Television, Part 3

One more time, I will talk about one of my favorite shows. This one will shake up some things about what I follow as a Christian. People from my church will not like this, but there is a reason for it....so hear we go, let's hurt some souls.....

The show for this week is Queer as Folk.

Based on a UK miniseries of the same name, Queer as Folk was a series on the Showtime network that ran for 5 seasons. This show shifted the identity of gay and lesbian culture in the United States. Each character had an identity that struggled with the world around them. The show is based in Pittsburgh and circled around a group of friends in the town. You had Michael, he was a comic book nerd who worked in a store very similar to Walmart. No one at his job knew he was gay. Even in the year 2000, sexual identity could keep you from promotions and getting the job. His mother, Debbie, was very supportive of her son. She is a waitress and an active member of PFLAG(support group for family members with gay children and adults). His friends, Emmitt and Ted, they are best friends. Emmitt is out to everyone. He is from the South, so his sexuality led him to leave home. Ted has struggled with his sexuality for all of his life. He struggled with sex, drugs, and other things. Melanie and Lindsey are a married couple with a son. They are the lesbians in this group. Then there was Brian, he was my favorite. There is no filter with this guy. He was out to his friends, and does not hide his sexuality at all. He is frequent to the clubs and will sleep with any guy with two legs. Lindsey and Brian have a son together, and Brian is active in the boy's life, but they do not discuss their personal lives with the son. Justin is a teen that meets Brian in a club. Justin changes Brian's life for the better. Justin is able to come out to his family with Brian's help.

This show put on display all of the downsides of being out and being in the closet. There are all spectrums of homosexuality thrown in your face. Emmitt is the "gay queen". He is flamboyant, loud, and in your face. Michael is shy and quiet and doesn't discuss his sexuality. He just wants a family of his own. You see the stereotypes within the community. You see families, hypocrisy, hate crimes, love, the judicial system, violence, sex, death, domesticity, and everything in between. This program provided conversation for families to talk about what homosexuality means to them. It helped people come out to their family and friends. It helped people find causes to fight for and against. It put a spotlight on the issues in the LGBT community. It was graphic, in-your-face, thought-provoking, and challenges the emotional spectrum of the viewers.

Like I said at the beginning, this show was based on a UK miniseries. This show was in 1999 and created by Russell T. Davies. He would go on to produce Casanova, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Sarah Jane Chronicles, and LGBT programs Banana & Cucumber. The series had Stuart and Vince. Stuart is the Brian, and Vince is the Michael here. Stuart meets a teen, Nathan. Nathan falls in love with Stuart quickly. At first, it is unrequited. Just watch it for yourself.

Back to the US show...

This show contains a lot of nudity. I cannot tell you how many times I saw Brian's backside. You see all kinds of sex scenes with men and women. You see people fall in and out of life. Most of all, you see the struggle of being a minority adult. You see how much a family means to anyone who has been removed from their original family. You see how people continue to grow up and mature after dealing with the discrimination that is provided to you.

If you can handle this, go ahead and watch it on DVD. All 5 seasons are available online and in stores.

#televsion #LGBT