User:HorrorFan121/Kurt Hummel

Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and a de facto male lead from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Chris Colfer, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Kurt was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. He is a fashionable gay countertenor, who is routinely bullied at school. Throughout the first season, Kurt is a member of New Directions, the William McKinley High School glee club. His storylines focus on his struggle with his sexuality, as he comes out to his father and deals with his crush on glee club co-captain Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith). In season two, Kurt and Finn become stepbrothers when their parents marry. The homophobic bullying intensifies, and when football player Dave Karofsky (Max Adler) makes a death threat against Kurt, he transfers schools and joins a rival glee club, the Dalton Academy Warblers. Colfer describes Kurt as projecting a very confident, "I'm better than you" persona, but ultimately being a typically scared and anxious teenager.

Kurt has received mainly positive reviews from television critics. James Poniewozik for Time deemed Kurt's coming out "beautifully handled", while Rick Bentley of McClatchy Newspapers called the episode "Home" "as perfect as television can get", praising Colfer's performance and deeming him deserving of an Emmy nomination. Christie Keith, writing for the lesbian and bisexual media website AfterEllen.com, praised Kurt's storylines, and also suggested that Colfer should win an Emmy for his portrayal of Kurt dealing with his identity. The role has seen Colfer nominated for many awards, with him winning "Best Supporting Actor" at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards.

Colfer has performed a number of songs on the television series. The first season featured Kurt and glee club captain Rachel Berry competing for "Defying Gravity" from Wicked. The song was used to represent a real life experience for Colfer, in which he was not allowed to perform the song because of his gender during his high school years. Kurt has a very good relationship with his father, Burt Hummel. Critics have responded well to the father/son duo, with Robert Canning of IGN saying that "the Hummels relationship is the most affecting of the show."

Storylines
Prior to the series' beginning, Kurt's mother died when he was young, and he has lived alone with his father, Burt, ever since. In the pilot episode, Kurt auditions for the Glee club by performing "Mr. Cellophane" from the musical Chicago. Kurt has a high range and is vocally talented. Kurt comes out as gay to fellow glee club member Mercedes in "Acafellas", and the two become close friends. Until this point, Kurt has tried to hide his sexual orientation from everyone, including his father, who has used bribes to discourage some of Kurt's more feminine habits. In the following episode, "Preggers", Kurt joins the school football team as a kicker in order to impress his father, and he helps the failing team win a game by performing the choreography to Beyonce's "Single Ladies". That night, however, Kurt decides to quit the team and come out to his father, who responds with acceptance, having already guessed that his son was gay.

Kurt competes against glee club captain Rachel Berry for a solo on "Defying Gravity", but intentionally flubs the high F note to save his father from being harassed over his own sexuality. It is revealed that Kurt is in love with Finn, and hopes that if Finn breaks up with Quinn, he will turn to Kurt for comfort. He is aware that Rachel also has feelings for Finn, and attempts to sabotage her chances with him by giving her a bad makeover. In "The Power of Madonna", Kurt and Mercedes try to help Sue Sylvester find a new style after Mr. Schuester insults her hair. He later becomes a member of the high school cheerleading squad, the Cheerios, when Sue decides his talent can help them win nationals. In the following episode, "Home", Kurt explains that several months earlier he had gotten his dad and Finn's mom together in an attempt to become closer to Finn, but Finn isn't immediately happy with the match. Soon, however, Finn starts to find common ground with Burt, and Kurt becomes jealous of their growing father-son bond. He attempts to gain acceptance by mimicking his father and dressing with more masculinity, as well as kissing cheerleader and glee club member Brittany Pierce. Burt invites Finn and his mother to move in, but Finn is reluctant to share a room with Kurt. Kurt redecorates their room more effeminately, and Finn frustratedly calls several of the new items "faggy". Burt overhears the insults and angrily berates Finn for his insensitivity. At the end of the episode, when two large, agressive football players intimidate Kurt, Finn shamelessly defends him, redeeming himself.

At the onset of the second season, Burt suffers a heart attack, and is comatose in the hospital, leaving Kurt terrified of losing his father. When the Glee club tries to sing religion-themed songs, Kurt feels alienated, as he doesn't believe in God. Mercedes brings him to her church, where she dedicates the service to Burt. Burt eventually recovers and Kurt is put in charge of his well-being. Later, Kurt attempts to determine the sexuality of a new glee recruit, Sam, but after talking with his dad and Finn, he breaks off the plan. He later performs a "duet" with himself: "Le Jazz Hot!" from Victor/Victoria. Rachel notices how lonely and unhappy Kurt appears to be. She tells him that he is not alone and that the entire glee club loves and supports him. The two then sing a duet of "Get Happy"/"Happy Days Are Here Again" for the club. In "Never Been Kissed," Kurt goes to spy on the Dalton Academy glee club (New Directions' competition for sectionals) and meets gay student Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss). Kurt tells Blaine about being bullied, and Blaine convinces him to stand up for himself. Later that day, school bully Dave Karofsky shoves Kurt against his locker, and this time Kurt confronts him in the locker room. Karofsky becomes visibly upset and surprises Kurt by kissing him before running away, leaving Kurt in shock. Karofsky later threatens to kill Kurt if he ever reveals Karofsky's actions. Burt and Carole decide to spend the money they'd saved for a honeymoon on tuition for Dalton Academy which has a zero-tolerance bullying policy.