It’s 20 years on om the landmark work TV moment that saw Ellen DeGener tell 42 ln viewers that she’s gay, but progrs remas slow
Contents:
- THE REAL REASON ELLEN DEGENER DECID TO COME OUT AS GAY ON TV
- 'I'M GAY': IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS SCE ELLEN CAME OUT ON TV
- ELLEN DEGENER CAME OUT AS GAY ON TV 20 YEARS AGO
THE REAL REASON ELLEN DEGENER DECID TO COME OUT AS GAY ON TV
In the groundbreakg episo, DeGener beme the first lead character of a TV seri to announce that she was gay, and the edian faced backlash as a rult. * ellen comes out as gay on tv show *
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.
Up to that pot, only a handful of gay characters had been seen on televisn, and none of the were seri leads.
'I'M GAY': IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS SCE ELLEN CAME OUT ON TV
Ellen revealed that the shownners were "livid" when they found out about her plan to e out as gay. * ellen comes out as gay on tv show *
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. Time magaze's April 14, 1997, ver featured a photo of DeGener wh the words, "Yep, I'm Gay.
ELLEN DEGENER CAME OUT AS GAY ON TV 20 YEARS AGO
* ellen comes out as gay on tv show *
" 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.
Lra Dern played an out lbian who helps Ellen DeGener' character realize she's gay on the ABC s" emprop="scriptn * ellen comes out as gay on tv show *
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.
Ellen DeGener risked her reer by g out as gay on TV and the stud ncelled her show. The episo was a historic moment for the LGBT muny. " name="scriptn * ellen comes out as gay on tv show *
A 2015 poll named her the most fluential figure makg Amerins more acceptg of gay rights.
On April 30, 1997, a wily publicized episo of the ABC s Ellen, TV character Ellen Man (played by Ellen DeGener) announc that she is gay. Like them, DeGener soon published a btsellg memoir, My Pot—And I Do Have One (1995) the fall of 1996, word leaked out that the character of Ellen Man, a bookstore manager, might acknowledge that she was a lbian, makg Ellen the first prime-time s to feature a gay leadg character. A week before the episo aired, DeGener ma a well-publicized “g out” of her own, appearg on the ver of TIME magaze unr the headle “Yep, I’m Gay.
On April 30, 1997, two words of TV dialogue were a groundbreakg shout to the world: "I'm gay." Ellen DeGener ma that statement as Ellen ... * ellen comes out as gay on tv show *
On April 30, 1997, Ellen DeGener publicly me out as gay on her ABC s, Ellen — makg her character, Ellen Man, the first gay or lbian lead character on a U.