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Matthew Perry canned gay bar storyline on TV show Friends
Friends in Las Vegas
Friends in Las Vegas

It’s been revealed that Matthew Perry was instrumental in axing a questionable gay storyline on Friends.

Perry, of course, played Chandler Bing on the sitcom, whose transgender father was played by Kathleen Turner.

A successful drag artist, she even had her own Las Vegas residency (“Viva Las Gaygas”). But Chandler’s reactions most times his father was brought up has left many calling the show’s handling of LGBTQ issues homophobic and transphobic.

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On the other hand, it seems Perry got at least one thing right in terms of respecting the LGBTQ community during his time on the show.

Author Saul Austerlitz is behind the new book “Generation Friends: An Inside Look At The Show That Defined a Television Era.” In it, Austerlitz details several canned storylines, including one that would see Chandler at a gay bar.

The premise itself was rather basic: Chandler went to one particular gay bar because he loved their tuna melt sandwiches. What’s really funny here? Presumably that a straight guy is hanging out at a gay bar.

But as mentioned, the storyline never came to be. “Perry said no, and the story was shelved,” explained Austerlitz.

It’s one bright spot during a time that Friends continues to be blasted as problematic.