Openly gay TV actors

1975: Female impersonator Lori Shannon (Don McLean) debuts as Beverly LaSalle on CBS's All in the Family.

1989: The Canadian comedy series The Kids in the Hall, whose cast includes out comedian Scott Thompson, begins its first season.

1991: Sandra Bernhard debuts as Nancy Bartlett Thomas on ABC's Roseanne.

1993: In an Advocate interview, Amanda Bearse of Fox's Married ... With Children becomes the first prime-time series regular to come out.

1994: Wilson Cruz plays the openly gay Rickie Vasquez on ABC's My So-called Life.

1994: Transgender actress Jazzmun first plays Pat on NBC's The John Larroquette Show.

1996: Chad Allen, costar of CBS's Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, is outed by a tabloid.

1997: Ellen DeGeneres causes a media blitz when her character on ABC's Ellen comes out.

1999: Megan Mullally of NBC's Will & Grace tells The Advocate she is bisexual.

2001: Gabriel Romero, who plays Fernando on Telemundo's Los Beltran, tells The Advocate he is bisexual.

2003: Out actors Christopher Sieber and John Benjamin Hickey play out characters on ABCs It's All Relative.

1 - 2 - Next