"It was a sophisticated comedy about the life of a single woman working at a TV station in Minneapolis. It wasn't an issue-oriented show like All in the Family or Maude, but it got points across in subtle ways, making Mary more of a feminist as the series went on and tackling anti-Semitism, divorce, workplace discrimination, and, in a way, homophobia."
"Phyllis Lindstrom (Cloris Leachman), Mary's somewhat overbearing landlady, gets a visit from her brother, Ben Sutherland, a composer and musician who lives in New York City. Phyllis is always eager to find husband material for Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore's character), so she tries to kindle something between Ben and Mary. Phyllis is dismayed, however, when Ben hits it off more with Mary's sardonic neighbor and best friend, Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper)."
"She doesn't buy Rhoda's honest answer that they're just having a lot of fun, so Rhoda tells her they're getting married. Phyllis believes her and is devastated. Later, Rhoda assures Phyllis she was joking and that Ben isn't her type. "What do you mean, not your type?" Phyllis says. "He's attractive, he's witty, he's single-" Rhoda responds, "He's gay." Phyllis is shocked at first, but then she's so relieved that she hugs Rhoda."
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a sophisticated 1970s comedy about a single woman working at a Minneapolis TV station. The series was not issue-oriented but subtly addressed topics like anti-Semitism, divorce, workplace discrimination, and homophobia while developing the lead as a more feminist character. The third-season episode My Brother's Keeper, first aired January 13, 1973, centers on Phyllis Lindstrom's brother Ben, a New York composer. Phyllis seeks husband material for Mary but Ben connects with Rhoda. A joking claim that Rhoda will marry Ben leads to the revelation that Ben is gay, which the characters treat without moral panic. The episode normalized an attractive, likable gay man.
Read at Advocate.com
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