Despite the fact that there were no gay characters, gay-themed films, or out actors up for major awards at last night's Oscars, the ceremony managed to be surprisingly gay regardless ... and no, I'm not talking about the 347 musical numbers from Enchanted that perforated the evening.

Most notably, the night was capped by a touching moment for gay visibility. Upon accepting the award for Best Picture for No Country for Old Men, producer Scott Rudin made a point of thanking his partner, John Barlow, by name, and referring to him as "honey". Rudin's reputation as a demanding boss is downright legendary, but he is also responsible for bringing films like The Hours, Clueless, In & Out, Wild Tigers I Have Known, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, and more to the screen, and I can't remember another time where the man accepting the award for Best Picture thanked his husband.

Another big moment came when filmmakers Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth accepted their award for Best Documentary short for the film Freeheld. The film tells the story of a terminally ill lesbian's battle to have her pension transferred to her partner, and upon accepting the award the two women made a touching plea for equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Aside from these moments (between these, David Hyde Pierce's Tony speech, Jodie Foster's awards shout-out and Tina Fey's Emmy speech from last year, awards acceptance speeches are the hot vehicle for gay visibility!), the Jon Stewart-led telecast featured a few other queer highlights and a wonderfully irreverent sensibility overall. My other favorite moment was Jon related that backstage, the Best Original Song winners for Once made their Oscar statues kiss and that when one said, "they're both men" the other noted, "this is Hollywood!" From the looks of this pic, the winners in the acting categories had no such qualms.

Anyone else have any favorite moments? Tilda Swinton's hilarious swipe at George Clooney and Gary Busey attacking Jennifer Garner on the red carpet were definitely the highlights for me. And the fact that movies like Fletch and Top Secret were used in Oscar montages?! Awesome.

The full list of winners is after the break...

Bruce LaBruce (R) and his Otto star, Jey Crisfar 

Come early afternoon, Heath Ledger’s death was on everyone’s tongue and phone text display. I was interviewed by a TIME reporter, working on a story that would address the gay response to the loss of Brokeback Mountain’s star. Elsewhere, reactions ran the gamut from shock to gallows humor. “Does this mean he’s not doing press for Batman?” asked one journalist, while another puzzled over how train crash Britney is out surviving her Hollywood peers.

I attended part of the Queer Lounge’s panel, The Advocate Presents Gay Filmmakers and Sexual Provocation, moderated by my The Advocate colleague/film critic, Kyle Buchanan. I sat down with panelist Bruce LaBruce afterwards, to discuss his Sundance feature, Otto: Or, Up With Dead People. The timing was perhaps off, but I asked him which Hollywood star could do with a zombification. “Zac Efron,” he replied. “He already wears enough eyeliner.”

Meanwhile, a few stars paraded through the QL en route to the Corbis Photo booth, including Anjelica Huston and Michael & Virginia Madsen.

A small bit of celebration was called for by the Oscar nomination announcements: one went to Freeheld, a Sundance 2007 short about a cancer-stricken lesbian’s fight to secure survivor benefits for her partner, for Short Documentary.

While Park City isn’t quite a gourmand’s paradise, the annual Stella Artois dinner for media and filmmakers is a coveted event and one of the best meals in town. The four courses, each paired with a Stella beer, were superb (especially the Monkfish with Lobster Risotto).

Film-wise, I caught Pretty Bird, a bizarre, not entirely likable film about an inventor, a schmooze, and an investor who join forces, and implode, while creating a jet pack. One of the three is revealed as gay in the final act, and meets a somewhat stereotypical old Hollywood ending for a gay character. A fact, as I remarked to the TIME reporter, made Ledger’s demise all the more ironic – his Brokeback character managed to avoid an early, tragic death, the norm for gays in cinema of old, but Ledger himself did not.