TV's gay characters, before and after Ellen

In 1997, DeGener chose a very public fom — her televisn s — to announce, "I'm gay." The entertaer's reer has tracked the seismic shift public opn on gays and same-sex marriage. * gay on ellen *

'My So-Called Life' (1994-95)This much-praised but short-lived ABC high school drama featured Wilson Cz as Rickie Vasquez, the first openly gay actor to play a gay ma character on a primetime seri.

'The Real World: San Francis' (1994) Pedro Zamora, a young gay man who was HIV-posive, offered an empathetic human face to challenge hostile ritur the third season of the inic MTV realy soap. Watershed moment:20-year flashback: Ellen DeGener me out, and paved the way for more gay TV role'Will & Grace' (1998-2006; 2017-20)Unlike on "Ellen, " two gay characters were at the center om the begng of this NBC edy. 'Queer as Folk' (2000-05)In 2000, Showtime's drama featurg an ensemble of gay men livg Ptsburgh was a sign of premium ble's abily to foc on niche dienc, providg programmg broadst works shied away om.

'Queer Eye' (2003-07; 2018-)Five gay men who were experts such fields as fashn, groomg and terr sign beme media stars this h personal makeover show. Billy Porter, who stood out as emcee and fashn signer Pray Tell, beme the first openly gay Black man to w an Emmy as lead more signifint moments, vis the onle Pri Month exhib at The Paley Center for Media. When Ellen Man, the character Ellen DeGener played on her s Ellen, me out as gay on the show's April 30, 1997, episo, sent shockwav through the televisn dtry.

ELLEN DEGENER WASN’T ALLOWED TO SAY ‘GAY’ ON HER OWN TV SHOW

As seen "Hacks" and stand-up performanc, the world is still very anti-gay, even after Ellen * gay on ellen *

Up to that pot, only a handful of gay characters had been seen on televisn, and none of the were seri leads. In addn to her character g out the episo, DeGener also publicly shared that she was gay.

The Tragedy Inspired DeGener' Career-Defg Stand-Up RouteAlmost a year of preparatn went to the episoPreparatns for the character of Ellen Man to e out as gay on the seri Ellen began May 1996, when DeGener, who played the role, discsed the potential storyle wh the show's wrers. In addn to beg a step that would let DeGener be hont about her own sexualy, there was hope that addrsg the fictnal Ellen's sexual preferenc might provi directn for the TV seri, and expla why the character lacked chemistry wh male romantic orr to bee the first TV seri to have a lead character announce she was gay, the work need to be agreement. Reverend Jerry Falwell and televangelist Pat Robertson publicly mocked DeGener as "Ellen DeGenerate" and joed others signg a letter that cried the show as a "blatant attempt to promote homosexualy.

ELLEN N SAY "GAY" NOW: "THE ELLEN DEGENER SHOW" ENDS BY TAKG A STAND ... FOR CELEBRY

The April 14, 1997, issue of TIME featured a s-down wh the edian, who nfirmed that her s character was gay—and so was she. * gay on ellen *

Time magaze's April 14, 1997, ver featured a photo of DeGener wh the words, "Yep, I'm Gay. " DeGener also talked about g out as gay wh Diane Sawyer and on The Oprah Wey Show. A woman plaed about havg to expla what "gay" was to her ten-year-old when they spotted the Time ver while shoppg.

One man told DeGener his objectns to homosexualy were Biblil, statg, "It's s. Ellen returned the next year ready to tell stori about a gay woman — but the show was forced to add parental advisory warngs when Ellen Man had a same-sex kiss.

Acrdg to ABC's print at the time, viewership end up clg bee the show "beme a program about a lead character who was gay every sgle week.

READ THE 'YEP, I'M GAY' ELLEN DEGENER INTERVIEW FROM 1997

Soon after Ellen went off the air, Will & Grace, a s about a gay man and a straight woman who were bt iends, lnched and beme a h. Sce Ellen end, havg gay characters and actors on shows — like Six Feet Unr, Morn Fay, Pose and many more — has bee a regular part of the TV landspe. DeGener has stated that improvg attus towards gay rights is not what motivated her.

A 2015 poll named her the most fluential figure makg Amerins more acceptg of gay rights. In 1997, she me out as gay, and beme a stnch advote of LGBTQ rights. From that pot, the show evolved om s begngs as an ensemble effort to a showse for show faced strong cricism when, April 1997, DeGener' character beme the first lead s history to openly acknowledge her homosexualy on air.

COUNTRY STAR T.J. OSBORNE REVEALS 1 ASPECT OF G OUT AS GAY HE DIDN'T EXPECT

Several episos followg her reveal had gay them and, throughout the remar of the season, DeGener and ABC executiv faced a storm of cricism. But the show also received rounds of applse om gay-iendly activists — cludg DeGener's mother, Betty DeGener, who appeared on numero talk shows support of her dghter. She is an avid animal rights and gay rights activist, as well as a November 2016 DeGener received the Printial Medal of Freedom om Print Barack Obama for her ntributn to the early 2018, as part of a 60th birthday gift om Rossi, the TV personaly learned of plans to create the Ellen DeGener Camp of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Rwanda, the first iative of the new Ellen DeGener Wildlife January 2020 Goln Glob, DeGener was prented wh the honorary Carol Burt Award for excellence televisn.

TV's gay characters, before and after Ellen

Recent Posts

Tags

Contents:

THE REAL REASON ELLEN DEGENER DECID TO COME OUT AS GAY ON TV

HOW ELLEN DEGENER HELPED CHANGE THE CONVERSATN ABOUT GAYS