Homosexuality on All My Children: Transforming the Daytime Landscape

This study explores the question of whether lesbian or gay characters can be included long-term in daytime soap operas, a television genre historically predicated on the celebration of heterosexual romance. While daytime is typically ahead of prime-time in exploring controversial issues, its representation of gay and lesbian characters lags far behind prime-time comedies and dramas. The focus of investigation is the Bianca Montgomery storyline currently airing on All My Children (ABC). Through textual analysis and analysis of interviews with daytime journalists and other industry insiders, this article explores the risks and challenges of representing homosexuality on the soaps.