2. Cristina Saralegui Has Same-Sex Wedding Performed On Her Show
Cristina Saralegui is my girl – I used to watch her show pretty much religiously with my grandmother, and she’s probably one of my biggest mid-90s cultural touchstones. I even wrote a total fan girl post about her on my Tumblr back in the day, which you should check out if you want to learn some fun facts, like the fact that she was the first Latina to be inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame AND the first Spanish-language television personality to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1996 Cristina aired a highly controversial episode on gay weddings, during which two gay couples were married on air. It was a very shocking and ballsy move at a time when representations of gay life were pretty much completely excluded from mainstream media. Religious viewers, in particular, were not thrilled about it – thousands of whom came to protest the show. Cristina remained unfazed, because she was too busy becoming one of the most successful daytime TV hosts of all time and keeping her resplendently blonde hair fresh. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any footage of this episode on YouTube, so you’ll just have to enjoy this screenshot of a candid audience reaction during one of her shows. That look of happiness and delight says it all.
