On February 7, 1991—35 years ago today—network television crossed a line it had spent decades carefully skirting, and then almost immediately stopped short of going any further.
That night, NBC aired an episode of L.A. Law titled “He’s a Crowd,” which featured what would quickly be labeled the first lesbian kiss on U.S. television. The scene, brief but unmistakably tender, showed attorneys Abby Perkins (Michele Greene) and C.J. Lamb (Amanda Donohoe) sharing an intimate moment outside a restaurant after celebrating a professional victory.
The kiss wasn’t played for shock value. It wasn’t a joke, a dare, or a throwaway gag. And unlike earlier moments sometimes cited as precedents, it was mutual—two characters genuinely drawn to each other, leaning in by choice.
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That distinction is why the moment landed differently.
Abby had long been established as heterosexual. C.J. would soon be revealed as bisexual, making her the first openly bisexual regular character on a network television series. The episode itself was written by series creator David E. Kelley, whose show had already earned a reputation for tackling controversial social issues.
The reaction was swift but telling. According to Steven Capsuto's book "Alternate Channels: The Uncensored Story of Gay and Lesbian Images on Radio and Television," some advertisers pulled commercials from the broadcast, and NBC received complaints, though far fewer than might have been expected. Network executives acknowledged the pushback while also noting that other sponsors were willing to step in, albeit at reduced rates.
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Within the LGBTQ community, the moment resonated far more deeply than its brief screen time suggested. For many viewers, it was the first time they had seen even a fragment of their own experience reflected on one of television’s most prestigious dramas. The scene became a touchstone, replayed and discussed well beyond its original airing, wrote Capsuto in his book.
And yet, despite the attention, the story quietly stalled.
Although later episodes hinted that Abby and C.J.’s relationship might develop, it never truly did. Abby ultimately left the series at the end of the season, and the possibility of a sustained same-sex romance disappeared with her. The kiss remained historic, but isolated.
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In the years that followed, television would repeatedly return to the idea of women kissing women—often during ratings sweeps—without committing to long-term storytelling. The pattern became so familiar that it earned its own shorthand: the “lesbian kiss episode.” The moment would appear, generate buzz, and then vanish without consequence.
Even a decade later, writers continued to encounter resistance. Buffy the Vampire Slayer writer Marti Noxon later recalled being told by executives that while audiences might tolerate seeing women kiss once, showing it again implied something deeper, which was unacceptable.
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"You can show girls kissing once, but you can't show them kissing twice… because the second time, it means that they liked it," said Noxon in a 2002 interview with NPR.
Seen in hindsight, L.A. Law’s 1991 kiss didn’t just make history. It revealed the limits of what network television was willing to allow at the time. Progress, it turned out, could be acknowledged—as long as it didn’t linger.
The moment opened a door. Television simply wasn’t ready to walk through it yet.
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