On Wednesday, July 25, 2012 1:22:21 PM UTC-4, PGage wrote: > > Perhaps I should make it clear that I am not arguing that his obits should > have included information about his sexual orientation. On the other hand, > if there is some rule that works systematically to keep information about > LGBT status out of obits, while keeping information about heterosexual > status in, then it seems like that rule contributes to the invisibility of > LGBT people, and a distortion of their role in and contribution to society. > I interested in understanding the rules that guide the writing of obits in > newspapers. > > For what it's worth, the New York Times obit does not mention his sexuality, but it does mention his reputation for being reclusive: “The Jeffersons” was a hit until it left the air in 1985. And the reclusive Mr. Hemsley, who tended to avoid the Hollywood spotlight, established himself as one of television’s most popular stars, if also one of the least accessible.... At the height of his popularity on “The Jeffersons,” rumors surfaced that Mr. Hemsley was a temperamental loner, as arrogant and difficult as the character he played. The actors he worked with tended to disagree. “I’m here to tell you it’s a lie,” Clifton Davis, his co-star on “Amen,” said of the rumors. “He’s very shy, and he’s not on an ego trip.” Mr. Hemsley laughed at the suggestion that his personality was in any way similar to George Jefferson’s. “I’m nothing like him,” he said in 1996. “I don’t slam doors in people’s faces, and I’m not a bigot. I’m just an old hippie. You know — peace and love.” http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/25/arts/television/sherman-hemsley-star-of-the-jeffersons-dies-at-74.html Also, I should note two comments that were made about Hemsley on the alt.obituaries newsgroup. One person wrote, "I recall that he was in a three-way live-in relationship with another man and a woman around the time The Jeffersons was on." Another person responded, "Before that. He called them 'my family' and they moved out with him to California."
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