A recent study by GLAAD [Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation] revealed a noticeable increase in LGBT characters appearing in primetime broadcast series following what has been described as a "three-year slump." ABC led the pack in recent years, with programming that has included Brothers and Sisters, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives and Cashmere Mafia. Now the 2007-08 seasons of several ABC series are available in DVD box sets for repeated viewing.
Gay brother Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and boyfriend Scotty (Luke MacFarlane) weathered the storms of their relationships and the intrusive Walker family in the second season of Brothers and Sisters. Under the watchful eye of openly gay creator Greg Berlanti, B&S remained a consistently entertaining and powerful dramatic series. The five-disc DVD set of B&S (ABC Studios) contains the complete second season and special features including deleted scenes, blooper and outtakes, TV Dinners: Food from Season 2, and more.
It was only a matter of time before Marc Cherry, the out gay man behind Desperate Housewives, introduced a same-sex pair on Wisteria Lane. Season four marked the arrival of gay couple Bob (Tuc Watkins) and Lee (Kevin Rahm). They joined Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom), gay son of Bree (Marcia Cross), as recurring characters on the show. In addition to dealing with issues of homophobia and featuring a commitment ceremony, the fourth season of Desperate Housewives (ABC Studios) also featured the series' trademark mix of sex and suburban intrigue.
Ugly Betty is probably the gayest of all of ABC's primetime programming, and not just because it is set in the world of fashion publishing. Just do the math. First, there are the men of season two, one for everyone's taste, from hot stud Daniel (Eric Mabius) to hot nerd Henry (Christopher Gorham), hothead Gio (Freddy Rodriguez), flaming Marc (Michael Urie) and hilarious Suzuki (Alec Mapa). Add to that ruthless diva Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams), trans diva Alexis (Rebecca Romijn), matriarch Claire (longtime friend of the LGBT community Judith Light) and the delightful titular diva Betty (America Ferrara), and you can't go wrong. And what singing, dancing and fashion-forward gay kid's heart isn't warmed by the presence of Justin (Mark Indelicato), a TV character to whom they can finally relate? Marc even managed to land himself a boyfriend, Cliff (David Blue), for a few episodes in the gayer-than-ever second season of Ugly Betty. Of course, the appearance of the newly out Lindsay Lohan in season three only ups the ante. For now, there is the five-disc complete second season of Ugly Betty (ABC Studios), with bonus features ranging from deleted scenes to Betty Bloops and a whole lot more.
Of course, the gayness doesn't stop here. There's openly gay actor T.R. Knight playing Dr. George O'Malley on the expanded five-DVD edition of season four of Grey's Anatomy (ABC Studios). The four-disc complete first season of the quirky Eli Stone (ABC Studios), co-created by Berlanti, includes the music of, and appearances by gay singer George Michael. Private Practice (ABC Studios) featured gay storylines in its first season. Caitlin (Bonnie Somerville) was the lesbian member of the Cashmere Mafia (ABC Studios), acting alongside Lucy Liu and others, while trans actress Candis Cayne played Carmelita, love interest of Patrick (Billy Baldwin) on the first season of Dirty Sexy Money (ABC Studios), which you can watch with plenty of bonus material on DVD.