season five.



Nov. 10 An episode of My So Called Life airs featuring supporting gay character Rickie, played by Wilson Cruz, who crushes on boy classmate Corey.



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1995

Feb. 6 The made-for-TV movie, Serving in Silence airs, featuring Glenn Close and Judy Davis. The film challenges the U.S. military's position on homosexuality. Close and Davis both win Emmy Awards for their roles.

1996

Jan. 18 One of the most popular sitcoms of all time, Friends, features a lesbian wedding of two supporting characters, Carol, played by Jane Sibbett, and Susan, played by Jessica Hecht. However, the couple is not shown kissing at the end of the ceremony. The episode is titled "The One with the Lesbian Wedding."

1997 Jan. 11 ABC airs a ground-breaking episode of Relativity, which features a scene in which asupporting character, out-lesbian Rhonda, played by Lisa Edelstein, shares a passionate kiss with another woman. This is the first open-mouth kiss between two women aired on prime time television.



Feb. Ellen DeGeneres appears on The Oprah Winfrey Show and comes out as a lesbian.



April 30 The coming-out episode of Ellen airs. In the episode, the main character, played by Ellen DeGeneres, comes out to her therapist, played by Oprah Winfrey. The episode, titled "The Puppy Episode", is one of the highest-rated of the series.





1998 Sept. 21 The NBC sitcom, Will & Grace debuts. The series is built around four main characters, two gay men and two heterosexual women. The series goes on to air for 8 years, win 16 Emmys and become part of NBC's highly successful Thursday night