Help us make some TV suggestions for Darren Hayes

As someone who watches a lot of gay TV, I had to empathize a little when Darren Hayes complained about the the way the media has depicted gay men, saying that "You're either Graham Norton or George Michael getting arrested in parks" and that shows like Will & Grace demonstrated an idea "that basically there are two types of gay men: The slut, or there's the straight acting guy."

Hayes is right in a lot of ways. Gay visibility has improved quite a bit, but we still face those limiting stereotypes in spades. It's not hard to find a gay man whose only purpose is to make snappy remarks and help straight people figure out their problems (I'm guessing that's what Hayes' reference to Graham Norton is about, unless there's a slutty or straight-acting side to Norton that hasn't made it stateside).

Gay characters defined by their sexuality or their lack of effeminacy (the stereotype of not being stereotypical) are also pretty easy to come by.

Still, the plus side of watching so much of what TV does with gay characters is that I get to see some great work along with the tired stereotypes. And amid those stereotypes, there are characters who deserve a second look. They may seem to fit one stereotype at first, but television characters often get the chance to grow and become more than their first impression.

With that in mind, here are a few characters Hayes might want to consider further, with your chance to weigh in.

Ian Gallagher
Might be dismissed as: a slut

I can't deny that Shameless' Ian has quite the sexual history, which includes the time his discovery of restroom cruising ended up getting his family out of trouble. However, when you consider other Chatsworth Estate residents like Karen Jackson (who seduced her weak-willed stepfather, Frank) and "Lip" Gallagher, Ian's sexuality becomes just a small part of a pretty scandalous town and his loyalty to his family becomes his defining trait.

Brian & Steve
Might be dismissed as: straight-acting

If Hayes is looking for gay characters whose sexuality isn't treated like a defining characteristic, but isn't forgotten, I'd recommend checking out Sarah Silverman's pals and neighbors from The Sarah Silverman Show. Brian and Steve are nerds who share Sarah's love of gross-out humor, first and foremost, They also act like an old married couple with inside jokes and a worn-in camaraderie.

Marc St. James
Might be dismissed as: a non-threatening lackey

Ugly Betty's Marc might have initially come off as a catty fashionista serving a more prominent straight character, but when the show gives him a story he gets to show someone deeper than a source of vicious (and hilarious) one-liners. While the last season worked on showing Marc's professional side, letting us see the potential for him to become more than just Willi's lackey, Marc's most interesting moments came with his relationship to Cliff a bear-ish photographer who challenged Marc's idea of dating material.

Captain Jack Harkness
Might be dismissed as: a straight-acting slut

Science fiction -- even science fiction meant for a mature audience -- tends to feel pretty awkward about sexuality in general. Unsurprisingly, the genre is even more awkward around gay men, so it's especially impressive that a major franchise like Doctor Who would introduce a queer character who is never desexualized and also gets to be a major action hero/antihero. There's a fine balancing act to Jack, his omnisexuality could come off as a bad joke about gays being hypersexual but when you put his qualities together, there's no character like him.

What would you add to the list? Which characters to you think challenge the limiting stereotypes Hayes complained about?