After 27 years, this Simpsons character finally came out last night

Twenty-seven years' worth of episodes later, The Simpsons has finally confronted the rumors about Waylon Smithers' sexuality. In Sunday night's episode, "The Burns Cage," Smithers officially comes out as gay at a party thrown by Homer Simpson after he realizes that he has unrequited feelings for his boss, Mr. Burns. Homer hopes he'll be able to cheer up his boss, Smithers, by setting him up with an eligible bachelor at the party.
While it's long been an "open secret" that Smithers is gay, The Independent reports that this is the first time the character's sexuality has been explicitly acknowledged. One of the show's writers, Rob LaZebnik, said that his own relationship with his gay son inspired him to finally write the storyline. "I am a Midwestern guy, so I don't tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve," LaZebnik said. "But I thought, 'What better way to tell my son I love him than to write a cartoon about it?"
LaZebnik says he wanted Smithers' coming out moment to be as accepting and low-profile as his son's was. "We didn't really want to have that big moment of 'I'm out,' you know?" LaZebnik said. "Instead, just have it be a big embrace — like everyone knows it."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Assassin: action-packed caper is 'terrific fun'
The Week Recommends Keeley Hawes stars as a former hitwoman drawn out of retirement for 'one last job'
-
The EPA wants to green-light approval for a twice-banned herbicide
Under the radar Dicamba has been found to harm ecosystems
-
Crossword: July 30, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada