Out There

Out There arrived on Comedy Central in 1993 as network television’s first all-queer stand-up showcase. Hosted by Lea DeLaria in a double-breasted suit and no shirt, the broadcast oscillates between observational material and aggressive crowd work aimed directly at straight viewers. DeLaria sets the tone early by shouting punchlines and informing the crowd she simply does not prefer penises on men. Suzanne Westenhoefer takes a different route, cheerfully endorsing the military’s ban on gay service members because she refuses to wake up early. She then encourages straight men to deploy so lesbians can stay home and take care of their wives.

Filmed at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall on National Coming Out Day, the special doubled the network’s usual ratings for the time slot. The lineup features early national sets from Bob Smith, who delivers a dry routine about growing up gay, alongside performers like Steve Moore, who jokes about weaponizing his HIV status to scare a redneck at a bar. The mainstream critical response at the time was predictably divided, with newspaper reviewers praising the historical milestone while complaining about the hostility. The showcase proved a successful launchpad regardless, landing both Westenhoefer and Smith their own solo half-hours on HBO the following year.