# Simpsons character to come out of closet - any guesses? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191 "2004-07-28T00:25:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/21 "2004-07-28T01:57:59Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > How about the time he took a vacation where taking photographs was frowned upon? The joke there was that the whole resort was filled with closeted men, who didn’t want photographs of themselves ever getting, heh, out. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/22 "2004-07-28T02:05:58Z")
Smithers has made at least one comment that I can remember about his “um…alternative lifestyle.” I also don’t think that even the writers for _The Simpsons_ would make an elementary school kid gay. That would cause more problems than it would be worth. So we’re left with an adult. Likely candidates include: [ul] [li]Lenny[/li][li]Carl[/li][li]Barney[/li][li]Moe[/li][li]Patty[/li][li]Principal Skinner[/li][/ul] Lenny seems to have some sort of weird infatuation with Carl, but it isn’t reciprocated. Barney is back off the wagon, so I think he’s just going to continue to be the stereotypical drunk. Moe is clearly in love with Marge, so not him. That just leaves Patty (which would make sense, she’s never been all that interested in meeting a man IIRC) and Principal Skinner. If Seymour were gay, it would explain why he never married Edna. My bet is either Patty or Seymour Skinner, but most likely Skinner. Couldn’t you imagine the town finding out by him being on a date with Smithers? Wow, I put a lot more effort into that than I thought I would. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/23 "2004-07-28T02:13:19Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > Smithers has made at least one comment that I can remember about his “um…alternative lifestyle.” I also don’t think that even the writers for _The Simpsons_ would make an elementary school kid gay. That would cause more problems than it would be worth. > > So we’re left with an adult. Likely candidates include: > [ul] > [li]Lenny[/li][li]Carl[/li][li]Barney[/li][li]Moe[/li][li]Patty[/li][li]Principal Skinner[/li][/ul] > Lenny seems to have some sort of weird infatuation with Carl, but it isn’t reciprocated. Barney is back off the wagon, so I think he’s just going to continue to be the stereotypical drunk. Moe is clearly in love with Marge, so not him. That just leaves Patty (which would make sense, she’s never been all that interested in meeting a man IIRC) and Principal Skinner. If Seymour were gay, it would explain why he never married Edna. > > My bet is either Patty or Seymour Skinner, but most likely Skinner. Couldn’t you imagine the town finding out by him being on a date with Smithers? > > Wow, I put a lot more effort into that than I thought I would. Yep about making an elementary school kid gay. THAT would be too controversial. Also, at _that_ young of an age (remember characters on this show never age), how could a kid really know his sexual identity. I’d go with Skinner. Skinner being in the closet makes _perfect_ sense. An elementary school principal would have EVERY reason to want to hide his sexuality and stay in the closet. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/24 "2004-07-28T02:18:05Z")
What about Principal Skinner and Ms. Krabapple? The two of them have been an item for quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/25 "2004-07-28T02:25:58Z")
Smithers and Patty both appeared in one of Springfield’s gay pride parades, aboard the “in the closet” float. They chant “We’re gay! We’re Glad! But don’t tell Mom and Dad!” ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/26 "2004-07-28T02:27:20Z")
Patty’s gay because in one episode, we see Homer run out of the bathroom naked, where her and her sister are at the table. Patty then says, “Well, there goes the rest of my heterosexuality.” Also, during the gay pride parade, they had a closeted section, “{a guy, obviously Smithers} We’re gay. We’re glad. {A woman, either sounds like either Patty or Selma,} Just don’t tell mom and dad.” But Selma’s been married a few times, and will get married again for love, or once more for money. The gay pride parade had one of, in my opinion, the greatest lines. Gay guy “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it.” Lisa “You do this every year, we are used to it.” ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/27 "2004-07-28T02:28:51Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > What about Principal Skinner and Ms. Krabapple? The two of them have been an item for quite some time. Or Skinner just pretends it. He does to appear to be straight. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/28 "2004-07-28T02:32:30Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > Patty’s gay because in one episode, we see Homer run out of the bathroom naked, where her and her sister are at the table. Patty then says, “Well, there goes the rest of my heterosexuality.” > > Also, during the gay pride parade, they had a closeted section, “{a guy, obviously Smithers} We’re gay. We’re glad. {A woman, either sounds like either Patty or Selma,} Just don’t tell mom and dad.” > > But Selma’s been married a few times, and will get married again for love, or once more for money. > > The gay pride parade had one of, in my opinion, the greatest lines. > > Gay guy “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it.” > Lisa “You do this every year, we are used to it.” Which would mean having Patty “come out of the closet” makes no sense. Again, a yawner of an episode. ---
**Author:** ![Jplacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jplacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jplacer)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/29 "2004-07-28T02:52:08Z")
Uter or Wendell the sickly kid. or Aristotle Amadopolis (owner of the Shelbyville Power Plant) or maybe even the guy with the baseball cap who is in the background at Moe’s. (Does that guy even have a name?) ---
**Author:** ![RealTronic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RealTronic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealTronic)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/30 "2004-07-28T02:57:26Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > There’s something on the [SNPP.com](http://SNPP.com) “Upcoming Episodes” page that I think probably settles the issue. Yep, if that site is accurate, then some of you got it right. The one coming out of the closet is… Patty, who falls for and decides to marry a female golf pro ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/31 "2004-07-28T02:57:30Z")
> [@AveDementia](#): > > It’s got to be Barney. I just read in another thread that he has stopped drinking recently, so it sounds to me like changes are already underway with his character. You should watch before posting. Barney quit drinking several seasons ago and has relapsed at least twice. And anyway, I don’t get how “sobriety” would be at the top of a slippery slope descending to “out homosexual.” > [@](#): > > I really can’t see it being Apu, for example.) Nor can I, since he’s a devoted husband and the father of octuplets. Again, you should maybe watch before posting. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/32 "2004-07-28T03:03:27Z")
> [@Fiver](#): > > Nor can I, since he’s a devoted husband and the father of octuplets. Not only a devoted husband and a father of octuplets, he’s also an adulterer. So there is no way in hell he could be gay. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/33 "2004-07-28T03:04:17Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > I still say the sequence I refer to is the first clear indication that Smithers is in the closet. All the other early references basically are others commenting the consider or suspect that Smithers is gay. However, that scene is about Smithers’ obviously homoerotic fantasy. However, as you point out later in the show’s run they make Smithers’ homosexuality increasingly obvious. As such, him coming out of the closet would just be a yawner of an episode. Was that before or after the one where Smithers had a fantasy of Mr. Burns jumping naked out of a birthday cake, singing “Happy Birthday, Mistah Smithers!” Because that was pretty gay. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/34 "2004-07-28T03:07:17Z")
I doubt it would be Lenny and/or Carl. The gay subtext in their relationship has been a source of jokes for years, but it’s more of an “are they? or aren’t they?” type question. It would be stupid to ruin that tension now. Smithers seems too obvious a choice; but with the crappy writers they got now, who knows. Patty’s also a contender, but damn that woman’s creepy. I hope it’s not her. And while my first reaction was Bart – they’ve dropped a few hints here and there, especially in the “Homer’s Phobia” episode – after reading other posts I have to agree, he’s too damn young for it to make any sense. My guess is that it’s a small character that no one knows much about, or a main character who’s only gay for this one episode…“then we never speak of it again,” \*a la \* Armin Tanzarian. (on preview, after reading **RealTronic** ’s spoiler): Well, well. That does make perfect sense, now that I think about it. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/35 "2004-07-28T03:18:37Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > (on preview, after reading **RealTronic** ’s spoiler): > > Well, well. That does make perfect sense, now that I think about it. Read this on the site: “However, be on the lookout for a possible twist ending.” The character mentioned there is one that already on the show was quoted in this thread as losing interest in heterosexuality. Thus, how can this character come “out of the closet”? It is already assumed by the viewers. Just like Smithers What I’m thinking is _another_ character generally thought to be straight will openly come out and announce being gay. Skinner seems to me to be the obvious choice. He’s not overtly hetero like Apu. And, of all characters _he_ is the one who would have needed to stay in the closet. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/36 "2004-07-28T03:23:06Z")
> [@SolGrundy](#): > > Was that before or after the one where Smithers had a fantasy of Mr. Burns jumping naked out of a birthday cake, singing “Happy Birthday, Mistah Smithers!” > > Because that was pretty gay. That was one season later Smithers fantasized about the cake. ---
**Author:** ![RealTronic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RealTronic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealTronic)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/37 "2004-07-28T03:24:47Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > … What I’m thinking is _another_ character generally thought to be straight will openly come out and announce being gay. Skinner seems to me to be the obvious choice. He’s not overtly hetero like Apu. And, of all characters _he_ is the one who would have needed to stay in the closet. Interesting theory… Didn’t think about the possible “twist ending” in that way! Then, I’d have to go with Moe. Dunno why, he just seems like a latent homosexual, don’t you think? ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/38 "2004-07-28T03:42:36Z")
> [@RealTronic](#): > > Interesting theory… Didn’t think about the possible “twist ending” in that way! > > Then, I’d have to go with Moe. Dunno why, he just seems like a latent homosexual, don’t you think? You’ve got a point. Has Moe on the series ever shown much serious hetero interest.? A quick search reveals an episode with a girlfriend of him called Renee. However, perhaps it was more platonic. And, Moe like Skinner would have a reason to be in the closet. Moe’s clientele isn’t guys looking for a gay bar. Thus he’d want to pass for straight. ---
**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/39 "2004-07-28T04:03:12Z")
My money’s on Flanders. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191/40 "2004-07-28T04:14:50Z")
Remember that when Seymour and Edna first become involved, Bart opened the closet door to reveal them making out pretty heavily. When Ned and Homer go to Vegas, Edna asks Ned “You’ve never licked honey off your lover’s stomach?”. Mrs Skinner looks accusingly at Seymour. Seymour gets very nervous. In the Tamzerian episode, his Capital city apartment is almost bare. But he does have a box of frozen peas and an issue of Swank. And (I can’t remember the episode at the moment) Bart gets an A when he’s trapped in the cloakroom while Seymour and Edna have sex and he repeats the names of the planets over and over to block out the noise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-character-to-come-out-of-closet-any-guesses/257191.md?page=3)