who used to believe that stories could be universal.  More so in the field of literature than TV. But in the last year I have gotten tired of reading books about straight issues.  I want to read something that I can relate to in my life experiences and the experiences of my friends.  So when I read Josh Aterovis or Brent Hartinger I can get a glimpse of what it is like to be a teen now coming out, and think yes gays are progressing in society.  When I read a collection of gay short stories I am exposed to a wide range of experiences.  Gay men living the hip-hop lifestyle in a ghetto, gay men trying to cope with living a closeted existence, gay men falling in love with teenagers!  Another words gay men living complex lives, not cliches.

In TV I have been frankly disappointed with the portrayal of gay men.  Degrassi The Next Generation is probably one of the best I have seen.  A gay teen couple that is portrayed accurately, no stereotypes, no "oh woe is me I wish I was straight BS", just two guys dating, loving, growing up and yes sometimes fighting together.  It would be nice if gays could see other gays on TV, in movies or in print that are not in a dysfunctional couple (Brothers & Sisters, Six Feet Under), or in the case of QAF, living the fast lane gay lifestyle.  Nothing wrong with QAF, it was entertaining, but it was very limited in the view it had of gay communities (I know this will come as a shock to a lot of people but most gay people in big cities are not tricking every weekend and taking drugs like Brian Kinney!).

Unless you live in a big city with lots of gay people you will not realize that there are a lot of gay couples who live committed, productive lives.  I know of at least six couples without even thinking, who have been together 10 years or more, three of those 20 years or more, and one couple 39 years!  One of these couples is raising four kids.  I am not saying this to convince everyone to be just like straights, but frankly whether gay or straight most people want that special someone to share their life with, it fulfills a void, especially as you get older.  When was the last time on TV you saw a gay couple who had been together a long period of time?  I frankly cannot think of any.

What sort of TV shows would I like to see that are focussed on the 25 million plus members of the GLBT community in North America (that is about 8%, probably too low).

1.  A cop or detective show that has a gay hero.

2.  A show that features a gay pro athlete that is trying to cope with the pressures of being in a couple and being closeted (and yes these people exist and in larger numbers then we think).

3.  A gay comic book hero brought to the big screen or TV.  I am not a big fan of super heroes but I know a lot young gays are (and my partner who is a big kid at heart).

Finally I would like to have one of these shows feature a gay main character that was not good-looking.  One of the things that sort of irritates me in a mild way about gay literature is that the protaganists are always cute.  Guess what folks a lot of gay men are average looking at best.  When I was 14 or 15 I would have been happy to be called average looking!  It would be nice to combat the obsession many gay men have with physical appearance.  Life is long, looks don't last, but you can have a very fulfilling and productive life despite losing them!  

Cheers

JBE

I can identify.  I used to be able to watch opposite-sex couples with no problems.  Since I came out I lost interest in that stuff and now look for gay stuff instead.  When I find gay stuff its very thrilling.  Like you I want to see more and of better quality.

I see nothing wrong in consuming all things gay.  I'm probably TLA and Strands' best customer.  I'm paying almost double for cable because I'd only go with a company that carried LOGO.  And, when I have a choice between  Rufus and Maroon 5, I'll choose Rufus EVERY TIME.

All that said, I don't want an all-gay experience.  My life and daily interactions aren't exclusively gay, not by a long shot.  And, I've found that exclusivity, by nature, tends to cause more harm than good.  There is a dearth of gay characters on TV and I find it troublesome BUT I'll take one Kevin Walker and one Nuke relationship over 20 Jack McFarlands and 1000 Brian/Justin relationships any day of the week.  We have been complaining quite a bit about this lack on network TV but I don't think that we are giving TV its due credit.  We have some quality characters on TV, more so than, well, ever.  Kevin Walker might be the most well-drawn gay character ever.  Noah and Luke, in the midst of the scheming, cheating and murdering of the others, are the most stable, endearing and lovable characters on daytime TV.  I'm appauled not that they don't have more gay characters on the show but that they get as little airtime as they do but I'm also thankful to the writers who have handled these two with such care and intelligence.

It's right to want more visibility and no one minds being catered to BUT there's a fine line between catering to someone and humoring them.  Our treatment on TV is less than previous years, but it surely has evolved.  If we backtrack from here, we should all be worried.  But, if the current stock of quality gay characters is an indication of what is coming, I'm willing to wait it out. 

I don't see that happening any time soon.  The gay ensembles we've been treated to thus far have not been all that appealing.  Dante's Cove is appalling, even with the addition of Thea and that guy from Noah's Ark.  Wooden acting and trite dialogue.  Noah's Ark was cute, but again the acting was less than adequate and the storylines were derivative and uninteresting. 

To be honest, and I might seem like a terrible gay man for saying this, I don't know if I would enjoy an all gay ensemble as much as I would a gay/straight combo.  I love Rhys but I don't watch Brothers and Sisters because of him.  I watch it because this family resembles my own.  Their foibles and idiosyncracies are so familiar to me and the function of their minor disfunctions is a pretty common theme in families, especially the more cohesive ones and my own.  I can relate to the common, human experience even when it might not be absolutely specific to my own.  My perspective however is a bit slanted.  I have gay friends but most of my friends are straight.  I love and appreciate and can relate to both worlds.  I can't phathom a world without both, nor do I want to.  I want a world and a network where the gay isn't the stereotype or the token, sexless sidekick.  If he/she exists along side other straight characters, great.  That's something I understand and would embrace.

First, I wanted to take issue with the term "universal" because it connotes exclusive heterosexuality as we know it as the default setting. It also implies the current state of moral codes and behavior was constant through time, which is untrue. Pederasty was already in practice at the time of the Sumerian empire, the first great civilization. Societal aceptance of male sexual relations may've declined in the West when the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as its imperial religion but it persisted elsewhere in the world.

As an Asian woman I've had to struggle with the "universal" in art meaning White and male. I've found the word and the teaching that those represent the human condition is more offensive than the works themselves. I can enjoy material from White, male artists but also know they're only telling part of the picture of the human story and it's natural and healthy to want to see a more diverse perspectives. You're blessed in that the populations falling under the LGBT community is so varied  there's more than an infinite number of stories that can arise from that subject.

I sense your frustration comes because while gays are vilified and basic rights are far from being secured the entertainment industry, demanding 200% profit, is limiting storytelling to safe, trite narratives. With politicians and journalists abdicating leadership in the realm of policy and education the arts is traditionally where the masses can obtain alternative messages. With corporate mergers and the capitulation of entertainment to solely commercial purposes those messages are becoming harder to find but it's there.

Don't feel bad bout wanting to support or patronize exclusively gay-themed art. The community itself is the engine of change. Racial minorities made their own film and stage material before Hollywood was willing to produce a few such works. By investing in these you show there's a market for the gay dollar. LOGO didn't emerge out of the goodwill of Viacom but the need to capture a niche demographic in a world of 500 channels.

As much as integration is beneficial there's a number of limitations. Using Asians an example how many characters do you see in most TV series? A few and they're often the supporting characters to White leads and usually there's only one per program. The general public sees an incomplete representation. This is a disservice considering many non-Asians think the various ethnicities are interchangeable. I'd like to see a mostly Asian cast to depict the differences between our groups but also the ties that bind us.

I actually did like QAF because Emmet Honeycutt's flamboyant nature was in contrast to Ben Bruckner's calm stability. It was a flawed drama but its success, especially with straight women, proved there was an audience for this. I don't think Brothers and Sisters could've come about without it.

 I definately want gay exclusivity.I'm not really interested in a mixed bag.Yes, gay ensemble dramas like Queer as folk have sucked, but they don't have to.I love The L word.It's kind of like if I were living on an island somewhere with nothing, but gays on it.

I'd be at home there because I would be of the majority....no more up hill battles, trying to get people to put us on TV, billboard ads and commercials like that Levi's commercial everywhere, ect.It's not like straight people have any issues about living in their straight world.You see these people on TV who just live in their element, and don't think twice about it, so why should I feel wrong for wanting the same thing?Just because i'm gay doesn't automatically mean i'm all about assimilation.Maybe I think trying to break into other people's circles is more trouble than it's worth.

I guess what i'm trying to say is it seems unfair and unbalanced because in our world it seems like there can only be so much gay, but things can never be too straight.One of the things that bothers me the most is that even a lot of gay people feel that way.....that they can get "gayed out".(And by "gayed out" I don't mean things being as over the top as a pride parade 24/7)Why do we feel this way about ourselves when others don't feel that way about themselves?Would it be nice if we could mix?Sure.I just feel like when comes to trying to mix what ends up happening is we get washed out, deminished, or lose our identity in the mainstream.

Will & Grace was a perfect example of this and I could go on forever about it.Nuke was groundbreaking, but all they've done for months now is hold hands while everyone else is free to go about the usual hot and heavy making out and bed hopping that goes on in a soap opera.That pisses me off, and makes me want to run in the opposite direction back to gay exclusivity even more.