Clip: 1994, Wilson Cruz as gay teen Rickie on MY SO-CALLED LIFE

TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY

MY SO-CALLED LIFE: "Pressure" - 12/1/1994, ABC

This intense teen drama series broke ground in queer representation: the first gay teen regular role in US primetime, the first queer Latino regular, and probably the first queer regular played by an "out" actor: Wilson Cruz. Rickie was a well-developed character with his own storylines and was part of the cast right from episode 1.

Unlike the gay-jock cliché common on TV then, Rickie is androgynous and is often bullied. Here he hangs out with Angela (Claire Danes) in the girls' lavatory. Rickie's virginity and conservative views on sex and love were probably meant to make him less threatening to mainstream viewers, to ABC's network executives, and to advertisers.

This was a first-rate series that deserved another season or two.

Видео Clip: 1994, Wilson Cruz as gay teen Rickie on MY SO-CALLED LIFE канала Steven Capsuto