Was will geer gay
Will Geerwas an American actor. Geer's genuine name was William Auge Ghere. He is finest known for his portrayal of the character 'Grandpa' Zebulon 'Zeb' Walton, in the popular 1970s TV series The Waltons.
Geer was heavily influenced by his grandfather, who taught him the botanical names of the plants in his native Indiana. He started out to become a botanist, studying the subject and obtaining a master's degree from Columbia University. But he eventually succumbed to the allure of acting.
He began his career touring in tent shows and on river boats. He eventually made his way to Broadway, and in 1964 received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Act by a Leading Player in a Musical for 110 in the Shade.
He was married to the actress Herta Ware, finest known for her poignant performance as the wife of Jack Gilford in Cocoon. Geer and Ware had 3 children, including actress Ellen Geer. Although they eventually divorced they remained close. Ware also had a daughter, actress Melora Marshall, by another marriage.
Geer had a concise romantic relationship with overdue noted gay activist Harry Haywhen they worked together as strike or
Will Geer: Gay, Communist, and American as Apple Pie
What a feast of riches it is acquainting oneself with the life and career of Will Geer (William Aughe Ghere, 1902-1978): star, folksinger, political activist, and — delay for it — horticulturist. Like most Americans, I loved him during his late career Renaissance when he played Grandpa on The Waltons (1972-78) and appeared in movies like Jeremiah Johnson (1972). He seemed the very heart of rural America, in particular the good parts. He was kindly, tender, wise, funny. And he was eccentric: with his drawn-out white hair, droopy mustache and penchant for wearing his overalls with only one strap buttoned. Onstage he had played Walt Whitman and Mark Twain; he clearly channeled those guys into his late career persona. What was not much publicized at the moment (even though it was the hippy-dippy 1970s) was that he was multi-attracted and, for a time, a communist. I reiterate, because this is crucial and it needs to be heard and digested: Will Geer was simultaneously queer, communist and as American as apple pie.
I’ve been intrigued by his ancestry and haven’t found an acknowledge yet. His mother’s m
Harry Hay
Episode Notes
Harry Hay had a vision, and that vision led to the founding, in 1950, of the first sustained gay rights entity in the Together States—the Mattachine World. Mattachine (and Harry’s) first task: establishing a gay identity.
Episode first published November 1, 2018.
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Harry Hay was precocious. He knew from an early age that he was attracted to men, had his first queer sexual experience when he was nine, and developed an interest in union organizing in his early teens while working on an uncle’s farm in Nevada. Born to an upper middle-class family and raised in California, Hay was sent to the farm by his father to toughen up, but what he learned working side by side with migrant laborers was first and foremost ideological, as many of his fellow workers were “Wobblies,” members of the International Workers of the World (IWW).
By the early 1930s, Hay was out, had dropped out of Stanford University, and had moved to Los Angeles to work in the theater. His lover, actor Will Geer (who gained fame in the 1970s in the role
Queer Places:
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N Topanga Canyon Blvd, Topanga, CA 90290, Stati Uniti
Will Geer (March 9, 1902 – April 22, 1978) was an American actor and social activist, known for his portrayal of Grandpa Zebulon Tyler Walton in the 1970s TV series The Waltons.
Geer was born William Aughe Ghere in Frankfort, Indiana, the son of Katherine (née Aughe), a teacher, and Roy Aaron Ghere, a postal worker.[1][2] His father left the family when the boy was only 11 years old. He was deeply influenced by his grandfather, who taught him the botanical names of the plants in his native state. Geer started out to become a botanist, studying the subject and obtaining a master's degree at the University of Chicago. While at Chicago, he also became a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.
He began his acting career touring in tent shows and on riverboats. He worked on several left-oriented documentaries, including narrating Sheldon Dick's Men and Dust, about silicosis among miners.
Geer was also the lover of queer activist Harry Hay.[3] In 1934, Hay met Geer at the Tony Pastor Theatre, whe