With the continuing trends and presence of gay characters, it seems as though Hollywood is headed in the right direction. The 1990s saw surge of gay characters in both television and movies. From Ellen Degeneres and her character Ellen Morgan coming out under much scrutiny on the television show, “Ellen,” to Julia Roberts and Rupert Everett comedically playing off each other in the motion picture, “My Best Friend’s Wedding”.

Sure, gays and lesbians have been around forever, especially in Hollywood, but never has there been a time to be more out. With the popularity of shows like “Will and Grace”, which feature leading gay characters, as well as “Dawson’s Creek” and its supporting character of teenager Jack McPhee, we are slowly seeing gay and lesbian characters creeping into the mainstream media.

The family unit has always been a treasured and revered dynamic on television and in movies. Dating all the way back to I Love Lucy, storylines focused on the relationship between man and woman. Ozzie and Harriet introduced us to the quintessential American family—father in a suit, mother in pearls, and two exceptional children. It wasn’t until the 197

Jacobs, A.J. When Gay Men Happen To Straight Women. Entertainment Weekly. Vol. 455. 23 Oct 1998

The spillover into primetime television was a bit trickier. When news leaked that Ellen’s character was going to come out as a lesbian, viewers, censorship groups and sponsors were once again crying ‘immorality.’ The episode aired, and the character was a lesbian, but the show, unfortunately, could not get the ratings it needed to stay on the air. Ellen did open the door and raise the bar though. Party of Five’s, Julia Sallinger, kisses her female writing instructor. The Will of NBC’s new hit “Will & Grace” is a character that is not only gay, but also masculine, personable and the roommate of a very attractive woman. (Freydkin) The WB’s “Dawson’s Creek” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” soon followed, making supporting characters gay and lesbian. HBO’s “Sex & the City” turned one of its core characters, staunch heterosexual Samantha Jones into a swinging bisexual. The network also features “OZ” and “Six Feet Under”, both of which have gay characters and storylines. Most recently, the now defunct show “Once & Again”, featured a story where a teenage character begins a relationship with her best friend and shows the youngest lesbian kiss on television so far. This was most surprising because the show aired on ABC, the company owned by the usually conservative Disney Corportation. It’s also rumored that gay characters are in cartoons and children’s shows. For instance, Tinky Winky, the purple, purse carrying Tellitubby. And then there is the strange duo of Sesame Street’s Burt and Ernie, Batman & Robin, Peppermint Patty and ambiguous Marcy from the Peanuts Gang. Vanity Smurf and Hefty Smurf, created in the 80s also fit the gay stereotype of the time.

But things were slowly evolving in the movies. Independent films had been featuring gays and lesbians as main characters, depicting real life and real relationships. Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of The City” revolved around a homo-heter

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