Spokane Gays Throw Coming Out Party For ‘Ellen’ About 100 At Downtown Bar Watch Actress Make TV History
“Ellen” came out of the closet Wednesday night to thundering cheers and applause from gays and lesbians in downtown Spokane.
About 100 people showed up at Dempsey’s Brass Rail to throw a party for Ellen DeGeneres and her sitcom character, Ellen Morgan, who became the first homosexual leading character in a television series.
“I just think it’s important for gay people to see people like us in an important and positive way,” said Dempsey’s manager Michael Pierce.
“You see lots of other things on TV that you don’t want to see. Now, it’s nice to see something on TV that is more a reflection of who we are.”
The crowd watched the show on three TVs in the lower level of the West First gay bar and restaurant, which was decorated with hundreds of balloons.
While DeGeneres has stepped publicly out of the closet, many of Spokane’s gays and lesbians remain leery about “coming out.” It was the rule rather than the exception for people watching Wednesday’s groundbreaking telecast to ask not to be photographed or interviewed.
One woman who is openly lesbian said that’s why she believes the sitcom is so important.
“Many times it’s a struggle with your own identity,” said Pat Escarraz.
Escarraz’ partner, Kathy Dixon, hopes the show will serve as a kind of social support service, helping young gay people accept their sexual orientation.
“When I was younger, it seemed like most gays were getting together in ways that encouraged drinking,” Dixon said. “That’s not healthy. This show is now there for them to see.”
In a study completed late last year, the Safe Schools Anti-Violence Documentation Project in Seattle concluded that gay students harassed at school are more likely than their peers to abuse drugs and contemplate suicide.
The survey detailed 28 incidents of anti-gay harassment at Washington public schools.
Dixon lived in Spokane for 19 years before moving away. She and Escarraz have been in town for a week after being forced to flee their flooded home in Grand Forks, N.D. Dixon said she believes Spokane is more tolerant of gays today.
“There weren’t any gay establishments” when she lived in the city, she said. “Now there are three. And there’s a newspaper as well. That’s important for the community, especially its younger members.”
“Ellen” can make Spokane an even friendlier place for gays, she said.
“What I like about Ellen is that she is so non-threatening. She looks like someone who could so easily be your good friend.”
The suspense behind Ellen’s coming out ended weeks ago, but that didn’t subdue the enthusiasm of those watching at Dempsey’s.
“It does seem like it has taken quite a while for it to happen,” said manager Pierce, who is gay. “But in real life, coming out is a process that can take a long time.
“I always knew I was different,” said Pierce, who turns 50 in August.
“Growing up in the ‘50s, homosexuals were viewed as bad, bad people. Right now, it feels so good to me to see gay people on television who are portrayed in a positive light.”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo