NEW YORK (AP) — The marriage between the gay characters Kevin and Scotty in the season finale of ABC’s “Brothers & Sisters” helped the network win high praise from an advocacy group that pushes for more visibility of such characters on television. It was the first wedding of two gay or lesbian characters in a prime-time scripted series, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. ABC has had other historic moments, including introducing a gay character to “Soap” in 1977, having a gay teen in “My So-Called Life” and Ellen DeGeneres coming out on “Ellen” as well as in real life.
ABC ranked highest among the broadcast networks in hours where gay and lesbian characters were portrayed, with FX topping the 10 cable networks monitored, GLAAD said. FX was praised for “Nip/Tuck,” which GLAAD said had one gay, lesbian or bisexual character in each episode. “Rescue Me” had a minor storyline with a gay couple having a commitment ceremony and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” featured a transgender character. Fox, also owned by News Corp., and NBC both had “failing” grades from GLAAD.
While GLAAD was pleased by the inclusion of gay characters on “House” and the shows “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” the group didn’t like a “New Amsterdam” episode in which two lesbian characters fell in love with a straight man. GLAAD is pushing NBC to include more gay characters, particularly after the prominent lesbian doctor Kerry Weaver left “ER.”
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