It was a groundbreaking kiss heard across the country. Fifteen years ago today, Dawson's Creek debuted the first gay male kiss on primetime television, when Jack McPhee and his boyfriend Ethan shared a beautiful kiss on the season finale of . Over the past few decades, television shows have featured gay characters in their casts. But Jack and Ethan's kiss wasn't the first gay kiss on television. That honor belongs to another popular show at the time , L.A. Law, which featured the first lesbian kiss on television. But after years of prominent gay characters in plays, movies and TV shows, why didn't we actually see a kiss between two men on screen until 2000? Let’s take a look back at the evolution of gay kisses on TV, shall we?
The first time two gay characters appeared together on a television series (that is, as a couple) was in 1975 on ABC's short-lived show Hot I Baltimore . The show centers on an elderly gay couple named George and Gordon. Even before that, a 1972 TV movie , That Summer, told the gay love story between big stars Martin Sheen and Hal Holbrook. So why did it take more than 15 years for same-sex kissing to appear on television, and another 10 years for a gay couple to actually kiss?
1991: The first gay kiss aired
After years of TV projects featuring gay kisses and breaking new ground, the hit series L.A. Law has finally come to fruition, with CJ and Abby sharing a kiss on the show. Unfortunately, the actress who played Abby later claimed it was just a publicity stunt, although producers said they wanted to add "more depth" to CJ's character. The American Family Association protested the kiss, but it caused little controversy. However, the relationships between the characters are never established.
1993: Picket Fence
Two years later, the cast and crew of the TV series "Fences" attempted to air a scene of two teenage girls kissing. However, their network, CBS, requested that the scene be reshot in the dark. No progress here.
1994: Roseanne shares a lesbian kiss
A year after the Fences debacle, Roseanne — despite ABC initially threatening not to air the episode — featured Mariel Hemingway's character Sharon in the episode "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The kissing scene with Roseanne in the bar. ". The episode attracted more than 20 million viewers.
1996: Friends miss a huge opportunity
In the episode "Lesbian Wedding," Friends misses the opportunity to show Susan and Carol kissing in a completely normal, happy occasion: their wedding. You might think that the end of a wedding is the perfect time for newlyweds to kiss. But alas, the show decided to skip it.
1997: Relativity gets bold
The ABC drama "Relativity" tells the story of the first open-mouthed kiss between two women, when supporting character Rhonda, played by House's Lisa Edelstein, shares one with another woman, Suzanne, after their first date. Romantic kiss.
2000: Dawson's Creek
While this wasn't the first official gay kiss on television ( Will & Grace had the two men peck in protest), the first time we saw two men on TV was in Dawson's Creek in 2000 kiss. Jack and Ethan's kiss in the final episode, aptly titled "True Love," was touching but ended with Jack heartbroken. Still, the kiss was necessary for the television landscape. It shows that kissing, passion and love should be accessible to all regardless of sexual orientation.
The kiss made it easier for other TV series (like Will & Grace, Glee, How to Get Away with Murder , Modern Family , etc.) to have real gay romances and relationships on television.
Editor's note: This article has been updated.
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