Ty Burrell: Modern Family is ‘helping normalise’ gay marriage

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

Modern Family star Ty Burrell has said the show has helped ‘plant the seed’ for the idea of gay marriage.

Speaking to the Telegraph today, Burrell, who plays Phil Dunphy on the show, said he feels the show has done a lot to progress the issue.

He said: “This is probably a little overwrought, but I do actually think the writers are making the world a better place.

“It’s one of my favourite things about the show. I love it when I talk to conservatives and they’re describing all three couples, and they never mention that one of them is gay.

“That’s the brilliance of the writing. In a completely unaggressive, apolitical way, they are showing this couple as completely normal dealing with ordinary stuff. The banality of it is the most revolutionary thing.

“I think if you turned around and asked that same conservative person how they felt about gay marriage, that probably hasn’t changed for them, but the seed has been planted none the less. It’s progress and it’s the coolest thing.

“I think the television world has become a more permissive place,”

The newspaper also cited a recent survey, where Republicans ranked the show third in a list of their top 15 shows despite the inclusion of a gay couple.