Modern Family the Next Big Thing for Gay Rights?

Does TV do a better job of showing gays in winning light than the real thing?

By Ted Casablanca Jan 14, 2010 3:09 PMTags
Modern Family, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric StonestreetABC/Bob D'Amico

It's time to crown a new queen of comedy: While the A.T. (and the Hollywood Foreign Press) adore 30 Rock, we're holding out that newbie Modern Family could come in and take the prize for Best Comedy at Sunday's Golden Globe Awards.

Obviously the show is LOL funny, but we also think it could be just what the LGBTQ community needs. Especially since we're not getting any immediate help from our judicial system, and California voters are still gullible to the anti-gay Prop 8 campaign the Mormon Church is trying to keep alive, saying gay marriage is evil and all that crap.

Who better to shove at the Mormons and their ilk than...

The stars of Modern Family! Kill 'em with laughter, isn't that how the saying goes?

We literally heart every single character on Modern Family, but hysterical gay couple Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cam (Eric Stonestreet) are the kinds of characters really and truly urgently needed in modern TV.

While Will & Grace was one of the first shows back in the day to have gay main characters, it was ultimately pretty limiting: Jack was totally flaming and made it "cool" to have a flamboyant gay just as an accessory. Sure, at the time, the show was pretty revolutionary with gay characters starring in a prime-time TV show, but times have changed.

Gays aren't designer-addled accessories (they never were). They're the folks who are friggin' living and working right next door to you, most of the time.

We're totally thrilled that Modern Family can illustrate gay characters in a funny way but still keep it real. They're both raising an adopted baby, and while they surely have their queen-y moments, the characters are more than that, too. We wouldn't go so far as to say their totally butch, but at least the show balances humor with reality. What a concept!

Even behind-the-scenes, Jesse is an active out member supporting the LGBTQ community, and while Eric is straight, he will come support his friend and costar at different functions. They both attended The Trevor Project's Cracked Xmas together back in December. Supercool.

Is that what it's going to take to get gay marriage legalized in the States? Showing a functional gay family on TV? Hey, it might be totally ridiculous, but it's true. Maybe shows like Modern Family will get America used to the real modern families evolving all around 'em.

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For superfun TV dirt on Modern Family head on over to Watch With Kristin.