# What was the first depiction of an openly homosexual character? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-depiction-of-an-openly-homosexual-character/490993 "2009-03-27T14:49:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-depiction-of-an-openly-homosexual-character/490993/61 "2009-03-29T23:23:41Z")
> [@Chez\_Guevara](#): > > Here’s an early example from UK TV. > > [Mr. Humphries](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Are_You_Being_Served%3F_characters) in _Are You Being Served?_ screams gayness all the way up to eleven. The characterisation is perhaps aided by the actor John Inman being gay himself. However, as the Wiki link points out, some of the situations Mr. Humphries finds himself in support the argument that he was in fact a gay oriented bisexual. > > _Are You Being Served?_ was first shown in 1972. Before Mr Humphries (and before homosexuality was legal in Britain) there was Julian and Sandy: [Julian and Sandy - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_and_Sandy) ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-depiction-of-an-openly-homosexual-character/490993/62 "2009-03-30T22:58:48Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Admittedly, the reasons he turns down Inanna/Ishtar all make perfect sense even if you see him as entirely straight. Bad things DID always happen to her lovers. A mortal king turning down a roll in the hay with Ishtar is rather a young super-hero declining a job offer from Lex Luthor. I disagree with the comparison completely. Gilgamesh wasn’t a mere mortal, or at least not fully, and he certainly wasn’t one to be afraid of consequences for living large. Sleeping with wasn’t comparable in any way to working for Lex Luthor. And if all that was going on was that Gilgamesh turned down the goddess who was by definition the hottest babe ever because he was afraid he couldn’t handle the consequences he had to know that insulting her so thoroughly would mean far worse consequences… and the insults were more than just pointing out that some bad things happened to her lovers. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-depiction-of-an-openly-homosexual-character/490993/63 "2009-03-30T23:11:23Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > I disagree with the comparison completely. Gilgamesh wasn’t a mere mortal, or at least not fully, and he certainly wasn’t one to be afraid of consequences for living large. Sleeping with wasn’t comparable in any way to working for Lex Luthor. And if all that was going on was that Gilgamesh turned down the goddess who was by definition the hottest babe ever because he was afraid he couldn’t handle the consequences he had to know that insulting her so thoroughly would mean far worse consequences… and the insults were more than just pointing out that some bad things happened to her lovers. I was AGREEEING with the gayday on Enkidu and Gilgamesh as revealed by his vehement reaction to her offer to polish his scepter, Dan. My post was only to point out that his reasons for being reluctant make sense even for the wholly heterosexual male. I mean, ISHTAR? She’d rip off your dick just to see how long it took you to bleed to death. Also, Athena was way, way hotter than Ish ever dreamt of being. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-depiction-of-an-openly-homosexual-character/490993.md?page=3)