Sun. July 26, 2026
CHICAGO, ILL. -
Lately, I’ve had a major personal resurgence in interest watching The Golden Girls again. I’ve actually set YouTubeTV to record every single episode as it airs so I can binge them whenever I want. Sitting down with those four women in Miami feels just as comforting and sharp as ever, but watching it now makes you appreciate the incredible talent behind those legendary characters, especially the iconic Estelle Getty.
Before Estelle Getty became the sharp-tongued queen of American television, she spent decades as an unknown theater actress. That all flipped when gay playwright Harvey Fierstein cast her in Torch Song Trilogy. Playing the ultimate protective mother to a gay drag performer turned her career around at 58 years old, and a legendary connection with the gay community was born.
Three years after her stage breakthrough, she landed the role of a lifetime as Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls. Her brilliant comedic timing made Sophia an instant icon in gay bars across the country. But Estelle wasn't the kind of person to take the love and run. She knew exactly who put her on the map, and when the AIDS crisis devastated the men she loved, she stepped up to fight for them.
Estelle put her gratitude into real action when so many people stayed silent. In 1991, she flew her nephew Steven from North Carolina to California to make sure he got proper hospice care during his battle with AIDS. After he passed away, she kept raising money, speaking at major benefits, and flat-out refusing to tell cheap gay-bashing jokes for an easy laugh.
There’s a quiet bit of sadness, though, in looking back at that era now. That entire generation of fierce, caregiving women who took it upon themselves to mother those first victims of HIV and AIDS in their last days, especially when so many families and systems completely abandoned them, is now dying out itself. They stepped in with fierce love when the world turned its back, and losing that bridge to history hurts.
That fierce love between the show and the queer community is still alive and kicking today. Take Chicago, for instance, a city where local theater companies and drag performers keep the lanai legacy going strong. Outfits like Hell in a Handbag Productions regularly stage hilarious, campy parodies featuring local drag icons stepping into Sophia's trademark wicker purse and quick-witted barbs. Touring drag shows like Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue even take over major downtown stages like the Broadway Playhouse, packing houses with fans singing along to the theme song word for word.
Born in July 1923, Estelle passed away just three days shy of her 85th birthday. But honey, her legacy isn't going anywhere. From local bar nights to drag queens still serving pure Sophia Petrillo realness on stage every single week, she remains an unforgettable icon.
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