• How can a show can go so long with a Pet Shop Boys theme song and no gays?
  This has me cautiously excited. A GayGamer.net reader spots a Craigslist post seeking gay geeks for a show that "will teach (gay geeks) how to have 'game' with other guys". The ad mentions Beauty and the Geek after promising a prize that just happens to be the same as what BatG offers. Hmmmm. I've wondered what a gay version of the show would be like, though considering how badly this past season's "girl geek" twist went, I don't have high expectations for a gay twist.
  

• We can add Street Fighter to the list of LGBT-inclusive games:
  Uhm, wow, I never heard any speculation about the gender of Final Fight baddie Poison, but now a Capcom producer has outed the pink-tressed street thug as transgender. Reading the character's entry on Wikipedia the character was first declared transgender because some people at Capcom were concerned that having a female foe in the game would mean depicting violence against women ... okay, so they decided hitting a transgender wasn't as bad? Poison will be a character in the upcoming Street Fighter IV. I have to admit I'm feeling mixed about this, as it's great to see a transgender character in a fighting game but the rationale leaves a bit to be desired.
  Additionally, I understand Poison isn't the only queer character in the Street Fighter universe, as a character from the original Street Fighter, Eagle, was visually inspired by Freddy Mercury and conceived as gay.
  

• It's not like I really need that vitamin D, anyway:
  The ever-addictive virtual dollhouse The Sims 2 has another expansion pack coming out. This one, Free Time, adds hobbies to the game, including athletics, arts and crafts, sewing and car restoration. Free Time comes out in February, just in time to keep me from getting some sun as the weather starts to warm up.

  

  One of the screenshots shows ballet classes. I can't wait to create my own Billy Elliot.
  

• Gratuitous nudity for everyone in the audience!
  In case Warren Ellis's gay fans need more reason to appreciate his work after creating (and sensitively writing) Apollo and Midnighter, here's a little more. As writer on an animated Castlevania film, he promises some nudity for the franchise's bishounen hero, Alucard. Ellis explains, "Girls and gay men need fan service too." While the animated nudity doesn't really mean much to me (though all the fan art one finds via Google says a whole lot of Castlevania fans would disagree), I do appreciate the sentiment about equal-opportunity fanservice.
  

• "I think he's awesomely gay":
  And while on the topic of comic creators, this is one of the many reasons I adore Gail Simone (who I've been mentioning a lot lately, as she just keeps being newsworthy). Recently, she's been making the case for why Spider-Man "represents repressed homosexuality". Hilarity ensues.
  

• Eternity's approximate release date:
  Eternity's Child, a platform game with nifty backgrounds and a gay character, finally has a release date. Sorta. The game comes out via WiiWare sometime in Q2 2008. I do love the art style in the screenshots we've seen so far:
  

2007 was quite a year for gay geeks, with gay representation in comics books, on science fiction television and in video games being a frequent discussion topic. While these topics aren't entirely new, this year the discussion was at its most active.

On TV, we saw ourselves more often, especially on BBC America's Torchwood ... even though we had frustrating setbacks on shows like Heroes. Things looked incredibly bright for gamers, who found themselves expecting a good number of games with expected gay-inclusiveness and found it easier to find each other.

Additionally, gay geeks became more visible. Logo debuted its collection of animation, Alien Boot Camp,which included bumpers showing gay fans at comics and sci-fi conventions, as well as gay comic creators like Alison Bechtel. For a long time, this subset of queers weren't seen often, with gay geeks being happily surprised when they found each other, but that's changing as our visibility within the gay community increases.

Let's take a look back at the past year, shall we?

Here they come, the sound of drums

If we were to declare a king of the gay geeks, Russel T. Davies would be the candidate to beat. The Doctor Who producer did plenty to increase gay visibility on sci-fi television. The past season of Who regularly showed gay people as simply a part of the human tapestry. More importantly, 2007 was the year Torchwood made its USA debut. The series quickly became BBC America's biggest hit and, seeking to maintain the momentum from season one's success, the network announced that the second season will air only two weeks after it airs on BBC Three.

The success of Torchwood, as well as Doctor Who, is a significant development for gay sci-fi fans. On Torchwood, Captain Jack Harkness is a very different way of portraying queer men on television: as a dashing, heroic lead. Meanwhile, Captain Jack's return to Doctor Who this season continued to show his relationship with The Doctor as one having the kind of strained affection previously seen only with female companions like Sarah Jane Smith and Rose Tyler.

While Doctor Who is an obscure series for American fans, it's a major franchise in the UK and the series is the target of constant rumors and speculation regarding arrivals and departures both in front and behind the cameras. Those rumors included talk that Davies' may be cutting back on his Who duties with Steven Moffat taking over the series. Moffat wrote some of Who's most popular episodes and created the gay-inclusive Coupling and Jeckyll. If the speculation has any merit, Moffat sounds like a promising replacement.

We're still holding on for our hero on Heroes, Monday nights

For some media pundits, Heroes is a solid example of what diversity should look like on television,; but for people who actively advocate for increased diversity, the show is a mix of potential and problems. Last December, we noted that early promotion for the series had Zach as gay but that the show had suddenly turned away from the idea. Discussion into the character continued into the new year. Out producer Bryan Fuller confirmed that the character was written as gay, only to have those plans derailed by the management of Thomas Dekker, who played Zach. In its second season, Heroes was supposed to add a lesbian character but she, too, disappeared before becoming a major presence.

• AKA Johnny Everythinghands
  GayGamer first brought my attention to Eternity's Child, a game that initially reminds me of Okami done with Western art, which will have a gay character. Now they've got more information on the game's gay character, who can replace his hands with various devices. He definitely has the potential to be very interesting (or, if not done just right, offensive). More reason for me to be wishing for a Wii. Check out the graphics below...
  

• Show your pride, Paragon City!
  Hey City of Heroes players! Celebrate your pride with City of Gaymers' "Out and Proud '07" dance on the Victory server on Thursday. The event celebrates National Coming Out Day and will meet under the statue of Atlas in Atlas Park at 6PM PDT. How come no one ever parties at the base of Galaxy Girl's statue? (Thanks to Knightengale for the tip!) Now, to figure out which of my various Victory alts to bring...
  
  
• The post-apocalyptic barren wasteland needs you!
  Speaking of gay friendly games, Fallout is having a tenth anniversary contest, asking for players to design a perk to be included in the upcoming Fallout 3.
  
  
• Street fair comic con
  If any Bay Area residents are planning to attend this weekend's Castro Street Fair, stop by the new Castro Street comic shop (how long has it been since I've walked past the Tully's?) Whatever... where Bay Area comic creators will be signing comics all day. Finding gay creators whose work you enjoy and supporting them is one positive way to help gay representation in comics.
  
  
• Gay site of the Week!
  If you can't wait until Sunday to get your hands on some positive gay superheroes, check out Boy Meets Hero, a webcomic that combines classic superhero action with a steamy same-sex romance.
  
  I love creator Chayne Avery's visual style, which mixes so nicely with Russell Garcia's coloring.