Archie Bunker’s macho friend was gay
by digby
[This clip from All in the Family] is from Season Five. The set-up is that Mike and Gloria have a friend Roger who is a photographer and artsy, which you can imagine how Archie interprets. Archie has a friend at the bar, Steve, who is a former NFL Player.
I was a young teenager when this episode aired and was educated when I saw it. I literally didn’t know that I knew gay people at that time. And then I realized that I did.
Norman Lear is a liberal hero who doesn’t get enough credit for changing the way our culture thinks on a whole host of issues. On this one, as with so many others, he was ahead of his time.
*For a rundown on today’s gay marriage oral arguments read Scotusblog.
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