Before LGBT people found proper representation on scripted television shows, talk shows would gossip about, pry into, and occasionally enlighten the world on their lives. The format could prove compelling or controversial, exploitative or enlightening. While shows sometimes went for chortles and guffaws at guests’ expense, episodes just as often could offer mainstream America a glimpse into the lives and struggles of LGBT individuals. Here are a few of the most scandal-stoking moments in talk show history.
