It’s been a historic and particularly celebratory Gay Pride Month this
year, given the recent historic Supreme Court ruling. Last year, in honor of
Gay Pride Month, I made a list of the Greatest Queer TV Characters of All
Time. This year I decided to
compile a list of the greatest queer-themed TV episodes. Rather than rank them I’m going in
chronological order to better show the evolution of queer representation on
TV. This list
covers the 1970s through the year 2000, and one of these days I'll write Part 2, which will encompass the modern
era.
Please note that this list is NOT comprehensive—a lot of great queer
characters, stories, and shows are not represented here. These are just my personal favorites,
and all are well-worth watching.
“My Brother’s Keeper”
The Mary Tyler
Moore Show (Season 3, 1973)
Amazingly progressive for it’s time (and even by today’s standards),
this episode of my beloved Mary Tyler
Moore Show keeps its big gay twist for the very end. Throughout the episode Phyllis is
increasingly upset over the closeness of her visiting brother Ben and her archenemy
Rhoda. But just as Phyllis’
histrionics reach their peak (at one of Mary’s infamously disastrous parties,
naturally), Rhoda reveals that Ben is gay and therefore they are simply good
friends. It’s the refreshingly
casual way Rhoda reveals the info and Phyllis’ relieved reaction that make this
episode a standout. If only Ben
hadn’t been limited to just a one-episode guest spot… Rhoda and Ben could have
become the Jack and Karen of the 1970s!
“The Gay Bar”
Maude (Season 6, 1977)
I finally watched Maude from start
to finish for the first time last year and I reveled in the show’s many
progressive topics, but most of all Bea Arthur’s flawless, complicated
portrayal of Maude herself. True,
this gay-themed episode is heavy-handed (as many of the show’s topical episodes
were), but it’s also earnest in its intentions. And Bea Arthur brings the funny, as always. This episode concerns Maude’s efforts
to combat homophobic neighbor Arthur’s campaign to close down a new gay bar in
Tuckahoe. Both Arthur and Maude
end up at the bar, where, overzealous as always, Maude goes out of her way to
bond with the gay patrons.
“Isn’t It Romantic?”
Golden Girls (Season 2, 1986)
Golden Girls is one of the most iconic gay shows of all time for many, many reasons
(the women are all basically drag queens, for starters). But aside from its camp sensibility the
show tackled gay issues head-on multiple times (there was even a gay
housekeeper named CoCo in the pilot episode, but he was—perhaps
thankfully—dropped). Aside from
the episodes dealing with Blanche’s gay brother (who eventually got married on
the show), we have this Season 2 episode dealing with Dorothy’s friend
Jean. On the heels of a breakup,
Jean stays with the girls for a bit and finds herself falling in love with
Rose—who is utterly clueless about Jean’s affections. The scene in which Dorothy and Sophia explain that Jean is a
lesbian to both Rose and Blanche is a highpoint:
But it’s the sweet acceptance and understanding that Rose ultimately
displays that makes this episode something special.
“Killing All the Right People”
Designing Women (Season 2, 1987)
Oh boy, this episode deals with some heavy stuff and it does not have a
typically happy sitcom ending. But
it does mark an extremely important moment in TV history, as the women of
Sugarbakers Design Firm deal with the AIDS crisis. Kendall, a friend and fellow decorator, comes to
Sugarbakers’ and asks them to plan his funeral, as he is dying of AIDS. Julia’s subsequent epic takedown of a
homophobic client is the stuff of legend:
You’ll be sobbing by the end, though, as the last scene depicts
Kendall’s funeral, a grimly realistic ending during the height of the AIDS
crisis. The episode is made all
the more poignant with the knowledge that creator-writer Linda
Bloodworth-Thomason’s own mother died of AIDS after being infected via a blood
transfusion.
“Ladies’ Choice”
Roseanne (Season 5, 1992)
Roseanne Barr deserves a lot of credit for dragging gay rights issues
out of the closet and on to our TV screens in the early 90s. The fact that she has two gay siblings
helped prompt her to introduce some of TV’s best and most long-running gay
characters to Middle America at a time when it was still considered a big
deal. In this episode the
character of Nancy comes out, much to Roseanne and Jackie’s disbelief (up to
this point Nancy had been something of a man-eater). Nancy is played by queer icon Sandra Bernhard and I love
that she never sacrifices Nancy’s primary characteristic (her shallowness) in
favor of her sexuality. The show
may be better known for the episode in which Roseanne shares a kiss with guest
star Mariel Hemingway, but Nancy’s coming out in this episode remains my
favorite of Roseanne’s many queer
landmarks:
“Resolutions”
My So-Called
Life (Season 1, 1995)
Last year I declared My So-Called
Life’s Rickie Vasquez as my pick for the Greatest Queer TV Character of all
time. The show’s entire (and only)
season is a wonderfully realistic portrayal of a gay teen’s struggle to accept
his own sexuality and be accepted by those around him. This New Year’s Eve episode (double
points for being holiday themed!) is the pinnacle of that portrayal. Rickie has been struggling mightily
with both his sexuality and related domestic abuse up to this point, but it’s
in this episode where he hits rock bottom—and finds help in the form of a
sympathetic gay teacher. Rickie’s
story is heartbreakingly true to life.
“Woman to Woman”
Living Single (Season 3, 1997)
I will never stop proclaiming that Living
Single is one of the
most underrated sitcoms of the 90s until we get all five seasons released on
DVD! This Season 3 episode
involves my favorite character, Max.
Max’s college friend Shayla comes to New York for her wedding—but when
she reveals she’s marrying a woman, Max reacts badly. But the progressive twist is that Max isn’t upset that
Shayla is a lesbian, but rather that she kept it a secret from her for so long
when everyone else knew the truth.
“Homer’s Phobia”
The Simpsons (Season 8, 1997)
If I was ranking episodes based on merit, this one just might be my
#1. The Golden Age of The Simpsons brings us this gem of an
episode, which never sacrifices the laughs while still managing some
razor-sharp social commentary. John Waters guest stars as a campy shopkeeper who charms the
entire Simpson clan, but when Homer learns John is gay and fears his effect on
Bart, hilarity ensues. Homer’s
attempts to set Bart on a straight and narrow path are particularly funny. The gay steel mill scene is one of the
series’ highlights
By the episode’s end Homer has a change of heart and mind after being
rescued from some rabid reindeer by John. The Simpsons
would go on to have several gay-themed episode in its later years, but never
any as funny or insightful as “Homer’s Phobia.”
“Gay Yellow Pages”
Ellen (Season 5, 1997)
Yes, the quality of Ellen
dipped after her the character and the real-life Ellen came out, but there were
still some great episodes in the show’s fifth and final season. Take for example “Gay Yellow Pages,” in
which a newly out Ellen Morgan tries to connect with the gay community by
hosting a prideful party. However
she feels the pressure to be politically correct and only frequent gay-friendly
companies, resulting in her hiring a completely incompetent (and scantily clad)
gay plumber. Ellen’s efforts to
later hide the fact that she hired a (seemingly) straight plumber to undo the
damage while in the midst of hosting her party makes for some great, frenetic
comedy.
We’ve now covered TV’s early and awesome efforts to portray queer characters
and storylines. We've come a long way baby, and we owe a lot to these shows for breaking new ground and paving the way for even better, funnier and more poignant portrayals of queer life to come.
