It was disappointing yesterday to find that People's "Sexiest Man Alive" list doesn't include any gay men but here's a little bit of consolation: Salon isn't shy to include gay men in their list of sexy male celebs. (You'll have to be a Salon subscriber or view an ad to read the article.)

Salon debuted their "Sexiest Man Living" feature last year saying that People's choices for Sexiest Man Alive has "been about as imaginative as a Whitman's Sampler". Their first pick for Sexiest Man Living was Stephen Colbert, which is a big step towards winning my approval. Last year's list included Neil Patrick Harris who's then-recent coming out was specified as one of many traits making NPH so sexy.

This year, the Salon crew have picked Mad Men's Jon Hamm as 2007's hottest man, with out basketballer John Amaechi being the second man named. Amaechi is praised for being, "not only erudite, handsome and smart, but more than happy to cut himself down to size" and a perfect antidote "for those of us with distaste for the machismo and egocentrism that often accompany professional sports."

There are a few other aspects I enjoyed about Salon's feature. Since every entry about a sexy man credits the writer involved, the article is a space where men and women are describing what they find sexy about a man without any homophobic hangups. Salon's Sexiest Man Living feature also doesn't avoid discussing any gay roles from their picks' careers.

In discussing Jeffrey Wright's sexiness his award winning role in Angels in America is quickly brought up. Peter Sarsgaard's kiss with Liam Neeson in Kinsey is similarly discussed. Newsman Anderson Cooper's following amoung gay men and straight women is noted as proof of his sexiness.

People anounced its "Sexiest Man Alive" online today (the issue hits newsstands Friday), and sadly there were no gay celebs in its list of 15 hunks. Still, a few AfterElton.com Hot 100-ers, including Ryan Reynolds and Johnny Depp, made the list, which was topped by the usually boyish Matt Damon (I say "usually" because he actually looks like he hasn't slept or had water for a week in the photo spread).

Considering the gays that popped up in the 100 Sexy Men in a Minute feature and Perry Moore's recent snagging of the title of Sexy Man of the Week, this is a bit of a disappointment, but we'll get over it. After all, we've got our own stable of studs to keep us company, right?

We told you last week about People Magazine's 100 Sexy Men in 1 Minute video which included three openly gay men. In the current issue, the very gay-friendly publication has picked an openly gay man as its "Sexy Man of the Week": Narnia producer and Hero author, Perry Moore.

I'm not sure how long the magazine has named a "Sexy Man of the Week" but this is the first time I've heard of them highlighting an openly gay man this way. Moore's profile is also very open about his sexual orientation ("Partnered for 13 years"): Moore talks about how being gay informed his "seduction secret" and a romantic ideal of two surfer guys meeting. You can check out a scan of the full page at Perry Moore's website.

For decades a frequent argument against gay visibility said that a mainstream (read: heterosexual) audience couldn't find gay men sexy because women couldn't fantasize about them and men couldn't look up to them. Thus, it strikes me as very progressive for a mainstream publication to name an openly gay man as an example of sexiness and include his tips on romance.

People's annual Sexiest Man Alive issue hits the newsstands this Friday, and I'm really curious to take a look at this year's list.

Thomas Roberts' appearance on Anderson Cooper 360 has led to his being profiled in the current issue of People Magazine. For those of you looking for pictures of Thomas with his partner or a discussion of his sexuality, don't rush out to your local news stand to buy a copy. The only pictures are of Thomas or of Thomas walking his dog. The article does make mention that Thomas "is in a relationship with another man", but otherwise mostly focuses on the issue of the abuse Roberts suffered at the hands of a Catholic priest.

That "in a relationship with another man" statement seems to make it rather clear that it wasn't CNN's choice to not show Roberts with his partner, but either Roberts or his partner's decision. Perhaps his partner isn't out or just doesn't want to be in the limelight. He wouldn't be the first person involved with someone famous who didn't want their picture splashed across magazines. At least the article does mention Roberts is involved with a man, but it is another missed opportunity to show a happy, gay couple. (BTW, that pic isn't from People. I found it over on Kenneth in the 212!