Hello:
I've just joined because I'd like an answer to a very serious question. This afternoon I was looking at the Postcards from the Zone Blog about the 1980s Twilight Zone. As I read through the comments on the episode "Dead Run," I found a remark to the effect that Rod would have hated this episode because of its support of gay rights and because he was supposedly "an old-school homophobe".
("Dead Run," from a short story by Greg Bear, is about a trucking company that ships the "souls" of the damned to hell. The new driver for the company decides to start liberating people who have been unjustly condemned, one of whom turns out to be a gay man.)
I can't tell you how important a role model Rod Serling has been for me all of my life. As someone interested in a career as a storyteller, I've always had the deepest, greatest admiration for the creator of The Twilight Zone. He's always been one of my personal heroes, and I've always admired the stance on human rights and dignity expressed in so many of his stories. It alarms me deeply, as a gay man, that I may have spent my life looking up to a homophobe. I'd like to know where these allegations come from. What proof or documentation is there that Rod was anti-gay? Where can I find facts to support or refute these charges? Does anyone know where I can look this up? I'd appreciate anyone pointing me in the right direction.
Sincerely,
J.A. Fludd
I've just joined because I'd like an answer to a very serious question. This afternoon I was looking at the Postcards from the Zone Blog about the 1980s Twilight Zone. As I read through the comments on the episode "Dead Run," I found a remark to the effect that Rod would have hated this episode because of its support of gay rights and because he was supposedly "an old-school homophobe".
("Dead Run," from a short story by Greg Bear, is about a trucking company that ships the "souls" of the damned to hell. The new driver for the company decides to start liberating people who have been unjustly condemned, one of whom turns out to be a gay man.)
I can't tell you how important a role model Rod Serling has been for me all of my life. As someone interested in a career as a storyteller, I've always had the deepest, greatest admiration for the creator of The Twilight Zone. He's always been one of my personal heroes, and I've always admired the stance on human rights and dignity expressed in so many of his stories. It alarms me deeply, as a gay man, that I may have spent my life looking up to a homophobe. I'd like to know where these allegations come from. What proof or documentation is there that Rod was anti-gay? Where can I find facts to support or refute these charges? Does anyone know where I can look this up? I'd appreciate anyone pointing me in the right direction.
Sincerely,
J.A. Fludd
