Gays of our Lives (June 16, 2009)

Hank spent much of his early time on the show educating the folks of Oakdale (and the audience) about the basics of gay people and gay sexuality. But that is a small complaint. This was new territory after all. Nonetheless, it was some time before Starcher gelled in the role and Hank was allowed to become a person with his own problems, issues and concerns.

Starcher with Colleen Zenk Pinter, who plays Barbara Ryan

Shortly after Hank came out, Douglas Marland, head writer of As The World Turns at the time, was interviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle. It was there he explained why he felt it was important that Hank’s story be told:

I like to believe that 'As the World Turns' is representative of everything in our lives. In the mix of 32 contract characters, I felt it was lacking that there wasn't one gay man. The relationship will remain off-camera, however, and — at least, for the immediate future — AIDS will not enter the story.

Marland had thought the show and the audience would be resistant to the plot twist, but ultimately, everyone was very supportive.

Eventually AIDS did enter the storyline in some respects. In early 1989, Hank told Barbara some terrible news: his lover Charles (who always remained off screen) had been diagnosed with HIV, which had developed into full blown AIDS. The show made it clear that Hank was HIV-negative because he and his lover had safe sex during their relationship.

Naturally, that was the next beat of Hank’s story: educating the audience on HIV and AIDS. The show did at first consider having Hank develop the illness, but not wanting to send the message that all gay people get AIDS, they decided against it.

As the storyline developed, it grew more compelling, especially in regards to Hank being kept from his ill lover by his lover’s family, a very real conflict that to this day many gay men have to deal with. But with half the story being played off screen, it kept viewers at an emotional distance and prevented them from feeling Hank’s real anguish over his problems.

As for Hank, that previous scene was his last. He was never again seen in Oakdale, though he was mentioned occasionally from time to time to let viewers know how the character was doing.

It’s too bad that Hank was never referenced or mentioned during Luke’s coming out storyline. For the time that Hank was in Oakdale, he was fairly involved in many of the characters’ lives, most of whom still live in Oakdale to this day. It would have been a welcome nod to history for those who watched Hank back then to have referenced him during Nuke’s groundbreaking storyline.

Even better would have been for Luke and his grandmother Iva, who was Hank’s best friend, to have talked about it. Unfortunately, Iva has not been seen in Oakdale for years.

On a final note, As The World Turns did win GLAAD’s first award for Daytime Drama that year for Hank's storyline, an award it claimed again 20 years later for with Luke and Noah.