the football team while performg Beyoncé's "Sgle Ladi" dance — had a particularly strong one of his most memorable moments, Kurt shared a climactic kiss wh Blae that produced ltle to no outrage, a symbolic moment of progrs for onscreen queer reprentatn.

But he was also a femme gay man who subverts the "gay bt iend" was granted almost exactly as much screen time as the show's tular character and enjoyed his own plex subplots.