Out writer/director/producer Kevin Williamson turns 43 today. One of the most influential creative talents of the 90's, he's been largely M.I.A. the last few years.

He made a huge splash in 1996 with Scream, the groundbreaking horror film that dared to kill off its biggest star in the opening minutes, and made its characters smart and self aware.

He followed up the enormous success of Scream with a lesser sequel, and three other horror films, to mixed results. I Know What You Did Last Summer was the biggest hit of the three, thanks to Jennifer Love Hewitt's cleavage, and the fact that audiences had an instinctive fear of the Gorton's Fisherman. The Faculty had an interesting "body snatchers" premise, but was marred by a homophobic subtext.

Teaching Mrs. Tingle had another great premise, and a typically majestic performance from the divine Helen Mirren, but degenerated into silliness by the end.

Kevin turned his attention to tv, and hit the bullseye again in 1998 with another groundbreaker, Dawson's Creek.

Love it or hate it (and there are plenty of opinions), you can't deny the influence it had on pop culture. In between the teen angst and soap opera storylines, he introduced Jack, played by Kerr Smith. Jack was that rarity on tv, an appealing, complicated gay character who was accepted and loved by fans (including our readers, who voted him among the 25 best gay TV characters ever).

The final episode of the series was very affecting, as Jack and his partner Doug decided to honor the last wish of their dying friend Jen and raise her daughter. You can mock Dawson's Creek all you want, but how many times have we seen this kind of storyline?

The coming out scene is a staple of gay stories, as it's an important moment gay people experience repeatedly in their lives. In honor of National Coming Out Day, here's a few of my favorite coming out scenes.

Luke Snyder
From: As the World Turns

Right now, Van Hansis is breaking new ground as part of the first gay male romance on an American soap opera, but Luke Snyder's coming out was memorable as well for giving us so much nuance in his family's reaction. Holden had suspected Luke was gay for some time (his only concern being that Luke hadn't felt free to confide in him), while Lily felt betrayed at the idea of people in her family knowing things that she didn't. While Luke's parents were both inclined to be supportive of him, their reactions included a mix of emotions that made it one of the most memorable moments in recent memory for ATWT fans.

Steven Carter
From: Get Real

This mostly sweet teen romance climaxes when Steven comes out at his graduation ceremony. The heartfelt speech is bittersweet since Steven's boyfriend, John Dixon, remains firmly closeted, ensuring that the relationship cannot continue.

Marco DelRossi
From: Degrassi: The Next Generation

When Dylan couldn't stand being in a relationship with a closeted boyfriend any longer he broke up with Marco, leading to a rather sensitive scene where Marco's mother figures it all out from seeing her son heartbroken.

Jamie and Ste
From: Beautiful Thing

Beautiful Thing ended with the unforgettable image of Ste and Jamie slow dancing in the courtyard of their housing complex. As the camera pulls back, Cass Elliot's "Dream a Little Dream" plays and their neighbors react to the sight of the youths being so openly affectionate with each other.

It's not to hard to find gay characters who work in the arts or as teachers, doctors, bartenders and as assistants, but blue collar gay characters don't come up nearly as often. In honor of the upcoming Labor Day holiday in the U.S., let's take a look at some of those blue collar gay characters that have graced the big and small screen.

Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist
From: Brokeback Mountain

A look at gay characters who put in a day's hard work could never overlook the sheep herders who spurred the discussion of gay relationships like never before in 2005. Working outdoors for a summer under the endless Wyoming sky, the two forged a bond that couldn't be severed by time or distance.

Ivan Jones
From: Emmerdale

Having just learned about him, I can't ignore the hunky bisexual garbage man from Brit soap Emmerdale. Ivan struggled with his feelings for Paul, only to have the relationship thwarted by Paul's step-sister. Did you know that they're called "binmen" there? I wonder if "binman" has less unpleasant connotation than "garbage man" does.

Jeff Mitchelland Greg
From: The Sum of Us

This 1994 comedy gave us Russel Crowe as a gay plumber who lived with a father that couldn't be shocked by his son's sex life. Crowe's character, Jeff, makes a connection with one of his dates, Greg, a gardener, though Jeff requires pressure from his father before finally pursuing the relationship.

Jack McPhee (Kerr Smith)
Show: Dawson's Creek
Year Introduced: 1998

Bio: After coming out during his junior year in high school, Jack became known as the “gay guy.”  In his senior year, he coaches a little league soccer team. He is fired when some of the parents discover he is gay. They use another excuse to get rid of him so they don’t get into trouble for illegal discrimination. He has a relationship with Toby as a senior in high school, but this ends during his freshman year in college.  We then see him through a series of relationships, ending the show with him and partner Doug agreeing to raise Jen’s baby daughter Amy after her untimely death.

Significance: Jack was one of the first gay teen characters to come out on TV, and he and shared the first romantic gay male kiss on primetime network television.