The First Reality Show: An American Family

Lance Loud Was An Iconic Trailblazer

Lance Loud was the eldest son of the Loud family as depicted on An American Family. He was the first gay man ever to come out on television. Lance was an extremely loud character (pun intended), and he had a captivating personality often being described as an icon of the gay community.

During his youth, he discovered the fantastic world of Andy Warhol and The Factory, and even became pen pals with Warhol. He was also a huge fan of the band Velvet Underground, who were also Warhol fixtures. After the show, Loud moved to New York to pursue music.