Grey’s Anatomy Character Fired For Lesbian Role

On the heels of my posting a few days ago regarding network censorship of Grey’s Anatomy, this evening even more disgusting news has landed upon us. Brooke Smith, who plays the butch half of the first ever lesbian pairing on network television, has been abruptly let go. She was fired, I speculate, because of gay panic. For the full details, check out Michael Ausiello’s interview with Brooke here.

A few telling excerpts:

AUSIELLO: What the hell happened?!
BROOKE SMITH: I was very excited when they told me that Erica and Callie were going to have this relationship. And I really hoped we were going to show what happens when two women fall in love and that they were going to treat it like any heterosexual couple on TV. And so I was surprised and disappointed when they just suddenly told me that they couldn’t write for my character anymore.

That’s all they said?
Yes. Frankly, it was you that warned me this might happen on the red carpet back in July. You said [sometimes networks get cold feet] with gay relationships. And I was so naive. I’m like, “It’s 2008.” But I’m starting to realize that not everyone feels the way I do.

Did you get the feeling that the story was making people nervous?
No. At work I had no sense of it. And more fans seemed to like it than not. I don’t think I’m ever going to know [why this really happened].

Cold feet? Cold feet doesn’t even begin to describe it. I have never in my years of watching lesbian characters on television witnessed a character being abruptly fired because of gay panic. It’s unheard of. Excuse me for being naive, but I live in the United States of America, where freedom of speech is not only cherished, but enumerated in our Bill of Rights. It isn’t some arbitrary piece of paper. It’s the law. It’s what I signed up for when I was born into this country, and I expect it be exercised everywhere, including in my television programming.

I can’t say that I’m surprised that this has happened, but I am outraged. What do you think? Email abc and let them know.

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~ by ambersbrainisinsane on November 4, 2008.