Jon Stewart- Acerbic Funny Man and Supporter of LGBT Rights

11/24/09- by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
Johnathan Stewart Leibowitz has been a tireless advocate of LGBT rights, and is a strong ally. His often acerbic wit and comic style has garnered the host of the Daily Show a ton of viewers and an equally large number of accolades in the time since he took over the show from Craig Killborn in 1999. A decade later, the actor, comedian, and all around funny guy known better as Jon Stewart remains the undisputed host of the Daily Show with few remembering a time before he had taking over the show.

Jon Stewart was born to a Jewish family in New York City, a place he currently resides and is the headquarters for the show which has made him incredibly famous. Despite being born in New York City, Stewart grew up in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. When he was eleven, his parents divorced.

Growing up Jewish meant that Stewart was often teased and picked on for his faith. It is often said that people develop a sense of humor when they are being bullied, and while it does not actually work for everyone, it appears to have worked for Stewart. Stewart was voted to have the “Best Sense of Humor” before graduating third of his class from Lawrence High School.

Stewart attended William and Mary College where he studied psychology. After graduating from college, Stewart went on to hold many odd jobs. During this time, he roomed with Democratic Representative Anthony Weiner. To date, Weiner is the only politician that Stewart has ever donated money to. In 2000, Stewart married his girlfriend of four years, Tracey. They have two children together.

Jon Stewart has had a number of roles in film and on television, but it was in 1999 that Stewart first broke through as the host of The Daily Show. First launched in 1996, the Daily Show started out with host Craig Killborn, who left the show in 1999. Stewart was the original choice to be host, and was approached a second time in ‘99. This time, he accepted. Ten years later, the show is one of the most popular faux news reports in the country with clips from the news often presented in satircal manners before Stewart interviews a guest.

After the passing of Walter Cronkite, Time Magazine did a poll to find out who the most trusted man in news was today. Jon Stewart won that poll with 44% in a four way race. NBC’s Brian Williams, a friend of the show, came in second. The show, and Stewart, have received numerous awards, including two Peabody’s, one in 2000 and one in 2004, for their coverage of the Presidential elections. Often times, Stewart is more than willing to ask very hard questions, or to put things into a more accurate perspective. In his interview with then Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Stewart was able to elicit an answer to a question which CNN’s Wulf Blitzer was unable to during his interview with Musharraf.

The Daily Show has, over the years, often gone after those who would deny LGBT Americans their rights. While they do so with a sense of humor, often times those who oppose equality are left to seem buffoonish. In a recent episode, Stewart both needled a man who is claiming he was fired for his religion after telling his boss that she was an abomination before God, and praised a ten year old boy for taking a stand for equality by refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance until all Americans are equal. In an interview with Mike Huckabee, Stewart agreed to disagree with the former governor and Presidential candidate after a cordial debate on the issue of marriage equality. Stewart has always tended to be a gracious host.

Often the way in which Stewart mixes his humor with a subtle criticism of the people he is mocking has made him a wonderful advocate for LGBT rights.

To Jon Stewart and his writing team, a big thank you for your support.