Queer as Folk debuts for American audiences

December 30, 2000

When life partners and co-producers Daniel Lipman and Ron Cowen set out to adapt the hit British series Queer as Folk as a Showtime series for American audiences, their goal was to present an honest depiction of gay life in the United States. Though Queer as Folk would be criticized for not offering a diverse portrayal of the LGBT community and issues, its five seasons were groundbreaking in many ways - especially its depiction of HIV-positive people.

From the beginning, Queer as Folk featured at least one or more full-time characters with HIV - a monumental step in portraying those with HIV and AIDS. The character of Uncle Vic Grassi (Jack Wetherall) challenged misconceptions about those with AIDS for the first four seasons, as he had an active dating life, worked as a caterer, and served as a constant source of wisdom and hope. In the second season, actor Robert Gant joined the series as HIV-positive college professor Ben Bruckner. Ben was healthy, active, optimistic, married to an HIV-negative man (Hal Sparks' character Michael) and anything but physically weak or frail. Season three introduced HIV-positive teen Hunter (Harris Allan), who would later be adopted by Ben and Michael. His struggles as an HIV-positive adolescent spoke to the younger LGBT community as a reminder that the HIV pandemic continues.

Queer as Folk's producers Cowen and Lipman also deserve recognition for their television movie An Early Frost, which was the first of its kind to openly deal with issues related to HIV and AIDS. GLAAD recognized their contributions with a 2001 Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series and the Davidson/Valenti Awards in 2006.