Before Ellen DeGeneres came out, before Will and Grace, there was the comedy series Roseanne. Roseanne was a successful comedy series featuring the trials and tribulations of an ordinary housewife (Roseanne) and her family
Roseanne caught a lot of flack because of a 1994 episode (Don't Ask, Don't Tell) in which lead character Roseanne kisses actress Mariel Hemingway in a lesbian bar:
That one scene caused a huge amount of controversy.
The irony about the controversial scene is that a year later, the show featured a hilarious episode (December Bride) in which a gay couple (Martin Mull and Fred Willard) got married. Other than moving the episode from to 9:30 p.m. there was no controversy. Regarding the move, ABC network claimed that it wasn't the wedding but rather the adult humor of the episode which prompted the move:
Past Know Your LGBT History posts:
Know Your LGBT History - The Puppy Episode
Know Your LGBT History - World AIDS Day
Know Your LGBT History - The sad hysteria over the 'down low'
Know Your LGBT History - The Stonewall Riots of 1969
Know Your LGBT History - Trevor
Know Your LGBT History - Christine Jorgensen
Know Your LGBT History - Stephen Stucker
Know Your LGBT History - Coming Out
Know Your LGBT History - Prayers for Bobby
Know Your LGBT History - Roy Cohn
Know Your LGBT History - Gladys Bentley
Know Your LGBT History - Wanda Sykes
Know Your LGBT History - William 'Billy' Haines and Jimmy Shields
Know Your LGBT History - The Dynamic Superiors
Know Your LGBT History - Jack Fertig (Sister Boom Boom)
Know Your LGBT History - Bugs Bunny
Know Your LGBT History - The Jeffersons (a repeat)
Know Your LGBT History - Homoeroticism in Fright Night
Know Your LGBT History - New York passes marriage equality law
Know Your LGBT History - Leonard Matlovich
Know Your LGBT History - Liberace
Know Your LGBT History - A brief history of gay relationships
Know Your LGBT History - Bessie Smith
Know Your LGBT History - Josephine Baker
Know Your LGBT History - Clara Ward and Willie 'Little Axe' Broadnax
Know Your LGBT History - Venus Xtravaganza
Know Your LGBT History - LGBTs who are changing the world for the better
Know Your LGBT History - Danitra Vance
Know Your LGBT History - Oliver Sipple
Know Your LGBT History - Gay Rights, Special Rights
Know Your LGBT History - Alan Turing
Know Your LGBT History - Bayard Rustin
Know Your LGBT History - Billy Preston
Know Your LGBT History - Sylvester
Know Your LGBT History - Billy Tipton
Know Your LGBT History - Nell Carter
Know Your LGBT History - James Baldwin
Know Your LBGT History - Paul Winfield
Know Your LGBT History - Barbara Jordan
Know Your LGBT History - Michael Jeter
Know Your LGBT History - All in the Family and Beverly LaSalle
Know Your LGBT History - The Lion in Winter
Know Your LGBT History - Saturday Night Live and 'Schmitts Gay'
Know Your LGBT History - Brother to Brother
Know Your LGBT History - Shameless
Know Your LGBT History - Car Wash
Know Your LGBT History - The 37th anniversary of 'Flowers of Evil'
Know Your LGBT History - The Best Way To Walk
Know Your LGBT History - The Jackal
Know Your LGBT History - A Cage Without A Key
Know Your LGBT History - In & Out
Know Your LGBT History - 'The Fabulous Gays' of Steambath
Know Your LGBT History - Bound
Know Your LGBT History - Gay characters from children's television show and movies
Know Your LGBT History - Gay documentaries, past and present
Know Your LGBT History - The Hotel New Hampshire
Know Your LGBT History - The Crying Game
Know Your LGBT History - Set It Off
Know Your LGBT History - The Wedding Banquet
Know Your LGBT History - Bachelor Party
Know Your LGBT History - Starsky and Hutch
Know Your LGBT History - The Naked Civil Servant
Know your LGBT History - Partners
Know Your LGBT History - All in the Family: Cousin Liz
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Know Your LGBT History - urban African-American movies
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Know Your LGBT History - Torch Song Trilogy
The Best of Know Your LGBT History
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Know Your LGBT History - My Beautiful Laundrette
Know Your LGBT History - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Know Your LGBT History - I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
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Know Your LGBT History - Reflections in a Golden Eye
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Know Your LGBT History - Milk
Know Your LGBT History - Black Shampoo
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Know Your LGBT History - Hotel
Know Your LGBT History - The Streets of San Francisco
Know Your LGBT History - Two looks at transgender characters in films
Know Your LGBT History - Flawless
Know Your LGBT History - Mahogany
Know Your LGBT History - Beverly Hills Cop
Know Your LGBT History - Some Like It Hot
Know Your LGBT History - Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia
Know Your LGBT History - Dirty Laundry
Know Your LGBT History - The Willie Witch Project
Know Your LGBT History - Spartacus
Know Your LGBT History - Caged
Know Your LGBT History - The Birdcage
Know Your LGBT History - Maude
Know Your LGBT History - That Certain Summer
Know Your LGBT History - Boat Trip
Know Your LGBT History - Staircase
Know Your LGBT History - Beautiful Thing
Know Your LGBT History - Armed and Dangerous
Know Your LGBT History - The Proud Family
Know Your LGBT History - Suddenly Last Summer
Know Your LGBT History - Gay TV Now
Know Your LGBT History - Stewardess School
Know Your LGBT History - Up the Academy
Know Your LGBT History - Don't be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
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Know Your LGBT History - The Color Purple
Know Your LGBT History - Making Love
Know Your LGBT History - A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge
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Know Your LGBT History - The Night Strangler
Know Your LGBT History - All in the Family
Know Your LGBT History - Tongues Untied
Know Your LGBT History - The Celluloid Closet
Know Your LGBT History - Querelle
Know Your LGBT History - Theatre of Blood
Know Your LGBT History - Strange Fruit
Know Your LGBT History - Designing Women
Know Your LGBT History - The Children's Hour
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Special Know Your LGBT History - Fame
Know Your LGBT History - Welcome Home, Bobby
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Know your lgbt history - The Jerry Springer Show
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Know your lgbt history - Which Way Is Up
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Know your lgbt history - Mannequin
Know your lgbt history - The Warriors
Know Your LGBT History - New York Undercover
Know Your LGBT History - Low Down Dirty Shame
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Know your lgbt history - California Suite
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Know your lgbt history - Blazing Saddles
Know your lgbt history - Sanford and Son
Know your lgbt history - In Living Color
Know your lgbt history - Cleopatra Jones and her lesbian drug lords
Know your lgbt history - Norman, Is That You?
Know your lgbt history - The 'Exotic' Adrian Street
Know your lgbt history - The Choirboys
Know your lgbt history - Eddie Murphy
Know your lgbt history - The Killing of Sister George
Know your lgbt history - Hanna-Barbera cartoons pushes the 'gay agenda
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Know your lgbt history - Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones
Know your lgbt history - I Got Da Hook Up
Know your lgbt history - Fright Night
Know your lgbt history - Flowers of Evil
The Jeffersons and the transgender community
Roseanne caught a lot of flack because of a 1994 episode (Don't Ask, Don't Tell) in which lead character Roseanne kisses actress Mariel Hemingway in a lesbian bar:
That one scene caused a huge amount of controversy.
The irony about the controversial scene is that a year later, the show featured a hilarious episode (December Bride) in which a gay couple (Martin Mull and Fred Willard) got married. Other than moving the episode from to 9:30 p.m. there was no controversy. Regarding the move, ABC network claimed that it wasn't the wedding but rather the adult humor of the episode which prompted the move:
Past Know Your LGBT History posts:
Know Your LGBT History - The Puppy Episode
Know Your LGBT History - World AIDS Day
Know Your LGBT History - The sad hysteria over the 'down low'
Know Your LGBT History - The Stonewall Riots of 1969
Know Your LGBT History - Trevor
Know Your LGBT History - Christine Jorgensen
Know Your LGBT History - Stephen Stucker
Know Your LGBT History - Coming Out
Know Your LGBT History - Prayers for Bobby
Know Your LGBT History - Roy Cohn
Know Your LGBT History - Gladys Bentley
Know Your LGBT History - Wanda Sykes
Know Your LGBT History - William 'Billy' Haines and Jimmy Shields
Know Your LGBT History - The Dynamic Superiors
Know Your LGBT History - Jack Fertig (Sister Boom Boom)
Know Your LGBT History - Bugs Bunny
Know Your LGBT History - The Jeffersons (a repeat)
Know Your LGBT History - Homoeroticism in Fright Night
Know Your LGBT History - New York passes marriage equality law
Know Your LGBT History - Leonard Matlovich
Know Your LGBT History - Liberace
Know Your LGBT History - A brief history of gay relationships
Know Your LGBT History - Bessie Smith
Know Your LGBT History - Josephine Baker
Know Your LGBT History - Clara Ward and Willie 'Little Axe' Broadnax
Know Your LGBT History - Venus Xtravaganza
Know Your LGBT History - LGBTs who are changing the world for the better
Know Your LGBT History - Danitra Vance
Know Your LGBT History - Oliver Sipple
Know Your LGBT History - Gay Rights, Special Rights
Know Your LGBT History - Alan Turing
Know Your LGBT History - Bayard Rustin
Know Your LGBT History - Billy Preston
Know Your LGBT History - Sylvester
Know Your LGBT History - Billy Tipton
Know Your LGBT History - Nell Carter
Know Your LGBT History - James Baldwin
Know Your LBGT History - Paul Winfield
Know Your LGBT History - Barbara Jordan
Know Your LGBT History - Michael Jeter
Know Your LGBT History - All in the Family and Beverly LaSalle
Know Your LGBT History - The Lion in Winter
Know Your LGBT History - Saturday Night Live and 'Schmitts Gay'
Know Your LGBT History - Brother to Brother
Know Your LGBT History - Shameless
Know Your LGBT History - Car Wash
Know Your LGBT History - The 37th anniversary of 'Flowers of Evil'
Know Your LGBT History - The Best Way To Walk
Know Your LGBT History - The Jackal
Know Your LGBT History - A Cage Without A Key
Know Your LGBT History - In & Out
Know Your LGBT History - 'The Fabulous Gays' of Steambath
Know Your LGBT History - Bound
Know Your LGBT History - Gay characters from children's television show and movies
Know Your LGBT History - Gay documentaries, past and present
Know Your LGBT History - The Hotel New Hampshire
Know Your LGBT History - The Crying Game
Know Your LGBT History - Set It Off
Know Your LGBT History - The Wedding Banquet
Know Your LGBT History - Bachelor Party
Know Your LGBT History - Starsky and Hutch
Know Your LGBT History - The Naked Civil Servant
Know your LGBT History - Partners
Know Your LGBT History - All in the Family: Cousin Liz
Know Your LGBT History - Rebecca
Know Your LGBT History - urban African-American movies
Know Your LGBT History - Charles Pierce
Know Your LGBT History - Torch Song Trilogy
The Best of Know Your LGBT History
Know Your LGBT History - Masters of Horror - Sick Girl
Know Your LGBT History - MadTV
Know Your LGBT History - Gimme A Break
Know Your LGBT History - Not Another Gay Movie
Know Your LGBT History - My Beautiful Laundrette
Know Your LGBT History - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Know Your LGBT History - I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Know Your LGBT History - The Gay Deceivers
Know Your LGBT History - Reflections in a Golden Eye
Know Your LGBT History - Dynasty
Know Your LGBT History - Milk
Know Your LGBT History - Black Shampoo
Know Your LGBT History - Never Too Young To Die
Know Your LGBT History - All About Eve
Know Your LGBT History - Hotel
Know Your LGBT History - The Streets of San Francisco
Know Your LGBT History - Two looks at transgender characters in films
Know Your LGBT History - Flawless
Know Your LGBT History - Mahogany
Know Your LGBT History - Beverly Hills Cop
Know Your LGBT History - Some Like It Hot
Know Your LGBT History - Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia
Know Your LGBT History - Dirty Laundry
Know Your LGBT History - The Willie Witch Project
Know Your LGBT History - Spartacus
Know Your LGBT History - Caged
Know Your LGBT History - The Birdcage
Know Your LGBT History - Maude
Know Your LGBT History - That Certain Summer
Know Your LGBT History - Boat Trip
Know Your LGBT History - Staircase
Know Your LGBT History - Beautiful Thing
Know Your LGBT History - Armed and Dangerous
Know Your LGBT History - The Proud Family
Know Your LGBT History - Suddenly Last Summer
Know Your LGBT History - Gay TV Now
Know Your LGBT History - Stewardess School
Know Your LGBT History - Up the Academy
Know Your LGBT History - Don't be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Know Your LGBT History - A Different Story
Know Your LGBT History - Victim
Know Your LGBT History - The Color Purple
Know Your LGBT History - Making Love
Know Your LGBT History - A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge
Know Your LGBT History - Noah's Arc
Know Your LGBT History - Adorable Adrian Adonis
Know Your LGBT History - The Night Strangler
Know Your LGBT History - All in the Family
Know Your LGBT History - Tongues Untied
Know Your LGBT History - The Celluloid Closet
Know Your LGBT History - Querelle
Know Your LGBT History - Theatre of Blood
Know Your LGBT History - Strange Fruit
Know Your LGBT History - Designing Women
Know Your LGBT History - The Children's Hour
Know Your LGBT History - Sylvester
Know Your LGBT History - Once Bitten
Know Your LGBT History - The Boys in the Band
Know Your LGBT History - Christopher Morley, the crossdressing assassin
Know Your LGBT History - Midnight Cowboy
Know Your LGBT History - Dracula's Daughter
Know Your LGBT History - Blacula
Know Your LGBT History - 3 Strikes
Know Your LGBT History - Paris Is Burning
Know Your LGBT History - The Women
Know your LGBT History - Soul Plane
Know Your LGBT History - The Player's Club
Special Know Your LGBT History - Fame
Know Your LGBT History - Welcome Home, Bobby
Know Your LGBT History - Barney Miller
Know your lgbt history - The Jerry Springer Show
Know your lgbt history - Martin Lawrence and that 'gay guy' on his show
Know your lgbt history - The Ricki Lake Show
Know your lgbt history - Which Way Is Up
Know your lgbt history - Gays in Primetime Soaps
Know your lgbt history - Boys Beware
Know your lgbt history - The Boondocks
Know your lgbt history - Mannequin
Know your lgbt history - The Warriors
Know Your LGBT History - New York Undercover
Know Your LGBT History - Low Down Dirty Shame
Know Your LGBT History - Fortune and Men's Eyes
Know your lgbt history - California Suite
Know your lgbt history - Taxi (Elaine's Strange Triangle)
Know your lgbt history - Come Back Charleston Blue
Know your lgbt history - James Bond goes gay
Know your lgbt history - Windows
Know your lgbt history - To Wong Foo and Priscilla
Know your lgbt history - Blazing Saddles
Know your lgbt history - Sanford and Son
Know your lgbt history - In Living Color
Know your lgbt history - Cleopatra Jones and her lesbian drug lords
Know your lgbt history - Norman, Is That You?
Know your lgbt history - The 'Exotic' Adrian Street
Know your lgbt history - The Choirboys
Know your lgbt history - Eddie Murphy
Know your lgbt history - The Killing of Sister George
Know your lgbt history - Hanna-Barbera cartoons pushes the 'gay agenda
'Know your lgbt history - Cruising
Know your lgbt history - Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones
Know your lgbt history - I Got Da Hook Up
Know your lgbt history - Fright Night
Know your lgbt history - Flowers of Evil
The Jeffersons and the transgender community
In addition, Sandra Bernhart played Nancy for several episodes, a friend of Roseanne and Jackie and co-worker/ co-owner of the restaurant run by Martin Mull's character. Nancy had a fantastic arc in the show and was one of Roseanne's closest friends for much of it. At first, she was married to Arnie, then, after that relationship tanked, Nancy moved on...shocking Jackie (and to a lesser extent, Roseanne herself) when she told them that she was a lesbian. In the end, she settled on bisexual, but her story took us through her discovering herself, even if in a supporting character sort of way.
ReplyDeleteI remember the episode when Nancy came out, and how shocked I was. I had always seen in my own family a commonality to the Conner clan in that we were both large, lower-middle-class, blue collar people, ostensibly Christian, sometimes fighting, most times supportive...but none of us 'knew' a gay person. (Well, there was me, but at this time, I was still deeply in the closet.)
Jackie took it less well, while Roseanne accepted her friend without hesitation, and I still remember my mom and grandmother, both watching the show...and agreeing with Roseanne's calm, supportive reaction. It was a shock to me, since my biggest fear was how they would react to my own homosexuality...
It was Nancy's character arc that really helped me accept myself as a gay man, and it was watching that episode with my family - my family so much like theirs - that started me on the path to coming out myself.