Homer and Ellen.

I enjoyed the insightful article on The Simpsons ["America's Real First Family," July 17], but I have to tell you, proclaiming Smithers's love for his boss the first "actual emotional same-sex love" just lets us know that Will Doig didn't watch season 5 of Ellen DeGeneres's first show. She wasn't a quirky eunuch. OIL she was quirky, but she fell in love, she kissed her partner, she had and got over a fear of holding hands in public, and she (gasp!) had sex. Yes, sex. Just about every episode in season 5 has something to do with gay issues and love. They didn't show the details like they might have on The L Word or Queer as Folk, but this was network TV in the late '90s, after all. Ellen's first series did way more than a lot of people nowadays seem to give her credit for.

GRISHA STEWART Seattle, Wash.

Will Doig is either suffering from selective memory, or he's seen fit to obscure reality so as to bolster the credibility of his article du jour. He refers to Ellen's character as a quirky eunuch and as "out and allegedly proud but never truly head over heels for one particular person." Um, first off, I didn't know attraction was only valid if depicted between monogamous life mates. Second, Ellen was gaga over first love Susan (Laura Dern) and then expressed physical interest in a host of other dates. Eventually she had a long-term romance with Laurie, played by Lisa Darr, wherein a multitude of pertinent subjects were addressed.

To minimize DeGeneres's contribution to our cause is dereliction. It may be common-place now to show same-sex relations as normal and healthy in various mediums, but DeGeneres received untold flak from beth gays and nongays alike for her boldness a decade ago. She is a forerunner--please don't try to take that from her.

Besides, Doig didn't see fit to broach the subject of Simpsons creator Matt Greening's own sexuality as part of his feature article on how that cartoon so dramatically altered the world's depiction of us? Please!

ROBERT SAYRE II Donalsonville, Ga.