The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lesbians on TV (30 page)

The
90210
writers continued to have fun with Steve Sanders, who is still a tad gay-nervous. In a plot reminiscent of Richard Dreyfuss’s pursuit of Suzanne Somers in
American Graffiti,
Steve pursues a “goddess in a Cadillac” who turns out to be a transvestite named Elle (Monika Schnare) (“P.S., I Love You,” Parts 1 & 2). The idea i snot exactly original, and, more importantly, it’s another primary example of how transgender people are too often used for a cheap laugh.

Nor does the joke end there, because the following year Steve and his girlfriend Clare (Kathleen Robertson) run into Elle, who Clare doesn’t believe is really a guy. Later, at a college journalism conference (“Nancy’s Choice”), Elle meets Clare’s father, California University Chancellor Milton Arnold (Nicholas Pryor). When Steve learns they’re going out on a date, he asks Elle not to reveal he is a she because the Chancellor is just getting back into the dating scene and might not be able to handle the truth. Elle makes one final appearance in the sixth season’s finale at Steve’s 21st birthday bash on the
Queen Mary
(“The Say It’s Your Birthday”). By this time, the joke has certainly worn out its welcome. A less offensive situation involves Steve’s ill-fated attempt to set up a double-date for Brandon and himself (“Crimes and Misdemeanors”). Alas, the women he invites are a lesbian couple, who mistake Steve and Brandon for a gay couple.

Another situation that hits closer to home for Steve involves his actress-mother, Samantha Sanders (Christine Belfrod), who the tabloids report is dating her much younger co-star (“I’m Back Because”). Steve gets belligerent when he sees her alleged boyfriend kissing another woman. Samantha explains what is really going on — the tabloid story isn’t true. In fact, she’s a lesbian. Steve is ashamed his mother is gay and doesn’t exactly hide his feelings when
The National Whisperer
calls for a quote about his mother’s love life.

When the network (presumably not Fox) finds out she’s gay, Samantha gets fired, which angers Steve, who finally comes around and gives his mother his full support.
90210’
s treatment of Samantha Sander’s coming out to her son certainly simplifies what would otherwise be a complex situation. Yet, in their favor, the writers make an effort to keep Steve’s character consistent. When Steve gets engaged to a pregnant Janet (Lindsay Price), he tries to hide the fact that his mother is a lesbian and the woman she brought to their engagement party, Karen (Lisa Thornhill), is her lover. Ironically, when Steve asks his father Rush (Jed Allan) to keep Karen’s identity a secret, he discovers his dad has no idea his ex-wife is now playing for the other team.

Samantha Sanders was not television’s only gay mother. In 1993, a CBS Schoolbreak Special entitled
Other Mothers
examined the effects of homophobia on a high school freshman named Will (Justin Whalin), who has not one but two lesbian mothers (Meredith Baxter and Joanna Cassidy). Will’s chances at making new friends and playing basketball (as opposed to sitting on the bench during games) are jeopardized when word gets around that Will has two mommies. After a series of conversations with his mothers and an understanding uncle, Will realizes there’s nothing wrong with having two moms who love him so much. The hour drama does an excellent job at introducing the subject of gay parenting to young viewers by exposing how prejudice is rooted in fear and ignorance.

For more advanced teenage viewers, there is a memorable episode of
Popular
(“Wild, Wild Mess”), which received a GLAAD Media Award in 2000 for Outstanding TV Individual Episode. One storyline has the kids choosing a “Principal-for-a-Day” for Kennedy High. The popular girls want Gwyneth Paltrow, while the unpopular choose George Stephanopoulos. When Harrison reveals his mother, Robin (Alley Mills), once dated George, the popular girls decide to ask her for a favor. But what they discover is that Robin is a lesbian. It’s completely cool with them, but not with Harrison, who gets even more upset when they suggest nominating his mom for guest principal.

When his mother confronts him about why he has been keeping the fact she is a lesbian a secret, he admits he’s afraid people will think
he’s
gay. He eventually recognizes the error of his ways and, in one of those tender mother-son moments, he apologizes and Robin admits she’s not perfect, but will always be honest with him.

As with Harrison and Steve, teenagers often find themselves on both sides of the coming out scenario — as the bearer of “good news” as well as the recipient. Typically, the other person involved is a parent or sibling the teenager identifies with, though some straight teens have had the misfortune of falling for someone who has romantic inclinations toward members of the same sex. No matter the players involved, the message is always the same: gay and lesbian teenagers need your kindness, love, and support, particularly those in the early stages of coming out. We also see how difficult it is for a brother or parents to accept the news and deal with their confusion, anger, and guilt, even though they may have a close friend or relative who’s gay or lesbian.

On
Felicity
(“Love and Marriage”), Noel (Scott Foley) receives a visit from his older brother, Ryan (Eddie McClintock), a successful graphic artist. Noel wishes to follow in his brother’s artistic footsteps, but is stunned when Ryan reveals he broke up with his longtime girlfriend because he’s gay. Noel tries to act cool, but is having a difficult time accepting it. That night, Noel and Felicity (Keri Russell) join Ryan and his boyfriend Alex (Nathan Anderson) for dinner. Ryan drops another bombshell: he and Alex are going to have a commitment ceremony on their first anniversary. The news makes Noel even angrier, but Ryan gets the last word when he admits he was crazy to think his younger brother could support him when he told his parents. (“Imagine that, you actually supporting me for once.” Ryan says.)

Noel has a change of heart thanks to Javier (Ian Gomez), Felicity’s flamboyant Spanish boss. In the same episode, Felicity agrees to marry Javier to get him the green card he needs to stay in the country with his lover, Samuel (Spencer Beglarian). In the end, Felicity doesn’t have to go through with it because Samuel agrees to go to Spain with him so they can be together. Javier comments to Noel that Felicity is so accepting of his relationship. “You know, you’ll be surprised — a lot of people disapprove,” he explains, “but Felicity, no, she believes in love.” Noel realizes he’s been selfish and, more importantly, that love is love. So he apologizes to Ryan and assures him he will always be there for him.

The episode, wonderfully written by Jennifer Levin and Andrea Newman, is the perfect example of how a legal issue currently affecting gay people everywhere can be effectively addressed without being preachy. Furthermore, Noel’s reaction is believable because he seems more upset that Ryan took so long to come out to him and chose to tell him the news all at once. His reaction is not homophobic — he is just hurt and had a certain image of his brother in his mind.

Both Ryan and Javier would eventually return. Ryan visited his brother when
Felicity
tackled another issue — depression — which Ryan and his father both suffer from. Ryan is concerned about Noel, who recently lost his job for making out with the boss’s daughter. When Noel picks up a one-night stand, who robs him and handcuffs him to a motel bed, Noel reconsiders the fact he might be depressed and may possibly need medication.

Javier eventually returns after getting his green card. At the beginning of the show’s second season, he once again becomes Felicity’s supporter and confidante. His character, played with a mixture of warmth and humor by the talented Ian Gomez, is also given a life of his own when he returns to school to pursue his dream of becoming an actor.

From the producers of
thirtysomething, My So-Called Life
was hailed as one of the best new series of the 1994-1995 season. Yet, in their “infinite wisdom,” ABC quickly pulled the plug halfway through the first year because of low ratings. The series, which took an honest look at teenage life through the point-of-view of 15-year-old Angela Chase (Claire Danes), was created by former
thirtysomething
scribe Winnie Holzman. Holzman and her team of writers successfully captured that awkward period when we’re trying to find ourselves and life seems like one major emotional crisis after another. Like
thirtysomething,
the storylines are not complex, but simply revolve around Angela’s on-again, off-again relationship with Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto) and her friendships with the free-spirited “bad girl” Rayanne (A.J. Langer); former best friend Sharon (Devon Odessa); and the overachiever-next-door, Brian Krakow (Devon Gummersall).

Then there’s Enrique “Rickie” Vasquez (Wilson Cruz), American television’s first gay teenager. When Angela’s overprotective mother (Bess Armstrong) first meets Rickie, she is not sure what to think of her daughter’s androgynous friend who wears eyeliner and hangs out in the girls’ room. “I find Rickie a little confusing,” she tells Angela, who explains he’s not confused, he’s bi. “Do you hear the terms she’s throwing around? Bi?” Patty asks Angela’s dad, Graham (Tom Irwin). Rickie is actually gay, or at least that’s what he admits to Delia (Senta Moses) when she develops a crush on him. He considers the possibility of going straight (“In Dreams Begin Responsibilities”), but when Rickie asks Delia out, she asks him if he is gay, and he says yes. “I’ve actually never said it...out loud,” he admits.

Although his family is never shown, we learn more about Rickie’s home life over the course of the series. He comes from a mixed background (Black and Hispanic) and lives with an abusive uncle, who kicks him out of the house, then moves away without telling him. A homeless Rickie crashes at Angela’s house for a few days, but then lies and says he has some place to go, only to end up back on the street. He finally asks for help from his English teacher, Mr. Katimski (Jeff Perry), who recognizes “Enrique’s” (that’s what he calls him) potential and takes a personal interest in his welfare. Mr. Katimski, who is gay, tries to get Rickie into a group home, and ends up taking him in, at the risk of losing his job.

My So-Called Life
offers one of television’s most realistic accounts of a gay teenager rejected by his family. Wilson Cruz is sensational in a role that no doubt hit close to home. In an interview with
The Advocate,
Cruz discussed how his father, who refused to accept his homosexuality, also threw him out of the house.
⁶⁴
He explained he could relate to his character’s status as an “outsider,” though he describes Rickie as having it “a little more together” than he did in high school.
⁶⁵
On occasion, we also see Rickie getting harassed by other students. In one scene, he is slammed up against his locker and called “fag,” which Cruz admits happened to him more times than he can remember.
⁶⁶

The appeal of Cruz’s character is his sensitivity and sense of loyalty to his friends. He is extremely vulnerable, yet at the same time, more insightful than his peers. For example, when Angela and Rayanne are on the “outs” because she fooled around with Jordan, Rickie explains that Rayanne, a perpetual screw-up, has always wanted to be more like sweet, innocent Angela. Rayanne not only makes out with Jordan, but imitates Angela to land the role of Emily Webb in the school’s production of Thorton Wilder’s
Our Town.

Although he is doubly marginalized within his peer group because he is gay and of mixed race, Rickie manages to bond with all the other characters because he is not competing for anyone’s friendship, attention, or love. As for the latter, Rickie never gets a chance to get a boyfriend, though he is highly susceptible to crushes. He thinks Jordan is cute and also has his eye on Corey Halfrick (Adam Biesk), who, unfortunately, only has eyes for Angela.

Rickie certainly provided a much-need positive role model for gay teenage viewers, who over the years have been made to feel invisible in the heterosexual world of television. As for Cruz, he moved onto roles in independent features —
Jonhs
(1996),
All Over Me
(1996) — and guest spots on
Ally McBeal
(“Boy to the World”) and
Sister, Sister
(“Double, Double Date”). In 1999, he landed the role of Victor, the Salingers’ self-assured nanny, on
Party of Five.
Initially, Vctor’s sexuality was a bit ambiguous, though toward the end of the season, it’s clear he is gay. When Claudia tries to fix him up with Ross, Victor doesn’t like the idea because he thinks love should just happen by accident. He finally comes to his senses and the two go on a coffee date (“Isn’t It Romantic?”). The series ended in May of 2000 and although we don’t really know what happened to Victor and Ross, one can only hope they’re living happily ever after together in San Francisco.