Best. Gay. Week. Ever. (June 26, 2009)

Soap Opera Digest is currently running a poll on what their readers think about including gay storylines. Answers include "It's about time!", "No, thanks. They can be told elsewhere", "Fine by me, but in small doses" and "Have you seen my Metamucil?"

The topic is quite timely given the sudden explosion of gay characters and actors dotting daytime TV. Hardly a day goes by that we don't find ourselves discussing another role being cast or a new storyline. The Gays of Our Lives column is already lengthy and covering all these new storylines is going to double its length.

As for the polls results, the Southern Baptists either don't watch soaps (ha!) or don't know about the poll as currently 75% of SD readers say its about time!

Even though I'm not wild about Little Britain, I have to say I find out actor/comedian Matt Lucas to be quite the amazing performer. He was the best thing in Comedy Central's Krod Mandoon and seems to actually inhabit his LB characters and, despite his unique look, is able to play a convincing range of characters. That's why I'm intrigued by two new projects for Lucas.

The first is a revival of the adaptation of Prick Up Ears, the not terribly happy story of playwright Joe Orton and his lover Kenneth Halliwell. (Gary Oldman played Orton and Alfred Molina played Halliwell in the 1987 movie version.) The new Prick hits London's West End in September. I wish I could actually catch the show as I'm curious to see Lucas in such a serious part.

Lucas's second role is as Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Tim Burton's upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie. Given Burton's track record of utterly destroying most things he remakes (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Planet of the Apes), adapts (James and the Giant Peach) or creates from scratch (Big Fish, Mars Attacks!) I've less than no hope that I'll actually like the movie from a storytelling perspective.

But judging from the pics released this week, including Lucas as Tweedlee/Tweedledum above and these of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway, the movie looks to be as visually stunning as most of Burton's work.

Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway

Now if only Burton would let set someone else direct the movie, I think it could be great.

Speaking of gay actors we'd like to see more of, this week came news that now that T.R.Knight has exited Grey's Anatomy, his first big project is taking over the role of James Bond in the next movie. beat beat I kid! While I would love to see T.R. in a Bond movie, I can't quite see him as Bond. But he has definite possiblities as a Bond boy!

Instead, T.R. is going to play Leo Frank in Alfred Uhry's musical Parade. In case the title inspires images of happy folks tromping up and down streets waving flags and singing, the actual material is much more sober. First produced in 1998, Parade tells the story of Frank, a Jewish man (Knight) living in Georgia in 1913, who is accused of raping and murdering a 13-year-old girl.

Not exactly Mamma Mia!

Speaking of parades, the blog John and Steve are Having a Baby is celebrating gay pride by looking at how far we've come since Stonewall. And their particular lens through which to glance back is that of gay parents, though not in a boring way. Instead, they asked their friends and readers to answer two questions:

What is the GAYEST thing you’ve done prior to parenthood?

What is the GAYEST thing since becoming a parent?

There are tons of great stories that involve marching gay parades, smooching in front of Fred Phelps, coming out via Kylie Minogue's music and on and on. It's a great chance to check out a side of the community we don't see enough of.

Next page! Another homophobic Republican caught cheating! Yawn...