Like millions of other people in the world, Friends is my all-time favorite TV show. To this day I will watch it for hours, laughing at the same thing I laughed at 10 years ago when I saw it for the first time. I remember watching a rerun of the episode where Ross tells everyone Carol is leaving him because she is a lesbian as I sheepishly looked over at my then husband, whom I had recently told I was leaving him because I am a lesbian (btw, it was funnier on TV than in real life, in case you were wondering).
Friends pushed boundaries when it came to LGBT topics and became the first show to have a lesbian wedding on TV, not to mention played a role in creating a new definition of how we viewed family, as we witnessed Ross and his ex-wife Carol (Jane Sibbett) and her new partner Susan (Jessica Hecht) navigate through this new style of parenting. It was a great show for so many reasons, but the best reasons were that they weren’t afraid to have lesbian characters, scenes and actors.
In honor of the announcement the cast will reunite for an upcoming celebration of famed comedy director James Burrows, who directed some of the most lez-friendly episodes of the hit show, here are our favorite lesbian moments from Friends.
The one with Carol and Susan’s wedding. The first lesbian wedding on television.
The one where Rachel kisses Winona Rider, and Phoebe kisses Rachel. This entire episode was pretty much focused around Rachel making out with her sorority sister in college (ah, those were the days) and trying to convince Phoebe that it happened. Trust me, IT HAPPENED.
The one where Lea DeLaria hits on Phoebe. Phoebe is totally into it.
The one with Rachel and Phoebe say they would date each other, and Monica feels left out. The girls spend several minutes looking at a Playboy magazine when Rachel suddenly proclaims she would date one of the models.
The one at Lamaze class. This is where we witness the blending of a non-traditional family attending Lamaze class together…. as well as Carol comparing child birth to pushing a pot roast through your nose (basically the same thing).
The one where the hot nanny turns out to be gay. Ross and Rachel hire a nanny for their daughter, who of course, Joey thinks is hot. Turns out the nanny (Melissa George) is not interested in Joey, or men in general.
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