i’ve mentioned this before, but it makes me a little sad to see how much kerry weaver has been lost in discussions of lesbian rep on television. i’m taking a class on feminist television theory, and she wasn’t even included on the big slide of lesbian characters and relationships on tv. we also spent a lot of time discussing intersectionality, yet somehow there was still no mention of a disabled, middle-aged lesbian who held a position of real authority on one of the biggest network dramas of its era.
it’s especially wild to me because kerry wasn’t a minor character or a short-lived storyline like a lot of early depictions of lgbt characters. she was one of ER’s central characters, a show that was the biggest network drama of its time, and the show gave years of attention to her struggle to understand her sexuality, come out later in life, navigate relationships, and eventually create a family. her story was allowed to be painful and complicated and joyful, and many aspects of it were depicted with so much care. she even got one of the earliest bury your gays moments that involved a central character </3
and yet, despite watching and following a lot of lgbt media, i had never even heard of her before i watched ER. maybe part of the reason she gets overlooked is that ER was never categorized as a “queer show,” so her story falls outside the usual canon of landmark lesbian television. but imo that makes her presence more significant. she was a lesbian main character existing at the center of mainstream network television, week after week, for years. dhe spent more time out of the closet on the show that in it. she deserves so much more recognition and respect </3
