April 30, 1997 –
Ellen DeGeneres’ character came out of the closet on the sitcom Ellen on this date.
The show was the highest rated episode the series ever aired, with over 42 million viewers and won an Emmy for writing. Nonetheless, DeGeneres and her show quickly garnered criticism for being “too gay“; the series was canceled after one more season and DeGeneres and guest star Laura Dern faced career backlashes.
The Haus of Dcaligari 