Best. Gay. Week. Ever. (February 26, 2010)

AND THE GREAT STATE OF AFTERELTON EDITOR CASTS THEIR 10 ELECTORAL VOTES FOR...
On Monday, we asked folks to cast their votes in The Top 50 Gay/Bisexual TV Characters poll to determine the characters of all time. We last did this poll two and a half years ago and it will be very interesting to see how the list has changed over time.

It's also nice that we felt there have been enough good characters to double the number of characters from twenty-five to fifty, and judging from the comments, folks had no trouble thinking of ten characters they wanted to vote for. In fact, some folks asked to make it fifteen!

I haven't yet had time to vote, so thought I'd do so now and share my choices with you 'cuz I know you're just dying for my take. Oh, and these are in no particular order.

1) David Fisher, Six Feet Under

David Fisher and Keith Charles

Before there was Kevin Walker on Brothers & Sisters, the most fully developed gay character many Americans ever saw just might have been David Fisher on HBO's Six Feet Under. Complicated, believable, and unabashedly romantic and sexual, David is still one of the most interesting gay characters to ever come down the pike. And when he paired off with Keith Charles? Yowza..

Without him there wouldn't have been ... Kevin and Scotty on Brothers & Sisters

2) Omar Little, The Wire

The bad guy who was really quite decent, Omar proved that not all gay men were white, middle class or completely law-abiding. But Omar also operated under a strict moral code that made him one of the most ethical "bad" guys around. And I loved him for that.

Without him there wouldn't have been ... Lafayette Reynolds on True Blood

3) Captain Jack, Torchwood

Another stereotype busting character, Captain Jack kicked down science fiction's closet door. And when he seduced Ianto Jones, he seduced millions of viewers around the world who realized the words "gay" and "kick ass sci fi action hero" need not be mutually exclusive.

Without him there wouldn't have been ... Sam Adama on Caprica.

4) John Paul McQueen, Hollyoaks

Craig Dean and John Paul

When John Paul came out of the closet on Hollyoaks, it wasn't just viewers in the UK who followed along with his coming out story. Thanks to the internet, millions more followed along as John Paul fell in love, not one but twice. Much of the credit for the popularity of the storyline rightfully belongs to actor James Sutton who played John Paul with remarkable poise, warmth and compasssion.

Without him there wouldn't have been ... I can't really give the character that kind of credit, but John Paul certainly was the highwater mark for how gay characters were treated on UK television.

5) Tobias Beecher, Oz

Tobias Beecher and Chris Keller

Of all my choices, picking Beecher over his sometimes lover Chris Keller as the best character was just about impossible. But just like Omar showed not all gay characters were white, Tobias showed that not all characters could simply be defined as "gay." Married before he found himself in prison, Beecher fell in love with Keller in one of TV's most complicated relationships, And it was one that simply had to end in tragedy.

Without him there wouldn't have been ... well, there hasn't really been anyone like him since then.

Next page! The voting continues!