In a new episode of Cultural Cruising, Matt Baume examines the classic sitcom Married With Children which took on gay marriage in an episode that aired in October 1990, a little more than three years into its decade-long run.
Said Baume: “Though it was primarily concerned with the mating habits of heterosexuals, or lack thereof, the show touched on LGBT life now and then with surprising sensitivity. And even more surprisingly, it went so far as to air an episode featuring two married gay men, just two months before a real-life lawsuit kicked off the modern marriage equality movement.”
In the episode, Peg (Katey Sagal) is bored and wants to go out. Al (Ed O'Neill) isn't interested, so Peg goes out with her friend Marcy (Amanda Bearse, who, as Baume notes, later came out as a lesbian). Peg and Marcy head to a dance club where Peg finds a dance partner named Andy.
At home, Al gets a knock at the door from a man who tells him “your wife has been seeing my husband.”
“Your husband?” Al asks, confounded.
“Yes,” replies the man.
“You know you're a guy, right?” replies Al.
“Yes,” replies the man.
Responds Al: “Well then we got three guys who won't touch my wife, what's the problem?”
Baume points out that at the time this episode was shot, marriage equality wasn't recognized anywhere in the world, yet the show still used the word “husband.”
Watch Matt unpack the rest:
