Larry Craig and As The World Turns

It was no small irony that the same week that Larry "I'm-not-gay-and-never-have-been-gay" Craig was forced to resign from the U.S. Senate over allegations he cruised a cop in a bathroom that the CBS daytime sudser As The World Turns featured the following conversation between out teen Luke Snyder (Van Hansis) and closeted teen Noah Mayer (Jake Silbermann).

In the show, Noah is struggling to convince himself that despite his feelings for Luke, he can "love" his erstwhile girlfriend and please his homophobic father if only he tries hard enough. (These are just portions of their conversation. The entire transcript can be found after the jump.)

Noah: Luke, we've talked about this before. I can't ... I can't be gay. It's not gonna happen.
Luke: Because of your father?
Noah: Because of a lot of things. Why can't you just let it go?

Noah: Do you know how long it's taken for my dad to say he's proud of me? My whole life. And for once he's not telling me to become a man. He's saying I already am one.
Luke: And you weren't before? Noah, this thing you're fighting, I understand. I fought it, too.
Noah: I know what I'm doing.
Luke: Yeah, so do I. You're telling yourself over and over and over in your head that you can make this work.
Noah: It is working.
Luke: But for who? For you dad. But what about you? My God, what about Maddie? Can you really do this to her?

Luke: Okay, maybe you're right. I mean how hard can it be to fake as life with somebody. Sharing a bed. Meals. Sex. You and Maddie on vacation with dear old dad.
Noah: That's the life I want.
Luke: For now. But you know what? One day you're going to wake up and you're going to realize that the one thing you can't lie to yourself about anymore is that you made this life, this relationship, or whatever you want to call it with somebody you've never been in love with.
Noah: So you don't think I can love Maddie?
Luke: I think you were born one way and no matter how hard you try to change it, you can't.

Soaps are often derided (usually fairly) for being incredibly unrealistic, but for many gay men struggling to come out, the above conversation is one we had with ourselves or someone else. Most of us decided that living honestly was the better choice, but given how the news has been filled of late with McGreeveys and Foleys and Haggards and now apparently Craig, there are still too many men who make the other choice.

The fan reaction to ATWT's gay teen storyline hasn't been all positive. Religious and cultural conservatives have derided it as inappropriate and offensive for daytime television, but in fact, I'd argue that given the Craig scandal, it's incredibly important. Do conservatives really not understand that it could be their daughter marrying one of these men and possibly one day having to stand in front of their families (or even cameras) to explain a similar situation?

And given how closed-minded these folks often are around this issue, I think it's great that this message is reaching an audience that would probably never hear such a conversation. All they're used to getting is the final outcome -- the bathroom bust, the spurned lover coming forward, the unexpected divorce. If this storyline reaches even one gay person struggling to come out or the family of someone who is gay, then CBS will truly have done something worthwhile for their audience.

BTW, there is supposed to be a lot going on this week between Nuke, so our own Brian Juergens will be liveblogging those episodes starting with today's.

Here's the full transcript from Friday's episode:

Noah: Luke, we've talked about this before. I can't...I can't be gay. It's not gonna happen.
Luke: Because of your father?
Noah: Because of a lot of things. Why can't you just let it go?
Luke: Look, this whole parent thing. I've been through it I tried to hide it from my parents for a really long time. My mom even wanted to send me to this that camp that was supposedly going to make me straight.
Noah: Did you even go?
Luke: Well, obviously. I even used Jade as my beard once.
Noah: Hey, Maddie's not my beard, okay? She's my girlfriend.
Luke: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply...
Noah: We're in a relationship. We go out. We have sex. We're moving in together.
Luke: Well, that must be great for your father. He finally gets the son he can show off. The one with the hot girl he's living with.
Noah: Do you know how long it's taken for my dad to say he's proud of me? My whole life. And for once he's not telling me to become a man. He's saying I already am one.
Luke: And you weren't before? Noah, this thing you're fighting, I understand. I fought it, too.
Noah: I know what I'm doing.
Luke: Yeah, so do I. You're telling yourself over and over and over in your head that you can make this work.
Noah: It is working.
Luke: But for who? For you dad. But what about you? My God, what about Maddie? Can you really do this to her?
Noah: Maddie's happy. I make her happy.
Luke: Yeah, but Noah -- what would make you happy?
Noah: I don't know.
Luke: Okay, so Maddie gets to be happy even though she's living a lie. Your dad gets to be happy because he has a supposedly straight son.
Noah: Me and my dad, we're none of your business.
Luke: Yes, yes you are. You made it my business when you kissed me and when you told me it was what you wanted to do and you meant it.
Noah: I don't want to talk about this.
Luke: Okay, maybe you're right. I mean how hard can it be to fake as life with somebody. Sharing a bed. Meals. Sex. You and Maddie on vacation with dear old dad.
Noah: That's the life I want.
Luke: For now. But you know what? One day you're going to wake up and you're going to realize that the one thing you can't lie to yourself about anymore is that you made this life, this relationship, or whatever you want to call it with somebody you've never been in love with.
Noah: So you don't think I can love Maddie?
Luke: I think you were born one way and no matter how hard you try to change it, you can't.
Noah: Oh, because you kissed me, I can't love Maddie now?
Noah: Yeah, in a way. I do.
Luke: What way?
Noah: I don't know. I just do. Because I wouldn't want to hurt her.
Luke: And you think when she finds out the truth, it's not going to hurt her?
Noah: She won't. You promised.
Luke: Noah, sooner or later you're going to have to deal with your feelings.
Noah: Well, then later.
Luke: Noah--
Noah: Sorry, you don't get that.
Luke: I get that you're scared. And you're not ready to admit that you're gay.
Noah: You don't how I'm feeling. So stop pretending like you know everything.
Luke: You're right. I don't. Noah: Just get over yourself, Luke.