Homer's Phobia

"Homer's Phobia"
The Simpsons episode
Homer meets John. John's design was largely based on Waters' own appearance, although he was animated with thicker hair and a more defined, "wavy" moustache.
Episode no.	168
Directed by	Mike B. Anderson
Written by	Ron Hauge
Showrunner(s)	Bill Oakley Josh Weinstein
Production code	4F11
Original air date	February 16, 1997
Couch gag	Someone tries to download the family from the Internet, but finding it too slow, attempts to cancel it.
Commentary	Matt Groening Bill Oakley Josh Weinstein Ron Hauge Steve Tompkins John Waters Mike B. Anderson
Guest appearance(s)
John Waters as John
Season 8 episodes October 27, 1996 – May 18, 1997 "Treehouse of Horror VII" "You Only Move Twice" "The Homer They Fall" "Burns, Baby Burns" "Bart After Dark" "A Milhouse Divided" "Lisa's Date with Density" "Hurricane Neddy" "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)" "The Springfield Files" "The Twisted World of Marge Simpson" "Mountain of Madness" "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious" "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" "Homer's Phobia" "Brother from Another Series" "My Sister, My Sitter" "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment" "Grade School Confidential" "The Canine Mutiny" "The Old Man and the Lisa" "In Marge We Trust" "Homer's Enemy" "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase" "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson"
Seasons
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

John Waters as John

"Homer's Phobia" is the fifteenth episode in the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 16, 1997. In the episode, Homer dissociates himself from new family friend John after discovering that John is gay. Homer fears that John will have a negative influence on his son Bart and decides to ensure Bart's heterosexuality by taking him hunting.

It was the first episode written by Ron Hauge and was directed by Mike B. Anderson. George Meyer pitched "Bart the homo" as an initial idea for an episode while show runners Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein were planning an episode involving Lisa "discovering the joys of campy things". Oakley and Weinstein combined the two ideas and they eventually became "Homer's Phobia". Fox censors originally found the episode unsuitable for broadcast because of its controversial subject matter, but this decision was reversed after a turnover in the Fox staff. Filmmaker John Waters guest-starred, providing the voice of the new character, John.

"Homer's Phobia" was the show's first episode to revolve entirely around gay themes and received a positive critical response both for its humor and anti-homophobia message. It won four awards, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less) and a GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding TV – Individual Episode".