Archie Bunker, saves the life of a self-described transvestite and female impersonator named Beverly LaSalle. The episode is filled with the typical sitcom pratfalls and antics involving her gender identity, and in a later episode she is set up with Archie’s friend on a date as a joke. Still, the couple befriends Beverly and their relationship crosses episodes and moves beyond the superficial.
In the episode titled “Edith’s Crisis of Faith” (1977), Beverly is murdered during a mugging at Christmastime. The murder, which occurred in part as a result of Beverly’s transgender identity, devastates Edith and causes her to question her faith. Fighting back tears, she exclaims, “I’m mad at God … All I know is Beverly was killed because of what he was and we’re all supposed to be God’s children. It don’t make sense.”
Figure 1.2. All in the Family (CBS) Season 6, 1975–1976. Episode: “Archie the Hero.” Air date: September 29, 1975. Archie and Beverly chat in his living room. Credit: CBS/Photofest.
In a 1977 episode titled “Once a Friend,” The Jeffersons also engage the issue of transsexuality. During the storyline, George Jefferson’s pal from the navy, Eddie, reconnects with him. Only now Eddie is a trans woman who uses the name Edie. During their first encounter, George asks his old friend why he dresses as a woman, questioning, “If you ain’t gay and you’re not a weirdo, then what are you?” With coolness and confidence, Edie responds, “I had the operation. I had a sex change. George, I’m a woman now … I feel good about myself.” Given the time period, the conversation is surprisingly tame and sincere. By the end of the episode, and in quintessential sitcom fashion, George overcomes his initial shock and confusion regarding his friend’s transition. He addresses her by her correct name, Edie, and warmly reaffirms their friendship.
Another surprisingly measured and heartfelt treatment of transsexuality for the time appeared in the hospital drama Medical Center (1969–1976). In a special two-part episode “The Fourth Sex” (1975), a renowned surgeon named Dr. Pat Caddison, played by Robert Reed who starred as Mike Brady in The Brady Bunch, receives a sexual reassignment surgery. Caddison is a well-respected physician and her desire for sexual reassignment is treated as unusual but also genuine and legitimate. The narrative focuses on the difficulty of Caddison’s decision and its impact on her relationships with friends, colleagues, wife, and son. Reed plays the part with sensitivity and nuance, which earned him an Emmy nomination for his performance.
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