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In its four seasons to date Queer as Folk has tackled many issues important to the gay community, including HIV/AIDS, homophobia, parenting, and marriage. Although it has suffered from some cheesy writing (particularly during the Pride episodes) and hackneyed storylines (lesbian motherhood), QAF has also dealt with issues such as drug use and unprotected sex, generating criticism from those who feel that the show doesn’t portray the gay community positively.

But co-producer Daniel Lipman is unapologetic about the show’s more controversial storylines. “Sure, there are plenty of monogamous couples and gay people having children, biologically or through adoption. They're reflected on our show,” Lipman told the Washington Blade last week. “But people wish to deny there's also promiscuity and drug use. Wake up, folks.”

This season’s major political theme is the rights of gay parents to adopt children, something that has become increasingly important in the wake of numerous states’ anti-gay-marriage bills that also often have the effect of limiting parental rights. The battle against the fictional Proposition 14, which threatens the rights of gay parents and gay partners’ health benefits, brings gay-friendly Cyndi Lauper to Pittsburgh to perform at a Babylon fundraiser.

Season 5 also features a custody battle between Michael, Lindsay, and Melanie over baby Jenny Rebecca, for whom Michael is the biological father. Because the custody battle is between a gay father and lesbian mothers, this storyline does have the potential to be one of the most groundbreaking depictions of gay parenting to be seen on television.

It’s too bad, however, that Melanie and Lindsay continue to be limited by their roles as mothers, a sexist stereotype that QAF has not been successful in breaking. (The other regular female character on the show, Debbie, is also a mother.)

The other storylines this season also tackle gay concerns, albeit in a less serious manner. Event planner Emmett Honeycutt (openly gay Peter Paige) is offered a job as the local television station’s “Queer Guy”; Ted Schmidt (Scott Lowell) battles against aging via plastic surgery; Justin’s new Hollywood career is not all that it seems; and mom Debbie Novotny (Sharon Gless) has her own Sapphic storyline with guest-star Rosie O’Donnell.

You can also look forward to Brian making a return to his playboy heyday when a hot newcomer named Brandon (Ryan Scott Greene) threatens to take Brian’s crown as king of Babylon.

After four years, Queer as Folk is still all about sex, but the drama has shown that sex is about more than the carnal act, even for gay folks: it’s also about power, honesty, commitment, love, and politics. And it still makes straight people seem really strange.

Find more info in our Queer as Folk section
(including recaps of the new episodes beginning later this week)

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