Big Wheel of Fortune moment, redux . . .

Robert Kent and his fiancée, Chuck

In October of 2010, in response to Rutgers student Tyler Clementi's suicide after being outed as gay by his roommates on Twitter, I blogged about watching a young man, Robert Kent, introduce his male fiancée on Wheel of Fortune.

Just to take you back . . . 

. . .I sat up straight up in my chair and and  looked at my husband. “Charlie,” I said, “this is truly a memorable month to be alive and American! First we inaugurate a black President; now we welcome an engaged, same-sex couple onto Wheel of Fortune.”

I remember so clearly being stirred to my counter-culture, anti-war demonstrating toes while listening to Bob Dylan sing that “The Times They are a Changing.” I watched Robert and Chuck celebrating their good fortune on Wheel of Fortune and asked myself if it could possibly be, after all these years, that the times have finally, really changed. 

If so, I guess, that change has yet to trickle down from Wheel of Fortune into college dorms. Let's just hope we haven't degenerated as a culture to the point that people find the kind of cruelty visited upon Tyler Clementi entertaining.

This morning, poking around the internet, looking for anything worth passing along to you on a Saturday morning, I noticed that a comment had come in about that long-ago post.

And low-and-behold, it was from the Man, himself, Wheel of Fortune Champ Robert Kemp, and it was about his (and his fiancée's) experience on that very family-friendly television show.

Thought you would both enjoy it and miss it, if I didn't repost it. So, here 'tis.

ok so that episode was great, I mean the staff at wheel was supportive and friendly to both me and chuck... they never edited out anything and they knew he was there and he was my fiance cause they ask ahead of time before the taping they never once regulated how I acted or what I said and I am grateful to have this opportunity, I mean they knew from the beginning I was gonna be myself and make no quams about it... and I thank everyone for their feedback about the show... thinking about it now I was not trying to make a statement I was just being who I normally am with no apologies.... my philosophy has always been take me as I am or not at all.... and the Wheel of fortune Show did... thanks a bunch everyone, Robert A Kent..