Born This Way: Gays at the Forefront of TV Monday, May 23, 2011 By Ashley Rosa and Sarah Farma, Staff Writers Television hottest new gay couple, Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss) and Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer). - alexavetere com Advertising The media has taught us that homosexuals are no longer drag queens and flamboyant, crazy people. We have seen them on TV endure bullying, discrimination, confusion and life or death situations. However, shows like “Degrassi” and “Glee” shine when it comes to portraying the life of a gay teenager. Today’s media has even made it acceptable for Ellen DeGeneres, an openly gay woman, to become one of the most successful talk show hosts on TV. It is safe to say that our society is teaching us that being gay is okay. The most popular gay teenager on television is probably Kurt Hummel on “Glee,” played by Chris Colfer. Chris, who is openly gay in real life, is a fashion-forward, he-diva on the show. On an episode of “Glee,” Kurt comes out to his father in a powerful moment that is easily relatable to anyone struggling with coming out to their parents. Although Kurt’s father did not take the news very easily, he eventually came to terms with Kurt being gay. “I feel like everything Kurt went through is inspiration for people who struggle with their sexuality in high school,” said sophomore Nailah Pressly. Another realistic perspective of gay teenagers is the hit Canadian show “Degrassi.” “Degrassi” has portrayed many gay teens throughout its television series. Marco Del Rossi, played by Adamo Ruggiero, who is also openly gay and was the first gay teenager on “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” struggled with his sexuality on the show. He used his best friend Elli to act as a cover girlfriend and also had a hard time coming out to his family due to their Italian culture and Catholic religion. Marco is bullied, bribed and beat up by homophobes and yet eventually becomes confident with who he really is. Marco comes out to his parents, his friends and most importantly, himself. After Marco, the line of gay teenage characters on “Degrassi” grew. There was a short-lived relationship between Alex and Paige. Quarterback and hot-shot of Degrassi High, Riley, also came to terms with himself and identifies as being gay. He and another gay character, Zane, have a secret relationship. Adam Torres, played by Jordan Toosday, is the first ever transgender character on the show and had his sexuality exposed to the entire school, causing him to become a victim of bullying. Other shows that include gay characters are “Pretty Little Liars,” “90210,” “Hellcats” and “Gossip Girl.” Nowadays, it seems that gay teens are coming out all over television. There is more acceptance and there are more roles for them on the silver screen. Sophomore Aharisi Bonner likes the now positive perception of gays in the media. “Gay teens on TV are very positive and serve as a role model for gay teens and adults around the world due to their work of promoting acceptance and rising above criticism,” she says. The most popular lesbian woman on TV is probably Ellen. Before rising to fame with her talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Ellen had a previous show called “Ellen” in which she played the title character who eventually came out as a lesbian. After the main character came out, the ratings dropped and the show received a lot of negative criticism, leading to its cancellation. This shows how gays have gone from being looked down upon in past times to now being embraced. Gays on TV have recently gained a lot of respect and even though they are still fighting for equal rights, it is clear that they have a strong voice in our society. Being gay is not a disease, but a sense of identity. Our society today is changing and becoming more aware of this. Gays are finally receiving the acceptance they’ve deserved for so long.

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