Kevin Walker (Brothers & Sisters) - Significance As A Character

Significance As A Character

Although American network television had gay and lesbian characters in both daytime and prime time, many of those characters only made guest appearances, were minor in importance, or received little storyline beyond coming out or other struggles related to their sexuality. Kevin was the rare gay character who was already out both to his family and in the workplace. The stated goal of the show to treat Kevin as an equal to, no better or worse than, the straight characters received praise from critics such as Robert Bianco.

Kisses between men had been especially rare on network television; Melrose Place edited out a gay kiss, Dawson's Creek had a few small kisses every few seasons, Will & Grace (a show with two gay characters in major roles) was the rare exception and featured both gay kisses and relationships throughout its eight-year run, and thirtysomething faced loss of ad revenues due to airing a scene of two men lying in bed together. Desperate Housewives, which precedes Brothers & Sisters on ABC, previously featured kisses and bedroom scenes involving Bree's gay son Andrew. In the first season of Brothers & Sisters, Kevin had a number of kisses with his love interests, even kissing Scotty twice in the same episode ("Date Night"), and shared several bedroom scenes with Chad that clearly took place soon after sex. The lack of noticeable backlash from viewers or advertisers was hailed as a positive step in public acceptance of gay characters.

Kevin's commitment ceremony with Scotty, likewise, was only the ninth same-sex wedding ceremony ever presented on an American network television series, and the first one ever between series regulars. All prior same-sex weddings on American network television, including on Roseanne, Roc, The Drew Carey Show, Spin City, Friends, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Northern Exposure, involved minor recurring or guest characters.

David Marshall Grant, one of the actors in the controversial thirtysomething scene, is a writer for Brothers & Sisters.