Bowen Yang, a gay edian and the son of Che immigrants, is helpg make SNL's st more diverse than ever. Here’s what you should know.
Contents:
- ‘SNL’S’ GAY HISTORY: ALL 4 LGBTQ CAST MEMBERS
- NEW ‘SNL’ CAST MEMBER BOWEN YANG IS ASIAN AMERIN, GAY, AND ABOUT TO MAKE HISTORY
- NEW 'SNL' CAST MEMBER BOWEN YANG IS BREAKG BARRIERS FOR BOTH ASIAN AND GAY COMEDIANS
- ‘SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’: ALEC BALDW SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY GAY MALE CAST MEMBERS — THEY JT WEREN’T OUT
‘SNL’S’ GAY HISTORY: ALL 4 LGBTQ CAST MEMBERS
» ‘SNL’s’ Gay History: All 4 LGBTQ Cast Members | * snl gay cast members *
As SNL’s first openly gay st member, and the first openly gay st member on any work televisn show, Sweeney found himself tratgly typest. He had plenty of origal ias, but outsi of imprsns of female public figur and gay ritur, there wasn’t much for him to do.
In a 2017 terview, he explaed, “If there was a part for a game show host, they wouldn’t put me bee, well, wasn’t a gay game show host. ” Sweeney add that he didn’t thk there was necsarily any bad tent behd this: “They jt did bee they didn’t know … ‘What do I wre for a gay guy? One early sketch that would bee emblematic of Yang’s imprt on the show starred Harry Styl as a social media manager who accintally fills up Sara Lee’s Instagram acunt wh gay thirst ments.
NEW ‘SNL’ CAST MEMBER BOWEN YANG IS ASIAN AMERIN, GAY, AND ABOUT TO MAKE HISTORY
A wrer last season who once played Kim Jong-Un, Yang is only the third out gay male st member the show's history. * snl gay cast members *
Like much of the material performed by Terry Sweeney, this sketch is firmly rooted stereotyp about gay men. The most famo example was when Chevy Chase, upon havg Sweeney nfirm he was gay, rpond by tellg him, “You n start by lickg my balls. The iceberg sketch is notable that, although ’s fely not the entire joke of the sketch, Yang’s character is clearly, emphatilly gay.
Although a lot of the homophobia YouTube vio ments or popular Redd threads related to him is blatant and easy to dismiss, ’s often drsed up as an annoyance about his lack of range. “Bowen Yang is too … gay, ” was the tle of one post published on the Live From New York subredd a year ago.
Another mon crique is that his portrayal of flamboyant characters is offensive and homophobic self. This cricism was most prevalent the aftermath of Shane Gillis beg fired om the show 2019 for g racist and homophobic slurs on his podst.
NEW 'SNL' CAST MEMBER BOWEN YANG IS BREAKG BARRIERS FOR BOTH ASIAN AND GAY COMEDIANS
* snl gay cast members *
” which the poster tried to draw a parallel between Gillis’ e of homophobic slurs and Yang’s e of queer-d characters, argug that was hypocril for the show to have fired Gillis but not Yang.
Audienc are ed to straight characters’ sexualy not havg anythg to do wh the joke of the sketch, but if a gay character’s sexualy isn’t a punchle, then s cln requir an explic jtifitn. Michael Michd, thor of books on gay actors Sal Meo and Alan Su, has kdly wrten the tribut to the four — unt 'em, four!
‘SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’: ALEC BALDW SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY GAY MALE CAST MEMBERS — THEY JT WEREN’T OUT
Even though he intified as gay om childhood, he beme engaged to a woman for a short time. By that time, he was livg openly as a gay man.
He was the first openly gay performer on SNL, and there was no other for nearly 27 years. Terry experienced problems on SNL bee of his sexual orientatn, pecially beg bullied and meaned by homophobic Chevy Chase, who had left the show after one season but who equently returned.
Boy, he sure died, you know, he sure went to hell”) and the show’s first openly gay st member, Terry Sweeney (Chase suggted Sweeney star a recurrg sketch where he was weighed to see if he had ntracted AIDS).