Yesterday I read that the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) a Gay-advocacy group has decided to turn its attentions towards, of all things,
The Simpsons by calling the show out for a homophobic remark.
They are upset because in the most recent Treehouse of Horrors episode, Nelson Muntz referred to the Grand Pumpkin as "supergay", and as we all know,
The Simpsons has been a hotbed for anti-gay rhetoric for years.
Wait a minute... it has been like that at all. I mean, if you think about it,
The Simpsons has been one of the most gay-friendly shows out there, and over the years
The Simpsons have presented story lines dealing with gay and lesbian issues in a positive and relatively sensitive manner, which has won the show a few Emmys and a GLAAD media award.
Think about it. The show features two prominent gay characters (Waylon Smithers and Patty Bouvier). It has had stories about Homer coming to terms with an openly gay John Waters, of trying to "degay" Bart and then through trauma coming to terms and being able to accept the possibility that his son is gay (when he isn't). It has also tackled gay marriage and featured a storyline about accepting a loved one who has come out of the closet, while also intimating that two other characters on the show were potentially gay but weren't at the stage of acknowledging it. In a related storyline in a later season, Patty's sister Selma, after going through menopause, was left flustered by the bureaucratic machinations of the Chinese government when she tried to adopt a child, as they required her to have a husband, which again, resonates with those in the gay and lesbian community who want to adopt for themselves.
There was also a flash forward episode where Lisa was revealed to be the first straight woman president following the election of Chastity Bono.
Frankly, given the setbacks the gay and lesbian rights movement had during the election, picking on
The Simpsons is really picking the wrong battle to fight. Especially since I have yet to see an article mentioning GLSEN's opposition to Katy "I Kissed a Girl" Perry's first single from that album
Ur So Gay. I mean, if anything, that song is so much worse than the fleeting reference on The Simpsons because the line following the title in the chorus is "and you don't even like boys". When the GLSEN complains about that, then maybe I'll respect their objection to that particular Nelson remark.
And for all we know, The Grand Pumpkin WAS indeed gay.
Tags:
the simpsons, homosexuality, gay, lesbian and straight education, network, fox, treehouse of horrors, supergay, nelson muntz, grand pumpkin, glsen, proposition 8, selma bouvier, patty bouvier, katy perry, i kissed a girl, ur so gay, chastity bono, glaad media award
