David Hyde Pierce, whom AfterElton.com confirmed was gay a little less than two weeks ago, won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in Curtains. His win is considered an upset as the out Raul Esparza was widely named as the front runner for his role in Company. Also of note is that Pierce thanked his partner Brian Hargrove during his acceptance speech. Pierce's doing so marks his highest profile yet as an out gay man and we applaud him for doing so. Check back shortly on the main page for our complete Tony Award coverage.

If you're not on the East Coast (I know I'm not), the Tonys are a chance to get a feel for what's happening on Broadway. I mean, sure, we all hear about the Spamalots and the Mama Mias, but I still have to explain Avenue Q to people. How many times does "The Internet is for Porn" need to be mixed with some anime video and uploaded to YouTube before people remember what show it comes from? So thanks to our own review of the nominees and too many minutes spent waiting for YouTube to load, I'm feeling like I know enough about the nominees to know who to cheer on.

Live with Regis and Kelly (Syndicated) Check local listings
Regis and Kelly are celebrating the upcoming Tony Awards by giving nominated shows show a national audience. Today, bisexual Broadway star Raúl Esparza makes an appearance performing with the cast of Company, a romantic comedy musical by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth.

Oprah Winfrey (Syndicated) Check local listings
Today's episode promises a meeting between a gay man and the skinhead who attacked him and left him for dead. This reminds me of the other reason why visibility is important -- the more visible we are, the more indefensible acts of violence like this become to the general populace.

As the World Turns (CBS) 1:00 PM EST
We hear that Noah Mayer, love interest to Luke Snyder and guypal to Maddie Coleman, makes another appearance today. Unfortunately, since Noah's storyline hasn't picked up momentum, confirmation is hard to find, but we can tell you what ATWT actors Van Hansis and Jake Silberman is doing today: they're filming scenes in Branson, MO, along with the rest of Oakdale's teens.

Screened Out: Gay Images in Film (Turner Classic Movies) starting at 5:00 PM EST
Tonight's films look at gay portrayals before the Hays Code required films to meet moral approval before being released. Tonight's films include Cecil B. Demille's The Sign of the Cross, an adaption of W. Somerset Maugham's Our Betters, and Wonder Bar.

Be sure to check out Queersighted.com, the official online partner, for more information on the month long event.

Hidden Palms (CW) 8:00PM EDT
Okay, we know that this show is pretty weak. But tonight there's a twist at the end that's kind of interesting, and the episode heavily features gay actor Leslie Jordan, who plays Jessie Jo, Johnnie's AA sponsor and kind of "fairy godmother". If you miss it, don't worry -- we'll have a recap up tomorrow.

Top Chef: 4 Star All Star (Bravo) 10:00 PM EST
Eight chefs from the first two seasons of Top Chef return to compete in a charity competition and serve their dishes to season three's chefs. Gay chef Dave Martin is one of the returning chefs. Unfortunately, Stephen and Tiffani are also back. For a sneak look at tonight's All Star show, go here. And we interviewed Top Chef's new judge, Queer Eye alum Ted Allen. Check back on Tuesday to see what he has to say about the new season and the sexual tension between him and co-judge Tom Colicchio.

Charles Nelson Reilly was one of those celebrities whose name was widely recognized, but many folks--especially younger ones--had little idea what he was actually famous for. In fact, mention of his name over the past ten years often provoked the response "He's still alive?"

Sadly, that statement is now accurate as Reilly died this past Friday from pneumonia after a year long illness. His only survivor is his partner Patrick Hughes III, whom Reilly met in the early 80's on a gameshow called Battlestars.

I think what's most important to remember about Reilly is that he provided a stepping stone between the era of completely closeted actors and today when T.R. Knight and Neil Patrick Harris can be openly gay. Yes, Reilly was a somewhat campy figure, but for many gay men of the 70's he was daring and was a role model when there were precious few. Homophobia likely robbed him of the career he should have had, but he persevered nonetheless and improved life for those gay men who came after him.

Like many somewhat famous people, by the end of his life Reilly was well-known for mostly one thing, but actually had a multi-faceted career, much of which is long forgotten. In Reilly's case, he was tagged as the game show guy (along with Paul Lynde) having appeared on Match Game from 1972-1982. Reilly later lamented that being associated with the game show killed his serious acting career which included a Tony Award. In a 2001 interview with The Advocate Reilly said. "You can't do anything else once you do game shows. You have no career."

Like Hollywood Squares' Lynde, Reilly often adopted an exaggerated, campy persona on air. But Reilly also appeared dozens of times on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and had roles on shows as diverse as McMillan and Wife (with Rock Hudson), The X-Files, and Spongebob Squarepants.

Reilly didn't officially come out until his one man stage show Save It For the Stage: The Life of Reilly in 1999, but Reilly also said he never hid his sexuality and was even told being so openly gay hurt his career. The name for his play was inspired by his mother who used to interrupt him while speaking by telling him to "Save it for the stage".

Some other Reilly facts:

• At age thirteen survived the Hartford Circus Fire which killed nearly 200 audience members. Reilly refused to ever sit in an audience again
• Got his stage break in a minor role in Bye Bye Birdie in 1960
  
• Won a Tony for his role in 1962's How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• As an acting teacher taught Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler
• Received a Best Director Tony nomination in 1997