Has any soap opera ever had any gay characters?

[Hardrada]

It seems like unending straight strife on those. Just curious.

[terrya]

1. "All My Children" had a lesbian character a few years ago as I recall

But you're right...almost all of the time it's heteroland on the soaps. What's ironic is that I'm sure quite a few of the actors on those soaps are gay in real life....

[Hardrada]

2. You are probably right!

I hadn't thought of that!!

[Liberalynn]

6. Erica's Daughter

Bianca was gay. She was a main character for several years and only just left recently.

[China_cat]

7. They had a gay male teacher

for a while. Long before that they had a lesbian and one of the main characters bi curious.

And right now All My Children has a lesbian character that actually got the first lesbian onscreen soap opera kiss...Erica Kane's daughter, Bianca.

[Left Is Write]

17. The gay male character was Michael, played by Chris Bruno.

[Mz Pip]

3. General Hospital

has a gay college student. He's not around much, though. Sort of a low level story line.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[hopein08]

16. Yep, Lucas Jones...he hasn't come out to his parents...

but I can see that General Hospital is building up his crowd for bigger stories so I'm sure he'll be around more and it'll be an issue.

[kick-ass-bob]

4. Think target audience.

there may have been a character every now and then who was gay, but that is not what the watchers want to see.

[lukasahero]

5. Does "Soap" count?

:7

[AllegroRondo]

8. Billy Crystal - the first openly gay sitcom character

ground breaking.

[madeline_con]

22. oops, I didn't see your post... n/t

[politicat]

9. Do Prime time soaps count?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer has some soapy elements.... and gay characters.

[Left Is Write]

18. Desperate Housewives has a gay character also.

[mwooldri]

10. Just US soaps? Sorry I don't know. But UK ones:

EastEnders: Tony and Simon back in 1996 had a kiss onscreen.
Coronation Street: Sean Tully - this year. 2002 one family tried to "act gay".
Emmerdale: Emma Nightingale & Zoe Tate.
Neighbours: (Australian soap popular in UK): Lana Crawford

Rather than list them all, believe it or not there's a database of UK shows that have featured gay characters.

It even has the US ones in there, such as Dawson's Creek (now ended), Dynasty (long ended), ER (still on), Friends (ended) - and more!

Reference: http://www.queertv.btinternet.co.uk/

[Hardrada]

13. Thanks for the list.

Our US evening shows are less hetero than the afternoon soaps, apparently.:hi:

[TheBaldyMan]

27. the hottest lesbian kiss ever

on Brookside. Phew! is it hot in here or is it me?

[MissMillie]

11. Richard Simmons used to be on General Hospital

does that count?

[Hardrada]

12. That counts!

[Kat45]

14. On "Passions," a regular character just came out as gay.

She's college-aged; she's also African-American. They showed her in bed, talking, with another woman. She had been staying with her for a while, when everyone thought she was at something in California. She was in love with her and wanted forever but the woman didn't want an LTR. A couple of her female friends were cool with her being a lesbian, but when her father found out, he was hating it and screaming at her. Her mother, a doctor, isn't thrilled about it but she's trying to be supportive. An old-time-religion old lady relative kicked her out of her nursing home room when she told her. So, I think they've had a fairly realistic range of reactions to her coming out.

[bigwillq]

15. "One Life to Live"

played by Ryan Phillipee (sp??) Reese Witherspoon's hubby. However, Ryan has never put that gig on his resume. :(

[Hardrada]

19. I missed that one!

[madeline_con]

20. "Soap"

Remember that show?

[Hardrada]

23. When was that one on?

I just remember the name but little else.

[madeline_con]

24. I found a link...

Soap is a tale about two sisters, Mary Campbell & Jessica Tate. While the Tates are a rich family, the Campbells are just another blue-collared family, but they go through some REALLY psycho times. This is one super crazy comedy. It's good to have family, or is it?



http://www.tv.com/soap/show/605/summary.html

[Strawman]

21. Dynasty did

Stephen Carrington

[non sociopath skin]

25. Here in the UK, the two biggest soaps "Coronation Street" and "Eastenders"

... have both featured gay characters (though the one in "Coronation Street" is very stereotyped).

The Skin

(Edit: Sorry - missed the earlier English post. Still think the comment here is valid though.)

[colinmom71]

26. The first gay character on daytime soaps was....

Introduced in 1988 on "As The World Turns". Hank Elliot came to town hired as Barbara Ryan's assistant fashion designer. At first, the character's sexuality wasn't discussed but it became an issue after a lonely Barbara asked him out on a date. From http://www.answers.com/topic/as-the-world-turns -

"In 1988 (head writer) Marland introduced the first gay male character, Hank Elliot, to daytime. Hank was a masculine man who was introduced to the town before revealing his homosexuality. The characters, particularly young teenagers Paul Ryan and Andy Dixon, then had to struggle with their feelings over being around him. Ultimately, when Hank was shot after saving Paul from his nefarious father James, Paul realized what a true friend Hank was. When Hank was written out of the show, Marland almost gave him AIDS, but felt that would send a stereotypical message. Instead he gave Hank's offcamera partner the virus."

[Hardrada]

28. Thanks for the information. That seems

earlier for the introduction of a gay character on afternoon TV.