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30 Rock's Gayest Moments

30rockgay-rotator

The 10 greatest LGBT characters on Tina Fey's NBC juggernaut

BY C. EDWARDS, creator of Abel Boddy

Whether it's gay executives, racehorses, or chemical weapons, there's no shortage of gay representation on NBC's 30 Rock. Since its premiere in 2006, the show has presented a great deal of ridiculously funny LGBT characters and well-informed caricatures of the LGBT community (we can now count among our numbers, Snuggles the Fabric Softener Bear and his boyfriend, the Charmin cub).

In this pretend world, we have over the top holiday parties, live in an area called "Gay Town," and somehow manage to be femme-y, cubby, and leather-y all at the same time.

After the infamous Tracy Morgan incident, we wondered how Tina Fey & Co. would address it. And when the series returned this season boy, did they ever, mocking its own star's dilemma, and including that they believe that the gay community is the most organized of all the communities--making "the Japanese look like the Greeks." This list is selective and is sure to incite some people to tell us what's wrong, what we missed, why we're stupid. But it's hard to pick just 10. But we did.

1. Bucky Bright
Played by Tim Conway
Occupation: 50's Celebrity
Political Affiliation: Republican
Only Appearance: episode 212
During a tour around NBC with Kenneth, the page, Bright gets nostalgic for the days when everyone smoked opium, carried a switchblade in their suit pocket and "if you wanted to do something private with another man, it wasn't 'gay' it was just two men were just celebrating each others strength."
2. Reverend Gary
Played by John F. Mooney
Religion: 8th Day Resurrected Covenant of the Holy Trinity (formerly Presbyterian)
First Appearance: episode 117
Church Address: 136 W. 46th St., under the Margon Cuban Cuisine Restaurant
Kenneth the page's religious leader. During the second great flood, he is to be castrated before filling his ark with teenage boys. In episode 601, after the rapture does not happen as predicted he states with disappointment "...I'm the one that had to nude baptize all those teens."
3. Hector Moreda
Played by Alec Baldwin
Occupation: Star of Telemundo's "Los Amantes Clandestinos"
Sexual Orientation: "Super Gay"
Only Appearance: episode 310
A Spanish actor discovered doing R-rated hypnotism at bullfights. He plays the villainous "Generalissimo" in a popular Latin telanovela. When his close resemblance to Jack Donaghy begins affecting Donaghy's relationship with his girlfriend, he attempts to have him written off the show.
4. Subhas, the Janitor
Played by Subhas Ramsaywack
Occupation: First Shift Janitor
Marital Status: Ann Curry (wife)
First Appearance: episode 402
Sexual orientation: "Sex is a continuum, and he is but a voyager on a vast ocean of pleasure"
Subhas is one of 30 Rock's sexually deviant janitors. He trades favors for kisses and keeps a book of found photos that has "more men than expected." Liz regularly calls him with home toilet situations.
5. Jeffrey Winerslav
Played by Todd Buonopane
Occupation: Human Resources Mediator at GE
First Appearance: episode 302
Winerslav (pronounced "Weener-Slave") is a self-described "overweight transgender" who frequently mediates in staff interoffice conflicts. He also heads the company's diversity and hiring initiative. His calming voice and understated demeanor make him the most grounded individual at 30 Rock.
A scene in a gay club? Check. The 30 Rock cast has explored just about every possible facet of gay life. For the second half of the list, we plumb more strange depths of human individuality...
6. LeGreta "Greta" Johannsen
Played by Rachel Dratch
Occupation: Animal wrangler
Sexual Orientation: Lesbian
First Appearance: episode 101
An animal wrangler who is attracted to Liz Lemon's "debilitating loneliness". She offers to relocate Lemon to her ferret farm 60 miles north of the city and carry her baby.
7. Lutz
Played by John Lutz
Real Name: J.D. Lutz
Occupation: Staff Writer, "The Girlie Show"
Known Relatives: Unnamed mother
Health Issues: Thyroid problem, "gland problem", had 2 undescended testicles, mouth-breather, feminine cramping, has to support his chest with a brassiere, chimp bit his nipple off.
State of Origin: Alaska (has "Inuit" ancestry)
Education: Oberlin College
Marital Status: Karen (imaginary girlfriend)
Sexual Orientation: ???
Age: "Almost 46''
First Appearance: episode 102
"Lutz" is introduced as a member of the TGS writing staff who is plagued by a series of sexual proclivities and health conditions. By the fourth season, he is depicted as being terrified of even the smallest conflicts and pressures, lying about himself to appear cooler and make friends and has become the regular target of malicious pranks and belittling insults. Despite his claims to have a girlfriend in Canada, and being attracted to women, he regularly expresses desires for men.
8. Sacha
Played by Blaine Horton
Group Affiliation: Jenna Maroney's Entourage
First Appearance: episode 208
He is the lead bitchy gay in TGS star, Jenna Maroney's entourage. Always ready with a cutting comment or exaggerated facial expression, he is accompanied on separate occasions by sassy Patrice, the holistic healer, Master Alexei, Michael and Gay Michael.
9. D'Fwan
Played by Tituss Burgess
Occupation: Gay hairdresser/homosexual party planner. Reality show star "style" "expert"
Marital Status: Unnamed boyfriend (even gayer)
First Appearance: episode 511
His job as Angie Jordan's hairstylist leads to a role in her reality television show, "Queen of Jordan". He was thrown out of the military for "going berserker on all those dudes and tried to bang everybody". A self-described "queer-fectionist" and "sexual maniac" he once spent $4000 on Chihuahua outfits for himself. He was being considered for his own reality show spinoff where he works as a matchmaker for wealthy dogs but was last seen as a judge on the competition show, "America's Kidz Got Singing."
10. Devin Banks
Played by Will Arnett
Occupation: Former GE VP of West Coast News, Web Content and Theme Park Talent Relations
Education: Northwestern, majoring in Confidence
Marital Status: Kathy Geiss (ex-fiancee) Cashmere (husband)
Known Relatives: Triplet sons (Chana, Mikonos, Unnamed)
Base of Operations: Brooklyn
Religion: Church of Practicology
Weakness: Kenneth, the Page
Smells like: self-tanning cream and teeth whitener
First Appearance: episode 118
Banks is a former NBC page who is in competition with Jack Donaghy for the GE chairmanship. He finagles his way into an advisor position by becoming engaged to the bosses daughter after claiming he is no longer gay. He loses the position to Jack after almost running the company into the ground and then uses his social relationship with Sasha and Malia Obama to find a government position leading a task force in charge of regulating corporate bailouts. When Obama's administration began to falter, he distanced himself from the campaign and unable to regain his foothold, he marries a male dancer, moves to Brooklyn and has triplets. When Donaghy needs help rejuvenating a gay television network called "TWINKS" he enlists Banks' aid. Banks uses his family man status to get in favor with Donaghy's new boss, but is unable to let go of his new life as a househusband.
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