Readers' Choice Poll: All-Time Favorite Gay and Bisexual TV Characters

Luke Snyder (Van Hansis), As the World Turns

Cliff Waters (Paul Regina), Brothers (He's actually #1)

Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys), Brothers & Sisters

Scotty Wandell (Luke MacFarlane), Brothers & Sisters

Doug Witter (Dylan Neal), Dawson’s Creek

Jack McPhee (Kerr Smith), Dawson’s Creek

Luke Fuller (Billy Campbell), Dynasty

Steven Carrington (Jack Coleman), Dynasty

Ross (Mitchell Anderson), Party of Five

Brian Kinney (Gale Harold), Queer as Folk

HONORABLE MENTION:

Donald Maulpey (Philip Charles MacKenzie ), Brothers

Ben Bruckner (Robert Gant), Queer as Folk

David Fisher (Michael C. Hall), Six Feet Under

Jodie Dallas (Billy Crystal), Soap

I think "favorite gay character" might turn into "most attractive gay character", which would be unfortunately. Basically, I read through the list and thought, "who would I most like to see a spin-off series centered around?" I encourage you guys to do the same.

Kevin Walker (Brothers & Sisters) -- Despite Scotty, I love him like he's a brother.  Or a boyfriend.  Which is kinda fucked up.  Hee.

John Paul McQueen (Hollyoaks) -- I love how he became so much of a man as he loved and suffered under Craig.

Luke Snyder (ATWT) -- In a tie with JP as a great depiction of a gay teen

Vince Tyler (QaF UK) -- As much as I love Michael Novotny, a little of that love stems from the fact that he started off as Vince. And I was half in love with Vince as he mooned over Stuart.

Todd Grimshaw (Corrie) -- I wanted to both hug and slap him as he cheated on Sarah with Karl.  I also love the new and improved Teddy bear incarnation.

Captain Jack Harkness (DW & TW) -- What is there to say but I love him and here's hoping he and Ianto get married.

Lloyd (Entrourage) -- The always surprising, ever awesome executive assistant who akes me root for Ari just because a happy Ari means a happy Lloyd

Cliff St Paul (Ugly Betty) -- For the sheer fact that he's not a muclebound pretty(gay)boy who gets his guy, I love him already.  And that he has too much self-respect to be hidden away by Marc. Honestly, i think he's too good for Marc.

Benjamin Bruckner -- My favorite character from QAF US.

Tobias Beecher (Oz) -- The light in a very dark series.  And because I pretend that OZ only lasted 3 seasons, I totally believe that Chris & Toby lived happily ever after.

in a fog of insomnia early this morning (before turning to "Bleeding Hearts" by Josh, great book, I think I know whodunit), so I will try and remember:

3 Characters from QAF (Emmet Honeycutt, Michael Novotny, Justin Taylor), 2 characters from De Grassi, Will from Will & Grace, Smithers from the Simpsons, Andrew from Desperate Housewives, Marc St. James from Ugly Betty and one of the two from Six Feet Under.  I never watch soap operas so I could not in all good conscience select any of those. 

Cheers

JBE 

...Dr. John Fielding (Billy Campbell) and Michael "Mouse" Tolliver (Marcus D'Amico) from PBS's Tales of the City miniseries?

I chose characters that I either grew up with or hope to grow old with. 

I remember thinking how the character in My So called Life was too gay. Like it was a bad thing. How it could only hurt me having mainstream breeders see him as one of the few gay representatives on TV. How young and naive was I? Then in college, I thought that Jack on Will & Grace made the show. His over-the-top gayness was something I looked forward too. Maybe the difference was that one was a drama and the other a comedy? Or maybe there's more gay charcacters that help round out the image of what being gay can be. Or maybe I was just too damn closeted.

Nowadays, I find that Mr. walker can walk into my life anytime he wants. Smithers...classic. Lt. Dangle and Xandir (especially when he's in cohorts with Capt. Hero) are comedic gems. And Christopher Melloni in OZ well, HBO's frontal nudity policy...need I say more.

I think that Josh Berresford as Cory on Dantes cove deserves a big write infrom everyone.

It's a shame that he was ignored while most of the other male actors from the show were included.

I think leaving out Coronation Street's Todd Grimshaw (Bruno Langley) as well as the main trio from the original UK Queer As Folk - Stuart Jones (Aidan Gillen), Vince Tyler (Craig Kelly), Nathan Maloney (Charlie Hunnam) - are rather significant omissions. Especially since your list contains many who are, at best, supporting characters while these four had lead roles which had major influence over tv storylines with gay characters that came after them. I'd want all four of these characters on my list.

Speaking of Coronation Street, even though I don't care for the character, you should also have included Sean Tully (Antony Cotton), if only for that fact that he's been in over 300 episodes of the series and Cotton recently won Best Actor at the Inside Soap Awards in the UK. Many AE readers don't seem to care for Cotton but his is one of the more popular characters on a long running series that still draws very high ratings.

I'm a bit limited by not having seen the majority of the shows on this list... But my top ten (in no order) looks something like this:

• Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys), Brothers & Sisters: He may be a bit prickly at times, but he is the most realistic gay man on network primetime today. And his boyfriends are hot.
• Matt Fielding (Doug Savant), Melrose Place: Sure, his scenes were sparse at the beginning ("That's me, gotta go!"), but everyone forgets he got some juicy storylines as this soap progressed.
• Chris Keller (Christopher Meloni), Oz: You have to hand it to Meloni for fully committing to this bisexual whack job. All the full frontal nudity was pure gravy. (Sweet, delicious gravy ...)
• Ben Bruckner (Robert Gant), Queer as Folk: Every fan's dream husband. One could say the often-whiny Michael almost didn't deserve him.
• Emmett Honeycutt (Peter Paige), Queer as Folk: What could have been a Jack McFarland-esque queenie stereotype turned out to be a fully realized (and fully sexual) character, thanks mostly to Paige's fine acting.
• Stanford Blatch (Willie Garson), Sex and the City: Carrie Bradshaw's gay BFF was ours too throughout the shows six seasons ... and he'll be in the movie too!
• David Fisher (Michael C. Hall) and Keith Charles (Mathew St. Patrick), Six Feet Under: Hailed by many initially as a complex pairing, I admit to being a bit resistant to the couple at first, but eventually came around to appreciating their unconventional relationship.
• Marc St. James (Michael Urie), Ugly Betty: Over-the-top, yes, but deliciously, hysterically so.
• Vince D'Angelo (Bobby Cannavale), Will & Grace: Cannavale pulled off an amazing feat as the often-befuddled NYPD cop Vince: he made this sitcom watchable in its later years. And he won an Emmy for doing it too.
  

- Kirby, moviedearest.blogspot.com

I wish more people watched HBO's criminally ratings-deprived The Wire, 'cause if they had, I'd bet Omar Little (played by Michael K. Williams) would be popping up on a few more lists.  Omar is one of the most non-stereotypical gay characters ever presented on television-- he's street tough, complex, and-- unlike a lot of gay characters on the tube who barely ever get a kiss, let alone a bed scene-- fully and unapologetically sexualized.

Don't get me wrong, I love Michael Urie and Rex Lee, but the character of Omar is such a huge leap forward in the way television chooses to portray gay characters (rather than yet another gay secretary) that Omar-- without question-- heads my list of  the best gay and bisexual characters on t.v. 

It was so so hard to only choose 10 names from this list! I'm of an age where I've seen pretty much all of these characters when they originally aired (and I did somehow manage to stop myself from writing in Starsky and Hutch - hey, they were pretty much THE gayest couple on tv in the 70s).

That said, my list:

* Mr. Humphreys (John Inman), Are You Being Served - as Harvey Fierstein so famously said (and Jon Heder ironically reiterated), there's nothing wrong with being a sissy. Stereotypical? Sure, but at a time where there were practically no gay characters on tv, he was a pioneer. And funny as hell.

* Luke Snyder (Van Hansis), As the World Turns/Noah Mayer (Jake Silbermann), As the World Turns - I'm a thirty-year soap-watching vet (longer than that, actually - I remember General Hospital _before_ Luke and Laura!), but as fond remembrances as I have of Hank (ATWT) and Billy (baby Ryan Phillippe holding hands with a cute boy on OLTL!), my votes go for the first true gay soap supercouple! I love that they're getting a truly soapy storyline, it makes me so happy.

* Malcolm Laffley (Tuc Watkins), Beggars & Choosers - I love Tuc Watkins, period. This was a show that pretty much nobody I knew watched, but Malcolm was "just" another part of the f-ed up ensemble, dealing with the same problems as his fellow tv execs, with some added tension surrounding his outing himself at work and his search for a love life. I hate that the show was cancelled once Malcolm _finally_ got a hot, hot sex life with guest star Bruce Campell - but their steamy love scenes were definitely worth the wait.

* Doug Witter (Dylan Neal), Dawson’s Creek - okay, Jack (Kerr Smith) was the pointed, "showy" gay part on DC. But I'd be lying if I didn't say I always suspected that Pacey's "joking" gay remarks about his big brother had a basis in fact, and I jumped up and down when the finale aired and he was proved right! Doug kissing Jack is one of my favourite tv moments from the last ten years, no lie.

* Dylan Michalchuk (John Bregar), Degrassi: The Next Generation/Marco Del Rossi (Adamo Ruggiero), Degrassi: The Next Generation - another couple I could not separate (and yes, I do have a very soft spot for teenage boys' coming out stories). Plus, the heck I was not going to vote for some Canadian content on this list! I loved the fact that Marco's coming-out storyline partnered him with an older boy who had _already_ come out, thus giving him a crush, a role model, a sounding board, _and_ a love interest all in one! The episodes between Marco's first meeting with Dylan and his beginnings to figure his "orientation" out, through his massive crush on the hot (and hockey playing!) Dylan, to finally their sweet disastrous first date and subsequent tender first kiss made my 25-year love affair with the kids from "Degrassi" pay off in a beautiful and impressive way. Equally impressive was the fact that Dylan and Marco were allowed to be one of the few "normal," physically affectionate, and sexually active couples on the show the season after they started dating, and even though my heart broke when they broke up, soared when they got back together, and broke again when they finally split for good, I just love every episode with the two of them together. I also love that the show plays uncut on network tv in Canada at 7.30 at night for first-run episodes, and in the afternoons for syndicated episodes, which just goes to prove that Dylan and Marco's relationship really is seen as "no big deal" up here in the GWN.

* Steven Carrington (Al Corley / Jack Coleman), Dynasty - despite my mad, mad love for HRG on "Heroes" (and my discovery of Jack Coleman as a sex symbol for my generation!), I really did vote for Al Corley's Steven, aka, "Gay Steven." I blame the writers for making Jack's Steven "Confused Mostly Straight Steven," but the character was another one of the ones that I grew up with, and even though his storyline was mostly heterosexual and totally confusing, I love the fact that he started out and ultimately ended up gay (I still have the reunion movie on tape somewhere).

* Chris Keller (Christopher Meloni), Oz - Chris Meloni gets my vote here, for his completely, utterly fearless and ferocious performance, even though I suspect that creator Tom Fontana had some sort of psychotic break in the middle of season five (and season six DID NOT HAPPEN LALALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU). Keller is psychotic, irrational, insane, frightening, and desperately in love and Meloni goes for it, every second that he is on screen you cannot look at anyone or anything else but him. Whether pissing, showing his asshole, getting a blowjob, or making out with Lee Tergesen, he holds absolutely nothing back, and he simultaneously scares the hell out of me and breaks my heart.

* Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) Torchwood - I admit it, I have a massive crush on Gareth David-Lloyd, despite the fact that he's the same age as Justin Timberlake and thus far, far too young for me. I adore the way that he plays Ianto, the "poor", constantly sexually-harassed dogsbody of the Torchwood team, who turns out to have unexpected depths, amazing competence at just about everything, and a fiercesome sexual self-awareness and deviousness that allows him to best Captain Jack Harkness at his own game. He didn't get nearly enough screen time in season one, and I absolutely cannot _wait_ for the new season to start airing next year - it feels like a million years since I saw s1, despite the fact that I devoured the entire thing just last May!

Honourable mention goes to:

* Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Torchwood - totally would have gotten a vote, except I ran out of room. Plus, JB, while absolutely divine in the role, has a mad tendency to act to the balcony (the s1 finale is. . .not good, on the whole). And, the final nail in the coffin was his completely wasted guest turn on the last two episodes of s3 of Doctor Who - which is really Russell T Davies' fault, I know, but it was so disappointing.

* Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg), Heroes/Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy), Heroes - another write-in vote. I don't care that they're not "officially out" on the show (and probably never will be), the fact that the two of them are co-parenting a nine-year-old girl, living together, and intertwining every aspect of their lives makes them probably _the_ most interesting aspect of the admittedly not-very-cohesive sophomore season of Heroes.

As you may have figured from the User Name I went for

1.  Ianto Jones and

2.  Cpt. Jack Harkness (Love Torchwood!)

I think the the storyline on As the World Turns is not just entertaining, well-written and well-acted, but it's reaching an audience that normally wouldn't see a program that included a gay couple.  It's actually important so I vote

3.  Luke Snyder and

4.  Noah Mayer

Characters like

5.  Steven Carrington,

6.  Will Truman,

7,  Jack McFarland and

8.  Matt Fielding were pioneering (to varying degrees) and proved that popular entertainment didn't need to shy away from gay characters.

And, who can forget

9.  Race Bannon and

10. Dr. Benton Quest.

In a way I'm kinda glad I don't know too many of TV's gay characters because it makes me feel as though I've wasted less time on tv LOL!

First, the poll begs to ask the pollee: what makes a gay character a "favourite"? For me, it depends on a few things:

• The character's personality as a gay man, his values, his words, and his actions: personality is what makes us different, and certainly what makes one person more favourable than another.
• The character's looks, of course ;)
• The chracter's involvement in a gay plot: a gay love story isn't much of a love story without both parties involved.

But most important of all, what makes these characters my favourites are their very appeal. And by appeal I mean how a fictional character can make you so compelled to watch his story. How a fictional character can change your view on things you never thought about. And most certainly how a fictional character can make you feel as if your stomach is physically churning when you your heart strings are being tugged.

Anyhoo my list, in descending order (save the best for last of course!), along with my favourite moments of the characters:

10. Craig Dean (Guy Burnet), Hollyoaks --- Let's face it, Craig definitely only makes this list because of his involvement with John Paul. A recap of the facts, shall we. 1) Craig came on to John Paul in the fiasco that made *John Paul* have to come out. 2) Craig beat up John Paul (his BEST MATE at the time) for being gay. 3) Craig cheated on Sarah multiple times with John Paul, and after their first time had the balls to deny it ever happened. 4) Craig said things like "I'm sorry" and "I'll sort this" an unconceivable number of times without really meaning it. 5) Craig promised John Paul he'd break it up with Sarah probably without ever planning on doing it, and after getting dumped by Sarah, went crawling back to her. Like, the list goes on and on; Craig Dean sucked as a person! The only reason he's on here is because John Paul wouldn't have had a plot without him.
Fave moment: any of the times he gets UBER jealous of Spike.

9. Drew Boyd (Matt Battaglia), QAF US --- Well first off, the guy is a stunning hunk. He's also a really good person deep down, and given his position on a professional sports team, had his reasons for staying closeted. Hats off to him also for coming out eventually, although that only really happened because he got caught doing the dirty. The fact remains, however, that this man felt little to no remorse for cheating on his 'wife' with men.
Fave moment: The "I miss you" to Emmett in the illegally-tainted SUV.

8. Tobias Beecher (Lee Tergesen), Oz --- What I like about Toby: he's smart, has good values, and a deep conscience. What puts Toby at #8: as much as I like his character, he just didn't appeal to me as much as some of the other guys on the list. He didn't leave me begging to come back to Oz for more. Again, he's a character making the list due to the fact that he was involved in a compelling love story.
Fave moment: All of his scenes with Chris Keller.

7. Emmett Honeycutt (Peter Paige), QAF US -- Emmett is truly a proud queer LOL, and that's my favourite thing about him. He's incredibly flaming and has no shame in it whatsoever. He knows where he stands and will defend himself from bashers and homophobes. He's got a big heart (and balls, for a flaming queen).
Fave moment: Telling Drew Boyd he's got a lot to learn about being a man when the two first meet.

6. Ben Bruckner (Robert Gant), QAF US -- Hubba hubba professor Bruckner. This man's got the brains, the brawn, the face, and the personality. He's a loving father and I admire his values. I can see why Michael accepted to make a husband out of him.
Fave moment: Him and Michael slow dancing to music after he wrote a book about the kid who wanted to screw him just to contract HIV.

5. Noah Mayer (Jake Silbermann), As The World Turns -- I thought I'd given up Soap Operas after my early days with Days, but NUKE is what got me back to soaps, starting with ATWT and then Hollyoaks with Craig and John Paul. Noah's is a tragic case... the poor boy grew up without a mother under the wrathful hand of his psycho colonel father. He's done himself well considering all of that, and just the attraction and connection he has with Luke makes him one of my favourite gay TV characters.
Fave moment: Noah inquiring about some friend of Luke's named Roth because he was so obviously jealous.

4. Michael Novotny (Hal Sparks), QAF US -- There's something about Michael that just makes me glow. He's such as sweet guy. He may not have the brains, brawn, face, or zen value of his partner, but his personality is just magnetic. He's also really cute with the whole nerdy comic book thing and the quaint, "boy-next-door" look.
Fave moment: Standing up to Ben's (ab)use of steroids by threatening to jab himself with one of Ben's used needles. Wow... what a character. Honourable mention to his speech for the Committee for Human Rights and how we don't all have to have the same lives to have the same rights. Again.... wow, what a guy.

3. Luke Snyder (Van Hansis), As The World Turns -- Luke is wonderful. The boy is so young and so full of life and spunk (get your mind out of the gutter!). After having fallen for Noah, he tried not to let his feelings get in the way of their friendship. After Noah and him kissed, he thought not only about his own and Noah's feelings, but also about Maddie's feelings. He never overly pressured Noah into coming out, only to the extent that he tried to convince Noah of the benefits of being truthful to oneself. When Maddie got the hint from Henry that Noah's gay, he didn't flat out tell her about what happened or even that Noah's gay, he simply told Maddie that she had to ask Noah himself. Finally, he doesn't blame Noah in any way (and he had better not) for the harm that's paralyzed him from the waist down (temporarily hopefully). The only thing I note is that Luke's been really bitchy lately, although he's got reason to be. And of course to top things off, him and Noah make a HOT soap supercouple!
Fave moment: *THE* KISS of course! Runner up was that hot wet scene between Noah and Luke where they practically fell on top of each other.

2. John Paul (James Sutton), Hollyoaks -- Hubba hubba McQueenie, this boy is gorgeous. And John Paul is just magic. He's hilarious for one thing, "I'm sorry I don't negotiate with TERRORISTS", "You're mean to be comin' out of the closet, not gettin' back in it!" He's got a great personality and really cares for his friends (and family, although it's not always easy to see). He's put up with a great deal of shit (namely coming out to bashers, teasing, and a bloody beating from Craig) but stands strong. And although he was a sucker for love and Craig's two-timing antics, he stands up for himself, like the "Don't you dare say you're sorry" after Craig purposely left him for a vacation with Sarah. His decision not to travel to Dublin with Craig because of the realization that he should be able to be publicly affectionate with his beau just made me wanna cry... he's got a tough heart to have been able to do that.
Fave moment: The heated argument he has with Craig after The Reveal fiasco about how people can see Craig for the two-timing coward that he is.

1. Chris Keller (Christopher Meloni), Oz -- At first I thought Christopher Meloni's striking good looks and allure was the main reason why and how in the world a man like Chris Keller could possibly be my favourite gay TV character. After some thought, however, seeing as how the chracter of Chris Keller is supposed to be sexy and alluring, and seeing as how I'm not really in love with the real Christopher Meloni, I think it's more than the looks and aura of the actor that makes Keller so favourable.

The man's a brute--he lies, cheats, manipulates, and he murders. He's also deeply ashamed of being equally attracted (or possibly more) to men as he is women. So in theory I couldn't possibly like Chris Keller. But there's something about him that just makes me keep watching Oz's Beecher/Keller scenes over and over. And I think I've reasoned it down to the fact that in spite of all Keller's hideous hideous traits, the man truly did love Tobias Beecher. If you take a broad look at all of the seasons Keller is in (all seasons save the first) and you consider what he's up to, you realize that every action he takes during the entire saga is motivated entirely or at least in some part by Beecher.

In season 2, all of his actions are geared towards getting Toby to fall in love with him and then breaking Toby's heart. In season 3, all of his actions are an effort to win Toby's love, trust, and forgiveness. In season 4, the couple have another falling out, but really Keller never stops loving Toby, as can be seen when he warns O'Reilly "don't you hurt Beecher, you hurt Beecher and I might have to hurt you". And at the end of season 4 he instantly forgets about their troubles that year and confesses to a crime he didn't commit in order to protect Toby. In season 5, his only real motivation for staying alive is to see Toby again, "I'm not afraid to die, I just wanna die for the right reason: love". And of course in season 6, his actions towards the end are geared towards keeping Toby all to himself in a selfish pursuit. The end of the series was the unfortunate but truthful and realistic realization that 'love' can be poison when it's turned into the selfish desire to have someone at any cost.

The fact that Chris Keller spent nearly every waking moment in Oz thinking about Tobias, and how such a villain of a person can have such a heart for someone like Tobias, has made me almost fall in love with the character. He was really right when he said that actions speak louder than words because his words weren't what made me love him; it was his actions and the intentions and objectives that become apparent through those actions. And that's how a sociopathic, brutal, sexual predator and murderer became my favourite gay chracter on TV.

Fave moment: All of his scenes with Tobias Beecher.

I voted for Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones (Torchwood) beacuse they are two of the lead characters and two of the heroes of the show.
After watching so many movies with gay or bi serial killers or other villains, you really need a little exorcism in the form of a show like Torchwood in order to get rid of all the bad vibes you got from that other stuff.

Sure, neither Jack or Ianto are perfect. They make mistakes. But then again, there's not a single person on this planet who doesn't.
They're very human charcters with believable personalities. I also think they've cast great actors for the parts.

Because I'm in the closet, characters like Jack and Ianto are very important to me.
I intend to use Torchwood as a way to test my family.

We're all sci-fi fans and huge Doctor Who fans in my family, so watching a DW spin-off seems like a very natural thing to do. But unlike many other sci-fi shows, this one's got queer heroes.

If the sexuality of characters like Jack, Ianto and Toshiko doesn't turn out to be an issue, than I might consider coming out earlier than I had initially planned.
Torchwood just opens up a whole new avenue for discussion.
Because it's a TV show rather than a standalone thing like a movie,
each episode takes us back to the same characters and forces us to get to know them better. It also forces the rest of my family to adress the issue of the sexual orientations of the characters. You simply can't discuss the rest of the show without adressing that issue. And I think that's a good thing. It forces out all the opinions, preconceptions and predjudices they might have against homosexuality and bisexuality. This way I can find out what they think and possibly correct whatever missassumptions they might have.
But if I'm lucky, they'll accept the characters for what they are.
But regardless of what sort of reactions I get, those reactions are a big indicator of what sort the reactions I'm gonna get when I come out myself.

Cherry / Torchwood_Operative

Okay, since everyone's doing it, here's my list:

1.   John Paul McQueen, Hollyoaks - my hero.  Can't help it.

2.  Craig Dean, Hollyoaks - exasperating closet case but I love him anyway.

3.  Will Truman, Will & Grace - despite the neuroses, would be his bf in a second.

4.  Capt. Jack Harkness, Torchwood - bisexual and can't die.  How cool is that?

5.  Kevin Walker, Brothers & Sisters - great character I love to root for.

6.  Michael Novotny, Queer as Folk - the quintessential gay everyman.

7.  David Fisher, Six Feet Under - with all his flaws, a great gay character.

8.  Mr. Garrison, South Park - gotta love him.

9.  Justin Taylor, Queer as Folk - my favorite parts of show involved his character.

10. Lt. Dangle, Reno 911 - he sends me into hysterics.

Honorable mention - Spike, Hollyoaks

1.  John Paul McQueen(James Sutton), HollyOaks - One of the best coming out teen stores i've ever seen. James Sutton had the immense task of having to balance each emotional scene he was in just right. From his first subtle 'coming out' to his girlfriend, (Hannah) that he's "wired wrong' and has these "thoughts" which he can't control. Then watching his struggle with his attraction to his best mate 'Craig' to his angry and frustrated response to Hannah because he felt forced to sleep with her and how repulsed he felt afterwards, (that was some scene to watch). Then the brilliantly acted 'confession' scene by John Paul as his feelings for Craig could no longer be supressed. The coming out, especially to his mom, then family and friends. The heartbreaking but very believable scenes of John Paul  being bullied and teased but standing strong against the mobs at school including Craig who beat him in a testosterone fueled rage to prove his hetrosexuality. Watching with pity for John Paul has he falls deeper for his 'best mate' even after the attack, and then having to put up with endless lie after lie because Craig didn't have the strength to leave Sarah.  And finally that heartbreaking ending at the airport with Craig as John Paul walked away from the person he loved with all his heart. And his last spoken words to Craig..."I love you with all my heart" "but I know I deserve more" Seeing John Paul grow strong and proud over this year long story was really incredible. Brilliantly played by James Sutton.

2. Craig (Guy Burnett), HollyOaks - I remember Guy saying in an interview that the gay viewers were going to hate his character because Craig was so cruel towards John Paul. But that didn't really happen...most viewers didn't hate Craig, but felt pity and compassion for him because it was obvious he was so affraid of what friends, family and how society would label him that he was crippled with fear; it had him in a strangle hold. I have to give credit to Guy Burnett, who I think doesn't get enough praise for pulling of a very difficult role. He actually made the viewer like Craig and root for the relationshp between him and John Paul to succeed. Looking back over the storyline of how he treated John Paul we should all be hating Craig, but you didn't. I think one of the strong contributing factors was that when James Sutton and Guy Burnett had their scenes together you 100% believed they loved each other deeply. There wasn't any doubt for a second their love it was so well acted, and the chemistry between them was incredible. I think Guy Burnett played the role beautifully, with his struggle against loving his 'best mate' but having to be with a woman because it's what everyone expected.

3. David Fisher(Micheal C. Hall), Six Feet Under - What a phenominal character David was. And played so great by Micheal C. Hall. His coming out process was not easy. And his relationship with the hunky but hot headed cop, Keith Charles made for some great televsion. Alan Ball, the creater of 'Six Feet Under' brought us a wonderfully realized gay character in David Fisher.

4. Chris Keller(Christopher Meloni), Oz - Christopher Meloni did one hell of a job playing the brutal and insane character that was Chris Keller. His love for Tobias Beecher reached levels of insanity, even to his brutal ending. Chris Keller beat and murdered anyone who came close to messing with Tobias. He would slit another mans throat in a second if it meant hanging onto the one that he loved.

5. Tobias Beecher(Lee Tergesen), Oz - A decent, intelligent man who should never have been admitted to Oz in the first place. He went through hell in that prision and got caught up and fell in love with Chris Keller, a man who is the worst that society has to offer. The true underbelly of society. But what a love story developed between Tobia and Keller; two men at opposite ends of the spectrum. It was addictive to watch this relationship unfold, knowing all along that these two men shouldn't be within 100 miles of each other, however, a lot of fans of the show rooted for them to succeed...myself included.

6. Kevin Walker(Matthew Rhys), Brothers & Sisters - I love Kevin walker. He's smart, sexy and can be very sarcastic, but we all know that deep down he's a romantic at heart. He's weak when it comes to good looking men, but hell, who isn't. Matthew Rhys plays Kevin Walker just right!!

7. Scotty Wendall(Luke MacFarlane), Brothers & Sisters - I loved Scotty in the first season and still love him now. And even though he wasn't such a good fit for Kevin, I loved that Scotty wasn't afraid to tell kevin like it is. I would love for Scotty to get back with Kevin but I know this isn't going to happen. Luke MacFarlane plays a great Scotty Wendall. I hope he sticks around.

8. Keith Charles(Mathew St. Patrick), Six Feet Under - At first I didn't think Keith was was a very good match for David, but he grew on me and I was rooting for their relationship to stay strong. Mathew St. Patrick's acting was a little dodgy at first but he developed into a much better actor by the end of the series, and I ended up really loving Keith.

9. Toby, Dante's Cove - This show maybe cheesy as hell, but I love the character of Toby. He is sweet, passionate and loves his man. He will go to the ends of the earth for his Kevin. Dant'es Cove is so over the top, but I still love it.

10. Dr. John Fielding (Billy Campbell), Tales Of The City - I remember years ago watching this show and just loving Dr. John Fielding played by Billy Campbell. I loved that he was smart, mature and humble with his financial status compared to that of his boyfriend, Mouse. Tales Of The City was such a unique show at the time. I was glued every week.  

* Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys), Brothers & Sisters

* Vince D'Angelo (Bobby Cannavale), Will & Grace

* John Paul (James Sutton), Hollyoaks

* Luke Snyder (Van Hansis), As the World Turns

* Noah Mayer (Jake Silbermann), As the World Turns

* Marco Del Rossi (Adamo Ruggiero), Degrassi: The Next Generation

I opted to include FOUR write-in candidates (hey, all the names fit in the box!):

* Todd Grimshaw (Bruno Langley), Coronation Street

* Stuart Jones (Aidan Gillen), Queer As Folk [UK]

* Vince Tyler (Craig Kelly), Queer As Folk [UK]

* Nathan Maloney (Charlie Hunnam), Queer As Folk [UK]

Interesting stats from my picks: 4 soap characters, 6 British actors, 6 dramas, 1 comedy

When LOGO was being launched as part of non-premium cable platforms nationwide, the executives gave interviews boasting specifically that their channel would not, heaven forfend, be broadcasting such stuff as we saw on Showtime. 

They mentioned Queer as Folk by name. 

I understood their need to allay the fears of parents in the heartland, but I also agonized for those parents' gay kids.  When I was 18, I recall the transformative, validating, almost unbelievable existence at my local movie theatre of The Boys in the Band.  That such a movie could exist, while I lived at home with my parents, in the closet, was a tremendous factor in my coming out to them. 

Without all that sexy stuff on Showtime, there would either have never been a LOGO, sanitized or otherwise, or there would not have been one for considerably longer.  Without Queer as Folk there would never have been a Queer Duck or an L Word or (let's face it; it was languishing in development hell) a Six Feet Under on that other network. 

Nor would it have been sufficient for Queer as Folk to have existed.  It would have to succeed.  That it did succeed so spectacularly is measurably owing to the popularity of one main character.  It is no accident that Gale Harold still has fansites in Russian and Korean and Spanish and Italian and German and Hindi.

Not everybody likes Brian Kinney.  How could they?  He's too utterly real.  Even in his larger than life qualities, this is so.  But a lot of people are larger than life in our little lives.  He no more large than the disco God we couldn't have, or the impossibly beautiful boyfriend we couldn't keep, or the laceratingly attractive man we could never be. 

Lots of us are incapable of not hating his guts, just as we hated all those other men.  But Brian is a human being.  When you tickle him, he laughs.  When you cut him, he bleeds.  When you wrong him, he will avenge.

He isn't available in every feature as a role model, given his attainability in general.  Even his uncompromising ethics are unattainable for most of us.  But ethics they are, and influential they remain.  Brian doesn't like gay marriage.  Brian doesn't believe in monogamy.  Brian believes in lying to straight people when that's all they'll accept.  Brian doesn't believe in currying favor with them, or aping them, or being non-threatening to them. 

Brian believes in Brian, and not in anybody who doesn't share that belief.  Anybody who thinks gay people have anything to be ashamed of or to prove need not apply for Brian's approval, and he is not available to toady.

Brian has also been singled out for praise from a liberationist point of view by Paul Robinson, the Richard W. Lyman Professor in the Humanities at Stanford University.  In his book "Queer Wars" (University of Chicago Press, 2005), Professor Robinson writes of the character at length, describing him as "someone who has completely liberated himself from the repressive conventions of heterosexuality and whose utter contempt for straight society makes him the ultimate gay hero."  Assimilationists sometimes scorn him for the same reason.  Over at GLAAD, they seem to hate him.

But Brian is inescapable.  And there is no denying his bravery, his resourcefulness, and the fact that he has made a life of his own choosing with no help from anybody.  He developed his skills, polished his presentation, respected himself and made others respect him. 

Brian has fans all over the world, and the show is in international syndication and viewed on dvd's wherever it can't legally be broadcast.   Moreover, it's hard to overestimate its importance to young gay people in stifling corners of the U.S. or to gay people of all ages in stifling parts of the world.   Innumerable actors have now "played gay," but almost none have been part of a cultural phenomenon so politically important and personally validating.   QAF made television history, and still does, everyplace it's shown.  

And at the moment, it's showing on LOGO.  In a bowdlerized form, true, that bleeps language, excises nudity, and that sometimes even cuts away from same-sex kisses, but still, it's on.  Like the two tight-sphinctered and deeply disapproving managers of the show's fictitious Gay and Lesbian Center, LOGO apparently needs Brian Kinney. 

Wherever gay people go, wherever they will ever go, Brian will be a part of our common cultural heritage forever.  He's my nominee.  My only nominee.

I chose Greg Lee who plays Bro and Charlie David who plays Toby on Dante's Cove.

I love them both!