June and Pepper: Early 70s LGBTQ+ Allyship

In the last 10-20 years, attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people in America have shifted due to more positive visibility and evolving cultural norms. Cynthia takes a look at two moments from 1970s television that revealed glimpses of LGBTQ+ allyship—a talk show moment and a 1974 episode of Police Woman.

In 1970, June Lockhart appeared on The Virginia Graham Show and stopped the hostess in her tracks, pushing back on stereotypes and tropes common for the time. And the story of how a 54-year-old clip is available for viewing is its own testament to advocacy. LGBTQ+ scholar and media documentarian Steven Capsuto's book, Alternate Channels, helped Cynthia connect the June Lockhart dot to an episode of Police Woman. 

Capsuto's book is an essential work for every media, gender, and social justice scholar. He traces television and even radio's early depiction of mostly gay characters and the absence of lesbians. His book also details the LGBTQ+ community's organization and support from straight allies that fought against distorted and ugly depictions of gay and lesbian characters in television and film for more than 75 years.

The overall trend in American society has been toward greater understanding and support for LGBTQ+ people and this is, to a significant degree, the result of advocates and allies pushing for more positive and diverse characterizations in popular culture. Television largely ignored lesbians until the 1970s and even then, the characters were bitter, violent, and unstable. With just a few sentences, June Lockhart, in real life, and Angie Dickinson, as Sgt. Pepper Anderson, showed viewers the power of LGBTQ+ allyship. 

STEVEN CAPSUTO

Website - http://alternatechannels.net/

Alternate Channels, 20th Anniversary Revised Edition (2020) by Steven Capsuto http://alternatechannels.net/book/

MENTIONS

June Lockhart, Virginia Graham, Angie Dickinson, Rev. Troy Perry, Art Metrano, Donna Mills, Lois Nettleton, Randy Wicker, Judy Garland, Meet Me in St. Louis, Lassie, Lost in Space, Petticoat Junction, General Hospital, Quincy M.E., Police Woman, The Bold Ones, Medical Center, Charlie’s Angels, Cagney & Lacey, The Kinsey Report, Stonewall, HIV/AIDS, Metropolitan Community Church

CLIPS

The Virginia Graham Show, with June Lockhart and Rev. Troy Perry (1970)  https://youtu.be/Xm2q-F6FdoY?si=35Z6kF8pN4rQotjd

Police Woman, Flowers of Evil, S1E8 (1974) https://youtu.be/o6oBmnhsblA?si=U-_5nIvhYSQyLLPo

CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS AND ATVH

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PRODUCTION

Video - Nivia Lopez - https://nivialopez.com/