Last week, NHK aired all 22 episodes of the second season of "Glee" over seven consecutive nights. "Glee" is an American TV series centered on a high school glee club whose members are considered outcasts because of their love of singing. One member is a gay youth named Kurt. In the first episode of Season 2, he is giving a monologue about how he will conquer all obstacles in the new school year when a jock walks up, calls him "lady," and throws a soft drink in his face.
Given the recent reports of bullying of young homosexuals in America, this segment might have been shocking, but it was played for laughs. Kurt's situation was explored extensively in Season 1 and by now the show's fans know everything about him. His homosexuality is simply one facet of what he is, and though the jock wanted to hurt him with the "lady" crack, he was responding as much to Kurt's penchant for self-aggrandizement as he was to his sexual orientation. He was bringing Kurt down, albeit in a typically crude adolescent way.
LGBT (lesbian gay bisexual transgender) groups have lauded "Glee" for its approach to sexual minorities, and though that approach may not be mirrored by a consistent level of progress throughout America, the fact that "Glee" is very popular means something. In Japan, acceptance of LGBT issues in the mainstream media has a different priority.