I don't know how many of you watch The Wire (if you don't, you should), but if you do, you're familiar with the character of Omar Little. Omar is a tough dude. He robs drug dealers, is a key informant for the Baltimore police, and is just generally pretty badass. He's also gay.
What's really cool about The Wire's portrayal of Omar's homosexuality is that it's just really not that big a deal. Omar doesn't fit any cliched gay stereotype, like Jack in Will and Grace. And he's not just nominally gay; his boyfriends are characters in the show and there is onscreen kissing between them. In other words, Omar's gayness isn't a sterile, desexualized concept. The show allows him to be both gay and sexual.
And that's really it. Omar could be gay or straight and it wouldn't really have an impact on what his character does. He's a cunning and intelligent - and scary - guy, and while his homosexuality gives another wrinkle to his character, it's not the only thing. He's not reduced to his sexuality.
I think the Omar Little character is a big step forward for portrayals of gay people in the media. He's not the "pet" or "gay boyfriend" of a spoiled straight woman; he's not stereotypically flamboyant or shrill. He's a real, three-dimensional person. Other shows would do well to take a page out of The Wire's book!
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