Ten years ago, Ellen DeGeneres made “herstory” when her TV character, Ellen Morgan, “came out” on primetime TV. Since those days, gay and lesbian characters on TV have become commonplace.

Last week’s episode of ABC’s “Brothers & Sisters” opened with two gay men cuddling in bed, presumably after a night of hot sex or kvetching.

Actor Isaiah Washington, 43, portrays Dr. Preston Burke on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.”

In October, while on the set of the show, Washington referred to T.R. Knight – who plays Dr. George O’Malley – as a “faggot.” Knight is gay but had not been openly gay until that point. The slur followed a brief fight between Washington and fellow actor Patrick Dempsey.

Washington apologized after the incident became public.

But it didn’t end there. After winning a Golden Globe, the show’s actors and creator gathered backstage. When answering a question about how the incident affected the show, Washington denied ever using the slur and repeated the slur again.

As a result, officials from GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) will be meeting with Washington and ABC officials.

ABC should fire Washington. California law is clear in stating that one shouldn’t be subject to a hostile working environment due to his or her sexual orientation. It doesn’t matter whether the employee is an actor on contract or otherwise. ABC and its production companies must provide a working environment free of discrimination.

Washington’s first use of the slur put ABC on notice that it had a short-fused homophobe in its employ. Washington was counseled. Washington sealed his fate after the second incident.

There’s no question that in the last several months the use of slurs by those in Hollywood has taken center stage. Mel Gibson’s tirade against Jews during his DUI arrest made international headlines. Gibson entered rehab and met with members of the Jewish community. Michael Richards, who played Kramer on “Seinfeld,” hurled racial slurs at African-American men attending his comedy routine. I don’t think there’s any doubt that had T.R. Knight used the n-word that he would be out of a job.

Let’s face it, those incidents involved “real” insults aimed at persons who are in a “protected class.”

We’re not there yet. Our constitutional rights to equal protection are yet to be fully recognized. In the meantime, we should applaud those who support us and condemn those who do not.

One group that gets our applause is – wait for this – the National Football League. The NFL fined Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter for what the league called “vulgar, inexcusable statements” against Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow. The story is reported on outsports.com, which says it’s the first time the league has fined a player for making homophobic comments.

In short, Porter made the comment after a game on Dec. 7 between the Steelers and the Cleveland Browns. Porter thought Winslow made a delayed hit against a Steelers’ teammate. “He’s a fag. That’s what fags do,” Porter said.

Porter later issued an apology. He explained that, due to his upbringing, the slur was common and he didn’t realize how offensive it could be.

While the NFL gets it, I’m not sure ABC and Disney do.

“Desperate Housewives,” for example, is a show that includes realistic portrayals of the gay community. However, that changed this season when producers featured a pedophile swimming coach with photos of young boys plastered in his secret basement. Considering that approximately 99 percent of child molesters prey upon young girls, why is ABC featuring this negative gay stereotype? Perhaps it’s ABC’s bone to the rightwing to show “balance.”

Another character plays the couldn’t-be-more-nelly friend of Gabby, who operates a modeling school.

Michael Urie, of ABC’s other hit show “Ugly Betty,” plays the couldn’t-be-witchier Mark St. James. Ironically, dot glbt newsmagazine wrote Urie was so convincing playing a prissy queen that he must be gay. Turns out he’s not.

Thankfully, Urie, unlike Tom Cruise, didn’t sue for defamation. He just asked for an apology. Imagine if the paper mistakenly said he was African-American or Jewish? Would he ask for an apology? Wasn’t it really a compliment?