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This sort of strong, positive statement has been typical of the show throughout Luke's storyline. One scene in particular highlights this, despite the fact that it entails nothing more than a conversation between two family members. When Holden tells his cousin Jack that Luke is gay, Jack merely responds with a very level “ok.” and then inquires, “Luke knows you accept him, right?”

Again, this is a straight man talking openly to another straight man about his gay son, and both are fully accepting. While the scene plays out a bit more delicately than if they were discussing, say, football, the fact is that both men acknowledge that being gay is a perfectly okay thing to be.

If viewers harbored any doubt the producers of As the World Turns would shy away from the more controversial storylines presented by Luke's coming out, the “deprogramming” plotline shows that is not the case. Indeed, few things are more controversial right now in American society than the issue of gay teenagers. Studies show young people are coming out at younger and younger ages and demanding greater acceptance in their schools.

But some elements of the religious right have vigorously resisted this growing tolerance. Ex-gay groups tout their ability to cure “gay” teenagers. Late last summer much of the internet was riveted by the case of “Zach”, a gay teenager forced to attend the exact same sort of camp to which Luke was nearly sent.

In high schools across the country, gay straight alliances have faced bans in some schools and attempts have been made to ban them in entire states. Books about gay teenagers have also faced controversy in public schools. Just last year a Washington State high school banned Geography Club by Brent Hartinger, and then reinstated it. Hartinger's book is hardly the only example of this.

The fact that ATWT is willing to take on this subject matter in such a pro-gay fashion truly does mark a turning point in the portrayal of gays on television. There is no concession here to the idea that gays and lesbians are damaged or controversial in and of themselves. Indeed, the writers could hardly make it anymore clear that the people who need to change are the ones with homophobic views.

And viewers appear to agree.

One of the most encouraging aspects of this storyline is the reaction from ATWT fans. The comments regarding Luke, his sexuality, his family, and the entire storyline have been overwhelmingly supportive and pro-gay. Remember, these are daytime soap opera fans and members of the general TV watching public, not a demographic especially known for cheering on gay characters. But cheer they have.

Fans largely accept Luke as a likeable and noble character. Likewise, viewers commend Holden for being so accepting of his son. The ex-gay camp counselor is ridiculed, having been dubbed “Creepy Kreeger” and many fans have rejected the notion that any such camp has the right to exist.

Damian is decried as insensitive and ignorant. Of course, some of the language thrown around is as melodramatic as the show itself, but the message has been almost uniformly positive. The fact that such a mainstream audience has been so receptive to this character and his story is an incredibly positive sign of change.

Luke is not the only gay teen to have appeared on daytime television. General Hospital currently features Ben Hogestyn as Lucas, a gay teen, and All My Children recently featured Eden Riegel as Bianca, a teenaged lesbian in a rather prominent storyline that spanned five years. Like Luke, the portrayal of both of these characters was positive, with sympathetic characters beseeching others to be tolerant and accepting of them.

However, both Lucas and Bianca are somewhat more typical gay soap characters in that both are victims of violence: Lucas is gay-bashed and this attack is what prompts him to come out to his family. Bianca is raped by her lover's jealous ex-boyfriend, and even becomes pregnant with his child.

Also in keeping with the trend of gay characters having lesser roles, both have all but disappeared from their respective series; Bianca left town with Maggie (her friend-turned girlfriend) and makes only occasional appearances on the show nowadays. Lucas has more or less become a background character, acting more often than not as the “gay best friend”, without a romantic life or storyline of his own.

Although at times handled a bit heavy handed, Luke's story marks a milestone in gay soap opera fare, in terms of its centrality to the show and the acceptance demonstrated by both the show's fans and creators. And that is a storyline gay fans hope to cheer for years to come.

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