The Impact of Pop Culture Images in an Election Year

An estimated 12 million viewers will tune in Sunday to the season finale of ABC's Brothers & Sisters and witness the wedding of Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (Luke Macfarlane) in the presence of their family and friends. For fans, this is a natural progression for the couple whose relationship spans the past two years. But what’s historic is that this is the first wedding of its kind. The first.

There have been a handful of gay guest characters married in “very special episodes” over the past two decades, as well as a couple of weddings on pay cable.  But this is a first for series regular characters on network television and is cause to celebrate.

Once the vows are spoken, however, there will be no ink to dry on a legal marriage license because Kevin and Scotty reside in California, not Massachusetts, which remains the only state where they could legally wed. California does possess one of the most comprehensive domestic partnership laws in the nation, but the state’s domestic partners still lack the security provided by federal protections that are provided to married straight couples, thus making it harder for committed gay couples to take care of and be responsible for each other.

Millions of gay Americans are being denied the legal protection their unions deserve, and anti-gay initiatives are currently under way in Arizona, California and Florida to put measures on the November 8 ballot that would further distance gays and lesbians from the security of marriage.  Additionally, none of the presidential candidates currently support marriage for gay and lesbian couples.  But the power of the media is its ability to show images of couples like Kevin and Scotty in loving, committed relationships.  These images reinforce for voters that gay couples should not be prevented from being able to fully take care of one another.

This being television, and Brothers & Sisters a family drama that thrives on obstacles, there is no doubt that in coming seasons Kevin and Scotty will face their own challenges. But they will deal with them while being treated like all other couples on the show. And isn’t that all we’re asking for in real life as well?

Damon Romine is the Director of Entertainment Media