Mister Rogers biographer Michael G. Long really doesn’t like being asked if the beloved TV personality was gay, and by the looks of his recent article ‘Wasn’t he gay?’, he must get asked a lot.
Long breaks down why people question Fred Rogers’ sexuality — he was the opposite of “machismo,” a “model of male softness and sensitivity.” He kept close company with gay men, counting them among some of his closest friends. And his core message — “I like you just the way you are” — does have a gay-friendly, queer-friendly application.
Long does an excellent job breaking these factors down, and offers thoughtful analysis on what it says about society to make assumptions based on them.
He concludes that there’s “no publicly available evidence that Rogers engaged in gay sex. None. Zip. Zilch. Nothing there.”
But Long’s frustration comes off as a bit misplaced. The way he tells it, there is something inherently wrong with the question. It’s as if asking whether Rogers was gay tarnishes his legacy in some way while at the same time feeding society’s wrongs, when really people sometimes just “read gay” to other people.
Sure, it may have something to do with stereotypes, but stereotypes don’t exist in a vacuum. Long writes, “wait a second: Lots of gay men are tough guys — muscular, aggressive, and downright rough. So the mere fact that Rogers was the opposite of macho really proves nothing about his sexual orientation.”
Absolutely right, but there are lots of gay men who are the exact opposite (and everywhere in between). If Mister Rogers sends someone’s gaydar flying, does that necessarily mean that they’re buying into flawed stereotypes on sexuality?
Going off of evidence, there is nothing to suggest Mister Rogers was gay — that much is clear. Especially since he eventually advised Francois Clemmons, who played the role of Officer Clemmons, to come out. Surely if he had counseled his friend to be open about his sexuality, he too would have dropped not-so-subtle hints if he was gay.
But who knows, maybe he was a little gay. Does it really make any difference? (No.) Is is offensive to ask? (No.)
H/t Huffington Post Gay Voices
demented
What kind of sick weirdo even wants to imagine Mr. Rogers having any kind of sex? Not because the question is offensive, but… dammit, he was Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers and sex don’t belong in the same sentence.
“does that necessarily mean that they’re buying into flawed stereotypes on sexuality?”
Probably. Stereotypes of all kinds force some people to not be true to what they like – not just sexually, but in clothes, mannerisms, hobbies, entertainment, goals, etc. And if you don’t adhere to those stereotypes, people are likely to harass you.
T101
I agree with Demented… who cares.. so what.. weird article.. dumb article.. waste of time…
ingyaom
Dumb article is right. I read it yeterday on HuffPo, but Queerty added a picture of Mister Rogers with a shirtless Lou Ferrigno – implying what? That they were dating?
QJ201
Never set off my gaydar…and I adored him as a kid
LadyL
Ah, come on guys. I don’t think this article was so dumb.
I loved Mr. Rogers; he was a national treasure. I liked Sesame Street a lot back in the day, but that program, great as it was, could be a bit frenetic for little ones. Mr. Rogers was the perfect alternative. His thoughtful gentleness was exactly right for small children who needed an adult who could explain the world to them in patient, measured ways. And maybe for some of those kids, growing up in a time where stereotypes about gay men were so pervasive, Fred Rogers’ softness might have set off a few bells.
But I read the larger point of this article as this: culturally we’ve reached a place where we can ask the question–about anybody, even Mr. Rogers–and discuss the possibility out loud. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?
Lazycrockett
I was never a fan of the PBS stuff beside Electric Company but as a child Mr. Roger’s always seemed creepy to me and yes in a “shouldn’t be alone with him” vibe.
Chris
Mr. Rogers always struck me as having the personality analog to beige. Calming to those little beasts we call children, neutral in the sense that people could take from his show what they needed, and someone who would go well matched with any other personality/color. His episode on the Death of a Fish was one of the most balanced, fearless and approachable treatments of what death means that I have ever seen.
So to the question: “Was he gay?” “I don’t know and I don’t care. He was whatever anyone needed at that moment.”
charlietex
Not gay. Child molester is more like it…. And I have friends from Erie who say that he really was a child molester. True? Who knows; but they swear it.
Bauhaus
@charlietex:
Well, there you go. It took seven posts to mention the elephant in the room.
H/P said: If Mister Rogers sends someone’s gaydar flying, does that necessarily mean that they’re buying into flawed stereotypes on sexuality?
Meaning?
Gosh, he is a bit of a pansy, light in his loafers, hangs out with an artsy crowd, is in touch with his feelings, and wears a cardigan. He even has gay friends (guilt by association).
And horror, if he was gay, then he must have been molesting the kids, because those nasty gays can’t seem to keep their hands off the kids.
blackberry finn
Yes, Mr. Rogers was rather effeminate!
(in my best Mr.Rogers voice:) “…but not in a gay way.”
NJjoe
I agree with demented as well. Who cares? For me, growing up, he was just Mr. Rogers. His sexuality, as an adult, does not matter to me. To quote Joy Behar, “Who cares? So what?”
lnwbpa
Are you all aware that Mr. Rogers was in the WWII and killed enemy soldiers. He also had tattoos on both his arms and never wanted them to show, so he always wore long sleeved shirts and the infamous sweaters. Something about the reminders of the war . If he was gay it was in his youth, as the war affected his entire life and he became very religious.
erflight
Yes, Mr Rogers was gay and his lover was my father. it mattered to me because it had great conflicts for my dad. He was very kind, loving, etc. but he was not honest.