OLTL has often been the first daytime soap opera to deal with many social issues. In 1992, writers introduced Billy Douglas (Ryan Phillippe), a gay teen dealing with the difficulty of coming out to his parents and friends. Resident bad girl, Marty Saybrooke (Susan Haskell), accused Andrew of having a sexual relationship with Billy. This story affected the entire town, including Viki, as Andrew's stern father arrived to teach a college class and write an expose of Victor Lord. Sloan and Andrew had been estranged ever since Sloan's oldest son, William, had died of AIDS. Llanview held a beautiful ceremony featuring the real AIDS quilt, as Sloan broke down and mourned his late son. A powerful issue was tackled head-on and realistically, with respect and tenderness, creating a socially memorable daytime moment.
OLTL has often been the first daytime soap opera to deal with many social issues. In 1992, writers introduced Billy Douglas (Ryan Phillippe), a gay teen dealing with the difficulty of coming out to his parents and friends. Resident bad girl, Marty Saybrooke (Susan Haskell), accused Andrew of having a sexual relationship with Billy. This story affected the entire town, including Viki, as Andrew's stern father arrived to teach a college class and write an expose of Victor Lord. Sloan and Andrew had been estranged ever since Sloan's oldest son, William, had died of AIDS. Llanview held a beautiful ceremony featuring the real AIDS quilt, as Sloan broke down and mourned his late son. A powerful issue was tackled head-on and realistically, with respect and tenderness, creating a socially memorable daytime moment.