General Hospital has never been a soap opera afraid to tackle social issues – including sexual identities and orientations. On April 23, students in schools across the United States will be recognizing a day of silence in honor of their LGBTQ peers, and many GH cast members are joining the worthy cause.
“Nearly 9 in 10 #LGBTQ+ students experience verbal harassment in school,” began the tweet posted to the sole ABC serial’s Twitter account.
“On 04/23, students will participate in @GLSEN’s #DayofSilence to show their support for LGBTQ+ students and their right to safety at school. This silent video supports their action — join us & make your own.”
The accompanying clip featured Sofia Mattsson (Sasha Gilmore), Cynthia Watros (Nina Reeves), Kathleen Gati (Liesl Obrecht), Johnny Wactor (Brando Corbin), and Brook Kerr (Portia Robinson, M.D.) staring into the camera – pointedly voiceless.
The Day of Silence, an annual event organized by GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) has been held every April since 1996.
GH currently counts amongst its ranks two gay males, a bisexual female, and a transgender woman.
Dr. Lucas Jones (Matt Trudeau), raised by beloved veterans Tony Jones and Bobbie Spencer (Jacklyn Zeman) — and the biological son of Julian Jerome and Cheryl Stansbury, came out to friends and family during his teenage years and subsequently married – and divorced – fellow General Hospital employee Brad Cooper (Parry Shen).
Kristina Davis (Lexi Ainsworth), a legacy character in her own right – she’s the daughter of Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) – struggled to accept her own bisexuality, and then feared that her father, a notorious mafioso, would reject her. But she needn’t have worried.
Cassandra James, a transgender actress, has played Dr. Terry Randolph, Elizabeth Webber’s (Rebecca Herbst) childhood friend, since 2018.
In addition to narratives spotlighting members of the LGBTQ community, GH has also highlighted the plight of bullied children.
For more information about the GLSEN Day of Silence, be sure to check out the link provided HERE, and be sure to view and retweet the message included below.
Awareness and acceptance are the first and second steps toward real change. General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.
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