"It's (gay) murder, she wrote" or How a show that doesn't feature a single LGBT character won the heart of the queer community
In the 1980s, portrayals of the LGBTQ+ community in the American media were rare, and when they did appear, they were often laden with stereotypes or negative biases. In this environment, the series "It's Murder, She Wrote" came as a significant surprise to LGBT people. For it offered a heroine who, while she did not engage with any explicitly queer themes, her personality resonated strongly with LGBT viewers. Jessica Fletcher, an amateur sleuth who solves mysteries in the small town of Cabot Cove, became a symbol of justice, empathy, and courage. And these values were very important to the queer community at the time.
Jessica, portrayed by the incomparable actress Angela Lansbury, was a strong but kind woman who showed that there was room in the world for everyone - no matter where they came from or who they were. So at a time when queer audiences didn't have many positive role models on screen, Jessica became their hero. In her story, they found comfort, hope, and a sense that they too can be part of a world where truth and justice prevail. Which was nice, but her character alone probably wouldn't have been strong enough to engage the queer community. What was so crucial that she stuck with the show until the end?
The episode "Birds Of A Feather"
One of the episodes that gained a special place among queer viewers and "forced" them to continue following the writer's story is the episode called "Birds Of A Feather", which aired at the beginning of the first season on October 14, 1984. In this episode, Jessica finds herself in San Francisco solving a murder at a local nightclub, Les Champignons.The club hosts drag shows, but neither Jessica nor her niece Victoria realise it at first. The story becomes tangled when Victoria's fiancé Howard turns out to be one of the performing drag queens.
This episode is fascinating in how it approaches drag culture and the whole queer theme in general. First, the word "drag" itself doesn't come up in it at all, and second, Howard is not portrayed as a queer character and his participation in the show is not moralized or condemned in any way. He's simply making a living as an actor, and Victoria, or anyone else in the episode, has no problem with that whatsoever. For viewers at the time, this approach was very unusual - no mockery, no drama about sexual orientation. It was just a fact that no one addressed.
For queer viewers who were used to their existence often being the butt of jokes or being completely ignored, it was very refreshing. Jessica, who has never judged people based on their differences, showed her openness and sense of fairness to the fullest in this episode. Which was also the moment that made LGBT viewers "want" to continue watching the show and fully identify with its main character.
If you want to commemorate this iconic episode, October 14 is the perfect opportunity to watch it symbolically. It will take you back to a time when such things were rare in the conservative 1980s - when a glimmer of acceptance of difference appeared where viewers of the time might not have expected it. Even today, four decades later, this episode has something to offer. Not only does it show how the show was ahead of the curve when it came to issues of humanity and otherness, but it also reminds us that even in small, subtle gestures there can be a hidden power that can reach generations of viewers.
