The Heartwarming Coming Out Scene In ‘Madam Secretary’
The political hit drama, Madam Secretary, is in its third season, and in its penultimate episode last Sunday, it tackled the LGBT issue of bisexuality, biphobia and coming out. Earlier in the episode, the US Secretary of State, Elizabeth McCord (played by Téa Leoni) travels abroad with her team on yet another international event involving Rome and the United States.
When they get there, we are allowed a rare peak into the personal story of the secretary’s executive assistant, Blake Moran (played by Erich Bergen) – a personal story that comes with an ex boyfriend!
I honestly think I would have been more shocked if the scathing, dedicated, always nattily-dressed Blake’s ex had been a woman. I never really considered the possibility that he could be bisexual; I just assumed that he was gay. And it would appear that he is used to suffering the brunt of biphobia, as evidenced in the conversation he has with his ex, Trevor, where the ex makes a scoffing remark: “Oh Blake, you’re not still on that Bi thing…” To which Blake responds, “It’s not a thing I am on. It’s who I am.”
Having Blake out himself as bisexual in the end was a bold and powerful move. I loved his disclosure to Elizabeth. Blake may be friends with the rest of the team, but his relationship with Elizabeth is special.
Check out Blake’s moving monologue as he comes out as bisexual to his boss:
“I’m Bi, ma’am. Bisexual. I know, you’re probably like ‘What? Why is he telling me this now?’ And I can’t say for certain, but it definitely has to do with an old boyfriend who can be kind of a jerk but makes good points.
“One of them is about what I always considered my right to privacy. … But I realize now that my right to privacy is different than me choosing to be private, and really has more to do with trusting people with my private business – which is hard for me because I’ve experienced a lot of weird biphobia from everyone, straight people, gay people.
“And not that I think you’re biphobic or homophobic or phobic about anything. It’s just that I’ve gotten used to keeping people at arm’s length … I’ve never felt the obligation to satisfy anybody’s curiosity by posting pictures of me with the boyfriend or girlfriend on social media like every other millennial.
“And I always justify that by thinking: ‘What does it matter about me?’ I mean, there’s so many more important things going on in the world! I mean, who cares about my sexuality!
“But I realize now that maybe it’s kind of the opposite – that if I can’t be honest with people about who I am, then how can I ever have an honest experience with them?”
And Elizabeth’s response to him was perfect. She’s two for two in handling disclosures about their personal lives with flawless grace and empathy.
Madam Secretary will air its season finale this coming Sunday, May 21.
Check on the video of Blake’s coming out below:
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13 Comments
shuga chocolata
May 19, 07:10Well i’m of a different opinion on some issue’s about coming out.
What is coming out?
why do we do it?
To me I can’t come out because I Ain’t doing anything wrong, I love boys and not girls.
Do the other people come out also?
Do they have closet about their sexuality.
they smear it on your face and pretend they can’t hurt a fly.
I don’t go about letting people know about my private, likewise I don’t give them opportunities to come give me about sex because I Always have an A in Kamasutra haven’t Read the book though.
I don’t believe in coming out, just live your life and please yourself and your partner.
Pink Panther
May 19, 07:23Coming out is not about admitting that you’re not doing anything wrong. I don’t know where you’re getting that idea from. Your entire comment twists the concept of coming out.
Its an ownership of truth. Being gay is a life that’s generally cloaked with lies, hidden, shrouded, stifled. Shut in.
Coming out is a term that appropriately refers to a reversal of that kind of life. Please do not turn it into something negative to cover the fact that you might have insecurities about people seeing you as a gay man. Coming out isn’t a negative thing. Negatizing it would be diminishing the sense of freedom people feel when they own their truth to themselves and to the people that matter to them.
shuga chocolata
May 19, 07:31I never said anything about negativity and some IH stuff, I asked questions which you tried answering or in your own word Gave your valid responses which I won’t dispute.
But in trying to assist or answer questions don’t assume things, if you ain’t comfy with anything ask questions.
Thanks
Pink Panther
May 19, 07:40Oga, why so defensive? I didn’t mention IH. You did. (I wasn’t even thinking it, but clearly you were).
And yes, your comment was casting a negative light on coming out. This isn’t about my comfort. Its about your apparent aversion to something you don’t understand.
shuga chocolata
May 19, 10:37Madam,
I rarely get defensive, very fluid personality I’ve and quite unapologetic about it.
Thanks anyways. ?
MagDiva
May 19, 07:35You say you don’t believe in coming out. Could this be perhaps because you don’t understand what it means?
Looking in from outside, it took me a while to understand it too and I to my understanding I think coming out is about owning your truth and being unapologetic about who you are.
Francis
May 19, 08:08Public coming out is what I’m beginning to have a problem with. That whole call a press conference and announce it when you could just casually let it slip during an interview, that your boyfriend of 5 years is amazing and simply move on to other matters
Pink Panther
May 19, 08:13You can’t have a problem with the way different people choose to come out. Whether a public announcement or just quietly telling loved ones, you can’t judge the path a person has taken to owning his truth.
Besides, its celebrities who come out publicly. And there’s a reason for that: to set an example, to let the gay people who look up to them know that its alright to be different.
Francis
May 19, 08:19Well you could tell people it’s okay to be who they are without making it into a road show. At some point the whole thing just comes off as though you’re all about being gay and nothing else. That’s why I like the likes of Luke Evans and co. He’s out and still I don’t even think gay when I see him on the screen.
Pink Panther
May 19, 08:39Please name one celebrity who made his coming out look like a road show.
Francis
May 19, 08:42There was Ricky then Caitlyn. those are the two that are still fresh in my mind.
Pink Panther
May 19, 08:57Ricky as in Ricky Martin? don’t know about his coming out. Never heard of it. Just know that one second he was straight and the next, I heard he was out.
But I feel like the pomp surrounding Caitlyn’s coming out became the catalyst that pushed transgender issues so rapidly forward. Before her, there wasn’t a lot of conversation surrounding the trans community. So it served a good purpose.
My point is: ultimately there’s no coming out that is bad or problematic. Whether quiet or loud, it is about truth getting told.
And what’s that they say about the truth setting one free…?
energy
May 19, 10:05i thought Blake was already out? there was an episode where a gay man was killed in certain country, during their meeting with the secretary, she gave Blake this “knowing” look when the killing of the gay man came up. am I the only one that noticed this?
i was shocked when he came out, because I thought he was already out.