Clip: "Liz was a lez?!" - K Callan as the partner of Edith's Cousin Liz on ALL IN THE FAMILY, 1977

TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
ALL IN THE FAMILY: "Cousin Liz" - 10/9/1977, CBS
In this classic, Emmy-winning episode, Archie and Edith travel to the funeral of Edith's Cousin Liz and learn that Veronica, the other "old-maid schoolteacher" she shared an apartment with for two decades, wasn't just her roommate.
Veronica (K Callan) asks Edith if she can keep the silver tea set that Liz had inherited, and promises to make sure it gets back into Edith's family. In response, Archie threatens to out Liz and get her fired if she insists on keeping the valuable tea set.
The episode aired at the height of the Religious Right's 1977-78 crusade to have LGB schoolteachers fired, spearheaded by Anita Bryant. Heavy news coverage of that campaign led to numerous TV scripts about LGB people's rights and in particular discrimination against LGB teachers.

[@RoseRedd-k4b]

"It must have been terrible loving someone and not being able to talk about it" That was so sweet of Edith to say to Liz

[@RonMotta1972]

I’ve always said that Edith may have been a little naive, but she was the wisest person in the house.

[@RoseRedd-k4b]

@@RonMotta1972 yes

[@12classics39]

That cuts to the uttermost core of the horror of homophobia… every day straight people are able to easily fall in love and get married and show their happiness to the world and society showers them with congratulations… while even nowadays in some parts of the world, this kind of basic freedom and respect is an impossible dream for LGBTQ+ people.

[@mattluvet]

Edith is Archie's perfect foil. She is so innocent that she sees these issues for what they actually are without the stigmas.

[@phousefilms]

Lmao, Archie's frozen smile slowly changing expressions killllllss me! "You mean you're gonna disobey your husband?!!!" "....Yeah!" Epic!

[@michaelreidperry3256]

Stapleton was genius. Edith’s reactions here are golden.

[@rackmasterh]

She really was a fine actress. I didn't remember this scene but it is brilliant. R.I.P. all involved and of course Mr. Lear.

[@DavidLS1]

I always loved it when Edith asserted herself.

[@tonybuc67]

Edith was a true example of a compassionate Christian soul!! She loved all people with no judgement.

[@BraveryWing26]

Edith was such a sweet and lovely lady. Her heart was made of GOLD in a time we direly needed it

[@stephenalberston9108]

I grew up watching this show....never realizing that I was watching the very best actors producing their craft....no actor/actress in comedy will ever surpass these two in these roles...no one.

[@lockandloadlikehell]

* Danny McBride - Kenny Powers * Stevie Janakowski- Stevie Little

[@mindriot91_96]

@@lockandloadlikehell LOL

[@michaellang7908]

Why … all in the family should be the number 1 television show of all time! Such ground breaking episodes it had for that time period. Carroll O’connor my favourite actor of all time

[@BraveryWing26]

You are speaking like it isnt. It is. It totally reshaped television and the way we see it.

[@rbrobbi]

💯

[@da9618]

It's amazing how relevant " all in the family" is today, because it shows how things never change

[@EsterKunin-zs2dw]

OH, how I LOVE All in the Family! And fantastic when Edith said she was going to disobey Archie. Case Closed!❤❤❤❤❤😂

[@mahmamia5100]

Edith's such a fantastic character.

[@ASW-32]

I love Edith!!!

[@kevinsbikingadventures278]

I'm watching this today on my 5th wedding anniversary in my same-sex marriage, and we've been together for 14 years. It really hits home to me when Edith says that they spent 25 years together and couldn't talk about it. It was hard for me to come out while I was secretly dating my husband. I came out because I wanted to talk about him. I wanted to marry him so that I do have legal protection with him. He is family now, and I don't want anyone else to find loopholes to say otherwise. We also had our wedding on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. It was a pure coincidence that it worked out that way, but I like how symbolic it was.

[@michaelmccauley648]

Carroll O’Connor and Maureen Stapleton said more with their facial expressions in this scene than most actors could with the soliloquy from”Hamlet”. The both of them we’re priceless in “All in the Family” and drove the message of the show home every week, and usually, there was a point to the episode other than making our sides ache from laughing at ourselves and our petty prejudices. I can’t imagine this show on a major network today. It would have to appear on cable because we’ve lost the ability to recognize satire and the perpetually offended would have it canceled. Damn, when did we become so soft?

[@sfinthecity]

Jean Stapleton.

[@oilersridersbluejays]

Who is Maureen?

[@michaelmccauley648]

@@oilersridersbluejays I’m sorry... Jean Stapleton. Maureen Stapleton is another fine film actress. My mistake.

[@VillageOfTheDarned1]

46 years after I last watched this episode, I'm laughing my ass off!

[@mikeholtzclaw3995]

The two of them were so perfect. As I watch the show today, most of the other roles were more one-dimensional caricatures. But Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton were spot-on perfect.

[@richardsimms251]

Their expressions are great

[@12classics39]

4:52 that “Yeaaahh!” could not have been delivered more perfectly.

[@Paul1958R]

RIP Norman Lear

[@ericboncuk5303]

The look on Archie’s face when the light goes on.

[@johnearle7776]

Funniest romp through facial expressions since Ralphie decoded L’il Orphan Annie’s secret message. SONOFABITCH!

[@alondralabute2310]

The tea set had been in Edith's family but that meant nothing to Archie. He wanted to sell it. If Edith had taken it home she would never have sold it. It's like when he wanted to collect money for Edith's grandmother's locket to buy a new color TV set. But both the locket and the tea set belong to Edith, not Archie and he had no right to plan to sell them.

[@triciajohansen7124]

Edith was such a loving, compassionate, and sweet soul. God bless.❤🙏😪

[@edthesecond]

The writing, the acting, the characters, the way they slipped the message in without losing the humor-those hacks who are writing 'woke entertainment' today can't touch this.

[@mercurydude]

Well yes, there are lots of hacks writing today, but "woke" has nothing to do with the problem. Of course, someone who writes such a thing would love to blame the problem on there being "too many" black people, LGBT people, women who aren't barefoot and in the kitchen, etc. And there's always too many because apparently everyone who isn't a straight and wealthy, nominally Christian white male needs to remember their place.

[@Mister_Listener]

Seems like you dont understand what Norman Lear’s goals as a producer were. (Everybody in 2023 knows that woke is a codeword for “i hate gays and people of color,” and you sound like a real dummy.)

[@kdohertygizbur]

It deservedly won Emmy for writing in a comedy series that year

[@laurenyoung9334]

AITF was pretty woke. If you don't get that, you missed the satire.

[@rikooangloindianpunjabi5824]

Oh man! Archie expressed everything with his adorable button like blue eyes

[@jamesr1703]

"You mean Liz was a Lez?" It's hard to believe that this mentality still exists in 2022!

[@rikooangloindianpunjabi5824]

Don't be a karen

[@TheBohemianAngels]

What are you talking? Its the truth.

[@generalgk]

What mentality? Asking if someone is a lesbian?

[@laurenyoung9334]

This aired in 1977, but yes the attitude persists in 2024 so this remains a brilliant episode.

[@melodiefrances3898]

​@laurenyoung9334 thank you for making an intelligent reply. I was despairing ...

[@johnbrowneyes7534]

The clutch the pearls moment. 0:52

[@BraveryWing26]

This is the one time where its a good thing. She felt for her Cousin Liz and Veronica and the pain they went through. And lets not mince words, the teaset is worth 16000 USD DOLLARS TODAY. She truly has a heart of gold, Edith.

[@gilliamben]

At 4:15...you are so "knave" about these things. LOL, Edith was so much wiser than Archie, and yet she was "knave" LOL.

[@DoubeEdged7]

A lot of people were wiser

[@YourJellyFishAteMyTV]

Thank you Edith xx

[@bkbcpa]

Classic!

[@Bryankirshon]

once again edith your side of the family.

[@williamberry8895]

Aitf is my safety zone in the morning. I feel safe watching this show. Like i feel safe listening to Alice in chains and Nirvana. Archie Bunker's place was going on in the early 80s i was just born. But hats off to the decade before me. This is the best show of all time. I feel happy but sad at the same time. Everyone on this show is almost dead. Cept lil Stephanie.

[@generalgk]

And Mike and Gloria and Theresa. Maybe you should step out of your safe space and do some research

[@redsoul6900]

You're so nave about these things 🤣

[@omarcogle1965]

Martha Kent's earlier life

[@OldCanadianguy953]

“That don’t affect the brain”. Fast forward to 2023.

[@12classics39]

An absolute shame. It’s downright immature how so many people - particularly Floridians - are so convinced that learning about sexuality somehow changes your own that they’ve made actual laws about it. Ridiculous.

[@DoubeEdged7]

Being trans is a different story from gay

[@maryrobinson4131]

Is that Ms. Daisy from Meet The Brown's?? Wow..

[@johnearle7776]

No way…..WAY!

[@garymattscheck9066]

I don't remember this episode.Its possible that my CBS affiliate WBNG refused to show this episode because it was too controversial.

[@Mister_Listener]

I concur! I suspect there were more episodes left out of syndication packages in the 1980’s? As a kid, i had never seen this one, or any of the episodes with Beverly LaSalle either…until youtube! I was in the NY-NJ-PA area.

[@purejoy1985]

I know this very wrong but I remember the hand turn gesture to describe someone gay. People wouldn't say it directly but would say, "you know, so and so is..." Instead of saying it they would do hand signals like Archie and you knew instantly what it meant. 😂🤦🏾‍♀️

[@Vydio]

Archie should have just let this one go. I really don't think he was that interested in a tea set.

[@df5295]

He was interested in how much he could sell it for!

[@Mister_Listener]

The final joke is where the steals sugar cube tongs, because she’ll never miss them. Lol…why would anybody go crazy over the amount of money they get from a pawn shop for some silver?

[@DoubeEdged7]

He did let it go after Edith refused to take it to court

[@juancardenas4312]

That wouldn't be a problem on this days today, today's is just simply no moral

[@geemac7267]

Romans Chapter 1:26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

[@dragonflysurgeon]

The Bible is fiction, and there is no God.

[@stevencapsuto873]

In other words, the reason the women discussed in the Bible verse were lesbians is because God made them lesbians. Got it...

[@geemac7267]

@@stevencapsuto873 The women enjoyed their sin and didn't repent or seek forgiveness, so God "gave them up to dishonorable passions". He doesn't make anyone sin, we do that all by ourselves because we have a sinful nature. But Jesus died on the cross to offer us a way of avoiding the judgement we bring on ourselves through our sinful disobedience.

[@stevencapsuto873]

@@geemac7267 Or those early Christians did not know much about the nature of human sexuality and made up an unpleasant story to explain away something that they, in their ignorance, thought was strange or unnatural.

[@geemac7267]

@@stevencapsuto873 All I can do is present the Word of God to you, as you clearly have never made an attempt to read it for yourself. On judgement day, what will your excuse be for not reading it yourself? The Bible is the instruction manual, not only for the salvation of your soul, but for your everyday behavior. Knowing what's in there and not looking because you don't want to be "told what to do" is like looking away from the speed limit signs on the highway so you won't know how fast you can go. You'll still be held accountable when the cops pull you over for speeding. You are not ignorant of God's law because I have just told you about it. It's not the "ignorance of early Christians" that makes homosexuality "strange and unnatural", it's that it IS strange and unnatural, as you and everyone else knows very well in your hearts. You just enjoy the pleasure of your sin and think you are going to fool someone with your arguments. God will not be mocked. If I saw you in the 5th floor window of a building who's first floor was on fire, I would be compelled to yell up and warn you that you were in danger. YOU'RE IN DANGER!!!!

[@ronbo30]

Here is the issue with this. In MANS eyes lesbian is acceptable. But in GODS eyes it is wrong and a sin. So at the end of life, who will be the judge GOD or man? The LORD isn’t interested in man’s opinion on life’s issues. God already said what is good or evil, what is sin or not not sin.

[@kidvann]

Exactly so shut up and let him decide when it's our time

[@ronbo30]

@@kidvann warning people of coming judgment isn’t judgmental but it’s actually a act of love and concern. If you had a child going down the wrong road in life, wouldn’t you warn them ? Or would you just shrug your shoulders and say screw it, it’s not me. I don’t judge or condemn anyone . That’s the LORDS job not mine, or anyone Else’s.but it’s a act of love to warn someone of incoming consequences for someone’s life choices, ( that GOD calls sin clearly) lying, stealing, adultery, covet, homosexuality, witchcraft, malice, slander, drunkenness etc….. are all sins according to the LORD. Not me! God says what’s right or wrong, what is sin and what not sin is not mankind. But we want to be like GOD and WE say what is sin or not. But on judgment day your opinion or mine is irrelevant, what he says is done, not up for debate. We can accept it or reject his words. But every decision in life comes with consequences . Good or bad. Your way or GODS way? How will you live your life? Shalom. 😊

[@mariecait]

We all sin differently friend. It’s not our place to judge others for what they do or don’t do. Only God can judge.

[@ronbo30]

@@mariecait true. But wouldn’t you warn someone if they are headed down a wrong road? Warning someone is a act of love not judgment. I do not judge or condemn ANYONE. But we can condemn sinful acts that the Bible has already said is sin. We can seperate the sin from the sinner. I respect and honor president Biden at his position. But I do not agree with him personally on some of his views. We can point out sinful behavior.

[@laurenyoung9334]

As Edith would have said about God's business "you let God tend to it".

[@TheBohemianAngels]

One can point to these times when things began to go south for society by brining these types of messages to the general public.

[@patc.3109]

Would you care to elaborate? 🤔

[@TheBohemianAngels]

@@patc.3109 Elaborate? You mean it wasn't clear enough? Ok, i guess if you are asking, it may not have been clear enough. In 1977, t.v. was relatively still recent enough for the majority of people having t.v.s and even color had just developed. Anyways, there were more and more viewers by that time, and so they used tv programs to promote and/or execute changes to society norms. This episode is an example of trying to normalize a gay relationship into making people think that its "normal", and/or the same as a marriage between a man and a woman. And so brings me to my earlier statement, "one can point to", let's say this episode, as an example of gay writers, producers and basically Hollywood sneaking in their wishes and in their efforts to try and change people's beliefs, and to accept this immoral and abomination to God's creation as being right. Hope this made it a bit clearer for you.

[@patc.3109]

@TheBohemianAngels That's a lot of words to say you're a homophobe. Glad you cleared that up for everyone. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

[@Jakesmom917]

@@TheBohemianAngels I’m gay. We exist. I’m part of society. Get used it.

[@TheBohemianAngels]

@@Jakesmom917 That's fine. I don't say don't exist. So i don't know what you are writing about.

[@ryancrosley2818]

Edith was disgusting. Glad when they killed her off

[@timothyscanlon5156]

Another classic. Thanks.

[@lockandloadlikehell]

Edith was such a gangster she led the Scott Park Pirus for at least a decade

[@tylerzorn6152]

THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN EDITH AND ARCHIE GOD BLESS ARCHIE BUNKER HE WAS THE BEST,. CASE CLOSED.!!!!