We bring you the first entry of a weekly entertainment column by Kurt Oshiro, a 22 year-old student at Cal State Fullerton majoring in Radio, Television and Film, with career aspirations of becoming a television writer.  Kurt will be participating in The Trevor Project’s Helpline Counselor Training in the Winter of 2009.

Kurt Oshiro

The “Gay Brother” On the Show
by Kurt Oshiro

Brothers and Sisters is a series about an upper-middle class family in Pasadena, CA. While the show, which is in its third season, has yet to enter the stratosphere of popularity in pop culture that other dramas such as Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy and Gossip Girl has reached, the family drama has made itself into the history books of television through its honest portrayal of a gay man. Matthew Rhys plays Kevin Walker, a successful lawyer, liberal Democrat, and – oh by the way – a happily married gay man. So, what makes the character of Kevin Walker such a good representation of a gay man? Ironically enough, it’s due to the fact that his sexuality isn’t exploited and doesn’t define who he is. Rather, it’s just one aspect of his character.

Throughout the history of television, gay and lesbian characters have often been seen as taboo and the when they did exist, they seemed rather stereotypical. While Ellen DeGeneres has become a very successful television personality, there has been some backlash about her show that may indicate to some that not everyone wanted to see a successful lesbian on network television just yet. A year after Ellen, Will & Grace debuted and became a successful sitcom. However, it did little to decrease stereotypes that were placed on gay men. Therefore, it came as a welcome relief that in 2006, Brothers and Sisters premiered and showed a three-dimensional depiction of a gay man on television.

The marriage of Kevin Walker to husband, Scotty

What I find so appealing about the character of Kevin is that he’s portrayed the same way as the other characters. No more and no less attention is given to him, which is a good thing. With the seamless integration of a gay character, it proves even more that gay men and women are just like everyone else. We live our lives the same, we love the same, and the fact that we love someone of the same gender is irrelevant; it doesn’t make us any different. I applaud the people behind Brothers and Sisters for keeping this in mind when considering the character development of Kevin Walker. When his marriage to long-time boyfriend, Scotty, was featured in the second season finale it was depicted as any other marriage on television; full of love and hope. There was no special emphasis in the episode that it was a gay marriage. It was simply a commitment between two people who love each other.

Kevin Walker is the first of what I hope to be many honest depictions of gay men and women on network television. It’s proven to be a GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) favorite, as it won the 2007 Outstanding Drama Series Award at the GLAAD Awards. With the accolades and awards Brothers and Sisters has received, it proves audiences are ready to see and experience all types of people on television. What the series has proven is that man or woman, gay or straight, we are all human and there is more to us than our sexuality.

As Brothers and Sisters enters its third season, I encourage people to watch the series and give it the recognition it deserves. It is one of the most underrated series on television. Despite its solid ratings, its actors don’t make the covers of magazines or appear often on daytime talk shows. And, Matthew Rhys especially, deserves a lot more attention and applause for his groundbreaking role as being a lot more than just “the gay brother.”