First Gay Characters on Television: A Historical Overview

The first representations of homosexuality in television began in the mid-20th century, with characters often appearing in a veiled and often unsympathetic manner. These early portrayals were crucial in shaping awareness and understanding of gay characters among viewers. This article delves into the evolution of these characters, examining the first gay characters and their impact on television history.

Dramatic Series with Subtle Gay Characters

In the 1950s, many dramatic series began to explore themes of homosexuality in a subtle and often ambiguous manner, with characters that were never explicitly acknowledged to be gay but were clearly intended to convey such depth. Examples include:

Naked City: This series featured a character with a similar sidekick who was clearly intended to be a gay stand-in but was not explicitly acknowledged as such. Perry Mason: This show had a character who was furtive and unsuccessful, with unsympathetic traits that hint at his possible gay orientation. Dr. Kildare and Ben Casey: Both of these series had characters that had ambiguous orientations but were not explicitly acknowledged as gay. 77 Sunset Strip and Dragnet: Interestingly, these more straightforward police dramas also included characters with suspected homosexual tendencies.

A Significantly More Provincially Depicted Character: The Wagon Train Episode

One particularly notable episode of The Wagon Train in 1959, titled "The Danny Benedict Story," provides a more explicit portrayal of a gay character. Danny Benedict III is a sensitive and artistic young man whose femininity is heavily emphasized. The plot revolves around his relationship with another character, who is revealed to be a gay man. This character, however, tragically commits suicide, reinforcing traditional heteronormative values. The climax of the episode features Benedict III making a dramatic rejection of his effeminate nature, vowing to become a man through bloodshed and violence.

The Quest for the First Overtly Gay Character

The quest for the first openly gay character in television history is more challenging than it initially appears. Many early characters were clearly gay but were not explicitly acknowledged, while others appeared in brief roles, disappearing after their initial appearances. The task becomes more complex when focusing on American television, but there are notable characters from other countries as well. Here are some of the first openly gay characters in American television:

1971 - All in the Family

Phillip Carey played Archie Bunker's gay drinking buddy, Steve, in the episode "How I Met Your Wife." This was one of the first times a gay character was featured in an ongoing role on US television. Archie reacts shockingly to Steve's coming out, highlighting the societal and personal struggles of openly gay characters.

1972 - TV Movie A Certain Summer

Netflix and Martin Sheen starred alongside Hal Holbrook in the TV movie A Certain Summer. This film marks one of the earliest portrayals of a gay couple, though its primary focus was on the humor derived from the revelation of their orientation.

1972 - The Corner Bar

Vincent Schiavelli played Peter Panama in the 1972-1973 season of The Corner Bar. This was the first time a recurring gay character appeared on a US TV series, marking a significant milestone in television history.

1973 - An American Family

The PBS series An American Family featured Lance Loud, who came out as gay, marking the first non-fictional portrayal of an openly gay character on US television.

1973 - The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Robert Moore played Ben Sullivan in a single episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where it was revealed that Ben was gay.

1975 - Hot(l) Baltimore

Henry Calvert and Lee Bergere played Gordon and George, the first openly gay couple on a US television series.

1977 - All in the Family

Another episode of All in the Family in 1977 marked Norman Lear's third appearance on this list, revealing that Archie Bunker's cousin Liz had been in a long-term relationship with Veronica for 25 years, making a significant impact on the representation of gay life on television.

1977 - Soap

The character Jody Dallas, played by Billy Crystal, was one of the first, if not the first, openly gay character to have an ongoing, starring role in a US TV show in Soap.

Through these characters, television has gradually moved towards more accurate and representation of the LGBTQ community, but the earliest portrayals were often fraught with ambiguity and heteronormative overtones. These early figures, however, paved the way for more open and accepting portrayals in the following decades.