'Empire' creator eyes homophobia.

• Author: Bauder, David
• Position: Living

Byline: David Bauder

PASADENA, Calif. -- The creator of Fox's prime-time soap "Empire'' said he wants to "blow the lid off homophobia'' in the African-American community with a depiction of the show's lead character's hostile relationship with his gay son.

Lee Daniels, who was also behind the movies "Lee Daniels' The Butler'' and "Precious,'' said that his own father's hostility toward gays frightened him, and he knows the same attitudes are being passed on from one generation to another in households around the world.

"What we're trying to do is to give people the opportunity to see that what they're doing is painful,'' Daniels said at a television conference on Saturday.

"Empire,'' the story of a strong-willed music family whose patriarch, Lucious Lyon, is portrayed by actor Terrence Howard, has gotten off to a strong start this month at the ratings-challenged Fox network. The series had the unusual feat of growing in viewership from its premiere week to its second, compelling Fox to quickly give the go-ahead to a second season.

During the show's first episode, Lyon learns he has a fatal disease and is battling with his just-released-from-jail wife over which of their three sons will take over their music empire. Lyon is openly hostile to his gay son, Jamal. During a flashback, Lyon is shown stuffing Jamal into a garbage can when he sees the boy trying on his mother's high heels.

"I'm glad that I can show the African-American community that this is what you're doing to your son, this is what you're doing...