"While the scene marked a landmark moment for LGBTQ+ representation, becoming the first gay kiss on primetime TV, it was met with a fair amount of backlash. Speaking on the Pod Meets World podcast earlier this week, Smith said he almost came face-to-face with protestors who were "angry as hell". 'We had protests outside the stage, yelling and screaming... There was a brick wall that separated me, eating my lunch, from a crowd of people that were angry as hell,' he said."
"'If I had walked out there, they'd probably beat the c**p out of me. Because it was in the South, too, which didn't help.' Smith, who went on to star in other teen dramas including Charmed and Riverdale, remembered being told by the show's creator Kevin Williamson that they planned on making Jack gay. Williamson took him out for coffee, when he was just a few months into the job, and informed of Jack's future storyline."
"At the time, given LGBTQ+ representation was practically non-existent, Smith said he was "very, very scared" by the prospect. 'So what happened was I said, 'Look, can you give me the day or a couple of days, because I need to make some phone calls and basically call everyone that I respect,' Smith explained, adding that he needed to 'make the right decision here because at that time in 1998, this is a tough one'."
Kerr Smith, age 53, played Jack McPhee on Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003. Jack struggled with his sexuality and kissed Ethan Brody in the season three finale, marking the first gay kiss on American primetime network television. The scene provoked significant backlash, including angry protests outside the stage and threats that made Smith fear for his safety. Creator Kevin Williamson informed Smith early that Jack would be gay; Smith felt very scared given the lack of LGBTQ+ representation in 1998 and asked for time to consult others before continuing with the role. The kiss became a milestone in LGBTQ+ television history.
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