PRESIDENTIAL SEAL OF APPROVAL: BARACK OBAMA WITH ELLEN DEGENERES
REX / REUTERS
In a country that pioneered the media revolution, it’s little wonder that much of the acceptance of LGBT people in the USA has come from positive representations in film, television, and music. From talk shows to comedy series, America’s entertainment history features some truly memorable moments that broke down many barriers for our broad community.
There was the moment Ellen came out on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1997. (Winfrey would later go on to play the therapist to whom Ellen comes out to in her sitcom.) And Will & Grace was one of the most successful shows to feature an openly gay character in a lead role — lawyer Will Truman, played by Eric McCormack.