From the archives: (A little) outrage behind this Wilmington TV show's first gay character

By the 1990s, gay characters were gaining popularity in film and TV shows. Perhaps the most notable was Ellen DeGeneres' character on her show "Ellen" in 1997. DeGeneres herself also came out publicly.

But backlash was still rampant for gay characters, which kept other productions concerned about losing fans and advertisers.

However, when "Dawson's Creek" had its first character come out in 1999, the response was "virtual silence."

That's according to an article in the Wilmington StarNews on March 17, 1999, when character Jack McPhee, played by Kerr Smith, said he was gay in Season 2 of the Wilmington-shot teen drama. It also happened around the same time show creator Kevin Williamson said he was gay.

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"No loud protests from outraged church or conservative groups. No 'Yep, I'm Gay!' magazine cover. No celebrities treating it as a crusade. No ponderous essays about what it means to society," according to the article.

The article only mentions 31 teens protesting in Wilmington in front of Screen Gems studio (now Cinespace).

An argument was made in the article that being on the "little-watched WB Network" might have kept it from scrutiny.

While hints were thrown about Jack McPhee's sexuality, it was made clear when he angrily told his father to ask him if he was gay. When his father refuses to believe it, McPhee says he is, "and you know it."

"I'm sure that there are teenagers who are going through the exact same thing that Jack is going through," said Smith in the article. "If we can shed some light on things or help some people, then that's great."

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: When 'Dawson's Creek' had its first gay character