We all love The Golden Girls — and by all accounts, the show loved the gays right back.
For proof, look no further than the two episodes featuring Blanche’s gay brother, Clayton. Not only did the show introduce millions of Americans to topics like coming out and gay marriage, but it also managed to broadcast a message of queer empowerment from coast to coast.
In a brand new video series Culture Cruise, Queerty contributor Matt Baume takes a deep dive on Clayton’s appearances on the show. It starts with the episode Scared Straight, which aired in 1988, just a few weeks after the first National Coming Out Day. Clayton’s worried about coming out to Blanche, and initially tells everyone that he slept with Rose to quash rumors. But soon the truth comes out, and Blanche has to confront the feeling that she doesn’t know her little brother like she thought she did. Can she overcome her prejudice and embrace him? (Spoiler alert: yes, she can, and the episode will have you going “awwwwww” and getting all misty-eyed.)
Related: The Golden Girls, Their Timelessness And Their Very Gay Legacy
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Clayton’s second episode is Sister of the Bride, and aired in 1991. That was just a few weeks after three couples in Hawaii began the process of suing for marriage equality. That one tackles queer love even more boldly: Clayton’s planning to get married, and Blanche is absolutely horrified. It’s clear that she wasn’t really as accepting of him as she initially let on. But then comes a famous scene where Sophia manages to explain gay marriage to Blanche (and to America) in less than 20 seconds.
What’s so remarkable about the episodes is that they feature a bunch of friendly little old ladies welcoming a gay man and his husband into their lives. They don’t just reflect American anxiety about queer people; they showed America how to get over that anxiety.
And if a southern dame can learn to love the queers, the show suggests, so can America.
Lacuevaman
i dare say 80% of the queens on here never saw the original broadcasts.
ChrisK
Yep. I’m sure you’re right. However, I wonder how many have seen the re runs of it?
MikeE
please explain something to me: why is it appropriate to refer to the people who post on this blog as “queens”?
I’m genuinely curious.
I’ve always presumed that “queen” was in reference to either a drag queen or a particularly overly-dramatic and effeminate man.
However, I keep seeing people make blanket statements referring to the entire community (used loosely here simply to mean “those who regularly post on this blog”) as “queens”.
Is there some new modernized definition of the word that makes it applicable to all, the way some push the word “queer” as a blanket label?
ChrisK
Usually refers more to the person saying it since straight guys don’t call their straight peers queens. Lacuevaman probably calls all his friends Queens.
ChrisK
What an amazing show. It’s still funny today and taking on the social issues was a plus. There just wan’t anything even close to it back then.
silveroracle
It was ahead of its time and I’m pleased that it addressed these issues.
mcflyer54
Personally I prefer the “Isn’t It Romantic” episode about Dorthy’s lesbian friend Jean who comes to visit after the death of her partner Pat. Jean becomes enamored with Rose and the story is handled with sweetness, gentle humor and much understanding. “The Golden Girls” were way ahead of their time and still hold up well more then 30 years later.
Bob LaBlah
Love this show as I do I pray there will not be a remake of it. Why the hell television feels it necessary to revive the nauseating Roseanne show or Dynasty (which isn’t all that bad but it sure isn’t good either) is beyond me but please let the Golden Girls rest in peace.
Brian
Roseanne was a fantastic show until the last season.
ChrisK
Have you see the new Full House on Netflix? I tried watching for some nostalgia but OMG was it bad. Wtf did they bring that back? Humor with canned laughter that seemed way out of place.
ChrisK
Oh and it’s already been done. In 1992 they did a spin off called the Golden Palace and it bombed.
Heywood Jablowme
@Bob: This is why TV has to “revive” things:
“If ‘Friends’ was created today, you would have a coffee shop full of people that were just staring into iPhones. There would be no actual episodes or conversations.”
– Jennifer Aniston, 2017
Because young people today would NOT be interesting to watch – unless maybe you confiscate their phones and stick them in the Big Brother house? – television turns to the past trying to find anything interesting.
Bob LaBlah
@Heywood Jablowme (god how I love your name lol) you are correct. There is a cable station in my area called MeTV. It shows episodes of Perry Mason, the original black and white episodes of The Untouchables, The Beverly Hillbillies (Miss Hathaway is a riot) and a few others. Logo dug up Green Acres even though there isn’t anything gay about that show but it is funny and makes one laugh (Hank Kimball, Mr. Haney and Doris Ziffell and her hat are my favorites).
Oh how I wish they would dig up those good old cartoons such as the original Mighty Mouse (the ones where he is beating the living shit out of those cats), Heckle and Jeckle and a few others so I won’t have to go to youtube when I have a spare moment and happen to think about them. Jennifer Aniston was right. I always felt MySpace was the beginning of the end for teenagers and creativity and Facebook is their coffin as is Youtube. Now everyone (including most young gay men) are now “celebrities” who feel their dirty drawers are worthy of praise. The idea nowadays is to post a video and count how many times its been viewed.
tymun
How dare you talk about Roseanne! Lol
loua61
I still have the compete series aired on NBC on VHS tapes with commercials. I will never part with them.
Creamsicle
The thing that I love about these episodes is:
1) Golden Girls was shockingly woke for the 80s.
2) They evolved over the course of episodes. They weren’t perfect allies, but they wanted to be better, and that’s a better ally than one who just dances around the topic while saying the right words and never actually learning anything new from someone whose life experience is different from their own.
I rewatched the entire series about a year ago and realized that both my sense of humor and politics were shaped immensely by watching reruns of the Golden Girls growing up.
caped212
Blanche: Lesbian! Lesbian? Well isn’t that where one woman and another womanBlanche: [coming in to Dorothy’s room in the middle of the night] What is going on? I heard you laughing, w
Blanche: Of course not. I mean, I’ve never known any personally, but isn’t Danny Thomas one?
Dorothy: Not Lebanese, Blanche! Lesbian!
Blanche: Lesbian… Lesbian… Lesbian! But isn’t that when one woman and another…
Dorothy: We already know what it means.
Blanche: But… Jean’s a very attractive woman! She could have any man she wants!
Dorothy: She doesn’t want them.
Blanche: Well, why not? A man has so much more to offer, you know what I mean, Dorothy?