Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Television Characters

David A. Wyatt has compiled a very comprehensive list of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered television characters. To be listed a character should have "appeared in at least three episodes and be explicitly gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered." MarkH has compiled a good list of the soap characters which I am going to include below along with a few additions. The first date is the date they debuted or were revealed to be gay. 1977, The Young and the Restless, Katherine Chancellor 1977, The Young and the Restless, Joanne Curtis 1977, Days of Our Lives, Sharon Duvall In 1977 the unhappily married Sharon Duval (Sally Stark) admitted to her dear friend Julie Williams that she was bisexual and was in love with her. The story line was quickly wrapped up when problems broke out backstage between head writer Pat Falken Smith and the NBC top brass. 1983, All My Children, Lynn Carson After Devon McFadden discovered Lynn was a lesbian, she convinced herself that a relationship with a woman was the answer to her problems. Lynn wisely told her that you don't just choose to become a lesbian because your affairs with men don't work out. After about 2 or 3 months, Lynn decided to get on with her life and moved away from Pine Valley. 1985, Santa Barbara, Channing Capwell, Jr 1985, Santa Barbara, Lindsay Smith This soap opera opened its first episode with the release from prison of the wrongly convicted murderer of Channing Capwell Jr. In the course of finding the real killer, it was discovered that Channing's past included affairs with his father's mistress and someone named Lindsay Smith. More investigation turned up that Lindsay was another man. Some of this story was played out in flashback wherein Channing and Lindsay appeared. 1988, As The World Turns, Hank Elliott Hank was a dress designer, who had come to town to find occupation away from his HIV+ lover Charles. Various characters reacted differently to Hank's coming out to them. 1992, One Life to Live, Billy Douglas 1992, One Life to Live, Jonathan Michaelson 1992, One Life to Live, Rick Mitchell Billy Douglas moved into Llanview in the summer of 1992, a 17 year old highschool senior. Billy's struggle to come out to himself and his homophobic parents, in the midst of a town bitterly divided over a rumour that the local minister might be gay, occupied a substantial share of OLTL air time over the summer of 1992. Jonathan, lover of the minister's late brother, showed up to ask for help making a quilt panel. Billy met Rick Mitchell carolling on Christmas eve 1992 and left for Yale the next summer. 1994, General Hospital, John Hanley Beginning in 1994 the character of John Hanley was a recurring character, each year co-chairing the annual AIDS Ball charity fundraiser. The character and the actor were both HIV-positive, and when actor Lee Mathis died in early 1996, John Hanley's [off screen] death was mourned on the show. 1995, All My Children, Michael Delaney 1995, All My Children, Rudy In 1995 producers introduced a full-time (as opposed to short-term) gay character. Michael's sexual orientation was revealed several months after his addition to the cast. In the ensuing controversy about a gay teacher in the classroom, `Mr. D.' developed a platonic friendship with an employee of the local TV station. Kevin, one of Mike's students and the leading homophobe's younger brother, came out. 1995, Guiding Light, Wyatt Sanders Wyatt, a recurring character, was an HIV counselor and appeared in several episodes between 1995 and 1997. 1996, All My Children, Kevin Sheffield 1996, All My Children, Brad Phillips By September 1996 Mike and Brad had started dating, and moved in together in January 1997. Actor Chris Bruno was contracted for only occasional appearances (a few times per year) after April 1997. During the summer of 1997 Kevin endured "reparative therapy" by a conversion therapist sponsored by his homophobic parents. 1996, The City, Azure C. 1997, All My Children, Rick 1997, General Hospital, Ted Murty Ted Murty [occasional from 1997] was erroneously suspected in the sexual assault of a female student. 1997, One Life to Live, Wendie Mercury 1999, Passions, Simone Russell 2000, All My Children, Bianca Montgomery 2000, All My Children, Rain Wilkins 2000, All My Children, Sarah Livingston 2002, All My Children, Olga Sosnovska 2002, All My Children, Maggie Stone 2004, The Bold and the Beautiful, Sergei 2005, As The World Turns, Luke Synder A character since his birth, in the spring of 2006 teenager Luke came out, to varied reactions from his family and friends. Luke's first crush was his straight best friend Kevin Davis (Karl Girolamo). 2005, General Hospital, Lucas Jones A character since his birth, during the winter of 2005/6 college student Lucas grew to realize he was harboring a secret sure to distress his family situation. 2005, One Life To Live, Daniel Colson 2005, One Life to Live, Mark 2006, All My Children, Zarf/Zoe Luper Erica Kane's lesbian daughter Bianca Montgomery returned full time to the program from fall 2006 to April 2007 (without girlfriend Maggie). In what was perhaps one of the most convoluted attempts to avoid portraying a same-sex romance, AMC introduced Zarf, a male-to-female transsexual (played by a male actor) to provide Bianca a love interest. 2006, General Hospital, Guy Richardson Guy and Lucas Jones began dating in May, 2006, and they both promptly disappeared from view. 2006, Passions, Chad Harris-Crane 2006, Passions, Vincent Clarkson-Crane Somewhat unconventional American daytime drama, mixing complex, interrelated families with a 300-year-old supernatural meddler. Simone is daytime's first African-American lesbian. In early 2007 is was revealed that Chad was having an affair with another man. Chad's lover Vincent would go to any lengths to keep the affair secret. Chad's heterosexuality was eventually rescued when it was revealed that Vincent was a hermaphrodite and Chad was sleeping only with Vincent's female anatomy. Vincent turned out to be a serial killer and (using his male parts) a rapist. 2007, As The World Turns, Noah Mayer 2008, As The World Turns, Reg Addington 2008, As The World Turns, Tony Noah's speedy connection with Maddie Coleman told Luke Snyder his heart was heading down the wrong path again. Soapy plots have included a Noah's crazed, homophobic father, Luke's tenure paralized in a wheelchair, and Noah's green-card-sham marriage to Ameera, a wayward Iraqi. Early story characterized by well-written plot developments separated by weeks or months of the character being sidelined by the writers. A vocal campaign by Luke & Noah fans seemed to break down story barriers inside the production company circa May 2008. In February 2008, the characters of Reg and Tony were introduced as fellow gay Oakdale U students.

Soaps On The Entertainment Shows Last Night

In Italy, a voice (Ridge Forrester) has been stilled When Claudio Capone died of a stroke a week ago, actors John Travolta, Don Johnson and Ronn Moss all lost their voice -- in Italian. The 55-year-old Mr. Capone was a towering figure -- a leading doppiatore, or dubber, in a land that has for decades shunned movies with subtitles in favor of Hollywood popcorn blockbusters buttered with rapid-fire Italian staccato. The best Italian dubbers are themselves actors who boast symbiotic relationships with Hollywood stars, mastering their verbal tics to the point that Italian audiences consider dubbers inseparable from the people they dub. "He is very much part of the character for me," said Mr. Moss, who plays the repentant playboy Ridge Forrester on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. Mr. Capone had dubbed Mr. Moss for Italian viewers since the show began more than two decades ago, and now producers are scrambling to find a replacement. Deep Soap: Feel Free To Skip The Boring Parts of This Column Sara A. Bibel blogs: "Many of us soap viewers share a dirty little secret -- the fast forward button. When that character you hate or the couple you find the opposite of romantic comes on screen, a simple press of the button and they’re gone – along with the commercials. It saves time, it lowers blood pressure, and makes the viewing experience more pleasurable." BLOG UPDATE: Lynn Liccardo "...my little ten-minute plays bear little resemblance to today’s plot-driven soaps, they do evoke Amherst professor William H. Prichard’s 1986 description of soap operas as 'a seemingly endless process by which people talk themselves into and out of happiness and misery.' Kind of like the lives we lead and the stories we tell." Local soap opera to debut from former soap writer SO YOU WANT TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY is a soap opera billed as a humorous take on the daily interactions that take place in Rhinebeck between old-timers, weekenders and newcomers. The writer, Sam Hall, is a former writer for DARK SHADOWS and ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Both shows starred Hall's late wife, Grayson. The Halls bought a home in Rhinebeck in 1979, and began staying fulltime in the 1990s. So far, Hall has enough material for four episodes; he said the script is based on many of his personal experiences. The project came about when Hall approached Kathy Hammer, president of PANDA, local cable access Channel 23, with the idea of a soap opera-like program, involving local talent and residents. EVENT: Michael Damian in Clifton Park for the 4th of July In Clifton Park, join Ric Mitchell and Laura Daniels of B95.5 for the event at Clifton Common. Check out Sirsy, the Audiostars and a special appearance by Michael Damian from THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. His show begins at 4 p.m. BLOG UPDATE: Tom Casiello "Tom's Residual Religious Experience" thanks to the WGA. Today's OTLL like the glory days of GL? Patrick Erwin writes: "I watched OLTL a bit here and there (especially during the first Malone years), but I am really drawn to the quality of the show now. What could I possibly say about OLTL that has not been said before — about the writing, the characters, the pacing? Nothing, that’s what. So instead of trying to recap OLTL, I decided I’d try to tell you why I’m loving OLTL so much … by talking about GUIDING LIGHT."

Evening News

1 INTERVIEW: B&B's Texas Battle burns up CBS Daytime "You want to make sure when you come into a show that’s been airing for years, you want to make sure you are on your A-game. You want to be professional, and you also want to make sure that you’re liked and that you’re not bringing a prima donna attitude to the set. You want to make sure that you get along with everybody and that you mesh. So you definitely don’t want to step on anybody’s toes. coming on to the set, especially, being the new guy in town. You just want to make your mark saying, 'I’m here, and I’m taking this seriously just like you guys are, and I want to make the best possible chance I can while I’m here on the show. Let’s get to it, let’s go to work.' Especially Susan Flannery, like you said, they’ve been there since day one. Ronn Moss has as well, then you have Katherine Kelly Lang, she’s been there since day one, and John McCook. You know what? They all have welcomed me with open arms. It’s like a family over there, and that’s one thing that is really keeping everything together. It’s keeping the show going and keeping such freshness over there because everyone is like a family. You can’t ask for anything better than that when you’re going to be a new character on a series." On the Soap Shrink’s Couch: Y&R's Kevin Fisher Damon L. Jacobs writes: "Kevin Fisher came blazing into The Young and the Restless‘ Genoa City five years ago with rage in his heart, fire in his eyes, violence in his fists, and chlamydia in his … well, you know. He spent a significant portion of his time chasing after Lily, lying, manipulating, setting fires, breaking mirrors. As his violence escalated, it became more and more clear there was a tortured young man inside who was acting out his hatred against himself more than anyone else." 1 WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Amanda Seyfried Amanda Seyfried has come a long way. Starting off as a child model, she ventured into the world of show business first by recurrently appearing on soaps like AS THE WORLD TURNS and ALL MY CHILDREN. Then she made her way to the big screen by portraying a ditzy "Plastic" in Mean Girls, which eventually led to her role as a doomed high-school beauty on VERONICA MARS and her current small screen gig as Sarah Henrickson on HBO's BIG LOVE. Now, she takes the center stage as she leads the film version of the musical Mamma Mia!, which will hit theaters on July 18. NEIGHBOURS star in horror pneumonia flight NEIGHBOURS darling Kym Valentine has endured a nightmare flight home from New York after coming down with pneumonia and spending the journey seriously ill. Valentine, who plays Libby Kennedy on the long-running soap, was rushed to hospital as soon as she landed in Melbourne on Saturday morning, the Daily Telegraph reports. The actress reportedly told flight attendants on boarding the plane that she felt ill, and later became so unwell she was floating in and out of consciousness. At one point flight staff were forced to administer oxygen. Valentine is now recovering in hospital, where it is believed that boyfriend and fellow actor Vince Colosimo is fixed by her bedside.

Flashback: Shawn Christian 1996

Last night's entertainment shows featured several soap appearances. First Caitlin Van Zandt from GUIDING LIGHT appeared on THE INSIDER to follow up on her lap-band surgery. Then Cyndi Lauper appeared on ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT to promote her appearance on AS THE WORLD TURNS today. Later, THE SOUR PRESENTS on E! made fun of Taylor on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL.

Flashback: The Edge of Night 1980

Amateurs get chance for a role on HOLLYOAKS 1 Ever watched an episode of HOLLYOAKS and thought you could do better than some of the actors? Well, if you live or work in Merseyside, you could get the chance to prove it. The soap is joining forces with NOW THAT'S WHAT WE CALL CULTURE, which is searching for the most talented people in the region. Singers, dancers and performers of all kinds will get their chance to audition at the Echo Arena on August 6 and 7. A dozen lucky finalists will then compete in a special show on Friday August 8, where there'll be judged by a panel including Tony Wood, the creative director of Lime Pictures, the company behind HOLLYOAKS. The winners will be given a guest appearance in the soap, £1,000 in cash and the chance to take part in Liverpool's Capital of Culture closing ceremony. Hollyoaks' creator Phil Redmond told the show's website: "Even if you don't want to perform, come and support and celebrate those that do - and judging from the various local talent shows I have been at this year - this show will be one well worth seeing!" 1 Ex-EASTENDER Jack Ryder lands job on THE BILL Former EASTENDER Jack Ryder is to make a return to TV - in police drama THE BILL. The 26-year-old actor - best known for playing Albert Square heartthrob Jamie Mitchell - met producers last week about joining the ITV series. He is set to play a new character called Duane Howe. It will be the first highprofile TV job the star has landed since his EASTENDERS character was killed off in 2005. INTERVIEW: Former ANOTHER WORLD, LOVING and 90210 actor Luke Perry "There are certain things I wanna do before I’m done. I want to run on top of a train. If the script says I get to run on top of a train, I’ll do it. I accepted a role awhile back – my manager didn’t want me to because it wasn't that good – but the script called for running on top of a train. I didn’t care; I wanted to do it, so I took the role. The movie ended up falling through, though, which I guess was good." CORRIE star reveals financial woes CORONATION STREET star Bev Callard has admitted that she is in a financial crisis. The actress, who plays Liz McDonald on the ITV1 soap, revealed that she fears for the future of her two pub businesses after being hit by the credit crunch. Callard and her partner Jon McEwan are landlords at the White Horse pub in Eccles, Manchester, and trendy bar The Gallery in Hale, Cheshire. "If only running a real pub was half as easy as it looks on CORONATION STREET," Bev told the News of the World. "The way we run The Rovers on telly is in the realms of make-believe. If it was in the real world it would have shut down years ago. 90210 alumni back on TV Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello reports that 90210 alum Shannen Doherty is in talks to reprise her role as Brenda Walsh on the spinoff and since Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling are already on board, it can mean only one thing: catfight. EXHIBIT: DALLAS: Power & Passion on Primetime TV "Dallas is not a phenomenon of 30 years ago, but actually is continuing to bring in new viewers," said Janet Staiger, curator of "DALLAS: Power & Passion on Primetime TV," a new exhibit at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin. The exhibit, which runs through Sept. 14, chronicles how the show's memorable characters, scandalous story lines and TV firsts – most notably the "Who shot J.R.?" cliffhanger – spawned a global juggernaut that continues to fascinate legions of fans. HOLLYOAKS Jennifer Metcalfe is back with Jermaine Pennant Soccer star Jermaine Pennant has got his Mercedes back—and she's definitely top of the range. Soap star lover Jennifer Metcalfe — Mercedes McQueen on HOLLYOAKS — says she's thrilled they reversed their decision to split. Showing the beautiful bodywork that tempted him back, and talking for the first time about their rekindled romance, the 25-year-old actress said: "We are together again. Things are going well and we're very happy."

Daytime Nielsen Ratings June 23-27, 2008

From the ABC Daytime ratings release: * Easily Daytime's No. 1 network, ABC clinched its 7th consecutive victory among Women 18-49 (1.3 rating/864,000), towering over NBC (1.1 rating/749,000) and CBS (1.1 rating/716,000) by 18%. * Daytime's No. 1 program for the second week in a row in Women 18-34, "General Hospital" (1.2 rating/394,000) delivered its best ratings in five months (since week of 1/21/08) in the key youthful demo. * In Women 18-34, ABC delivered 4 of Daytime's Top 5 programs, marking the 12th straight week the net has placed at least 3 shows in the Top 5: "General Hospital" (No. 1, 1.2 rating/394,000), "The View" (No. 2T, 1.0 rating/340,000), "One Life to Live" (No. 2T, 1.0 rating/329,000) and "All My Children" (No. 5T, 0.8 rating/257,000). * In Women 18-49, all ABC programs positioned as Top 5 players in Daytime for the fourth time in five weeks, marking the 12th week in a row the net has placed at least 3 programs in the Top 5: "General Hospital" (No. 2, 1.5 rating/985,000), "One Life to Live" (No. 3T, 1.3 rating/859,000), "The View" (No. 3T, 1.3 rating/839,000), and "All My Children" (No. 5T, 1.2 rating/772,000). * Scoring Top 5 ranks in target young Women, "One Life to Live" surpassed time period competitor CBS' "As the World Turns" by a significant 78% in Women 18-34 (329,000 vs. 185,000) and by 34% in Women 18-49 (859,000 vs. 640,000). * With its most dominant victory in recent weeks, "General Hospital" surpassed time period competitor CBS' "Guiding Light" by a substantial 172% in Women 18-34 (394,000 vs. 145,000), by 75% in Women 18-49 (985,000 vs. 564,000) and by 33% in Total Viewers (2.80 million vs. 2.11 million). Following are the Daytime Lineup averages, plus Top 5 Programs Ranks - Week of June 23, 2008:Daytime Rank: Total Viewers Women 18-49 (Rtg/000s) No. 1 CBS 3.46 million No. 1 ABC 1.3/864,000 (+2,000) No. 2 ABC 2.78 million No. 2 NBC 1.1/749,000 (-4,000) No. 3 NBC 2.57 million No. 2 CBS 1.1/716,000 (+18,000) Top 5 Daytime Programs in Women 18-49 (rank based on rating)Program Net Rtg/000s The Young & the Restless CBS 1.6/1.02 million (-40,000) General Hospital ABC 1.5/985,000 (-57,000) One Life to Live ABC 1.3/859,000 (-8,000) The View ABC 1.3/839,000 (-44,000) All My Children ABC 1.2/772,000 (-2,000) Bold and the Beautiful CBS 1.2/778,000 (-5,000)

Lauper and ATWT Lived Up To The Hype

I have to admit that with all the hype surrounding Cyndi Lauper's appearance on AS THE WORLD TURNS today, I was afraid of a couple of things: 1) Most of the "good stuff" had been revealed in various behind the scenes clips 2) The Noah and Luke scenes would be short and choppy like usual and way too much of the story would be left to our imagination. I went into it hoping for the best. This was daytime's first gay pride celebration and a lot of potential new fans might be checking out ATWT today. Boy, did they not let me down. They not only lived up to the hype, they far exceeded it. 1 The show opened with Luke introducing himself to Cyndi as a writer for Oakdale U's school newspaper. He wondered why she would bring her True Colors Tour to a small town like Oakdale. She told him that small towns were so important since there tends to be less of a support system for gays. Later, Noah showed up with Tony, the "hot tub" guy from February, which lead Luke to tell Cyndi that they were broken up. She wasn't buying it claiming she was psychic and she knew they would get back together. She went on to perform "Into the Nightlife," her infectious new single, and then dedicated "True Colors" to Luke and Noah. The performance given by Van Hansis during "True Colors" was a masterpiece. I know Emmy voters don't appreciate subtlety and nuance but very few actor in daytime could have pull off the performance he gave today as Cyndi sang directly to him. That's what makes him so good. By the end of the song, Noah told Luke they needed to talk. Outside, Noah told Luke he was the only one for him and he wanted to be together. They shared the first of two kisses during the episode. The episode with a bit of a downer as Noah told Luke he couldn't be alone with him at the farm because he had enlisted in the Army, and had to leave to be processed in Chicago tomorrow. Despite not ending on a happier note, the show had served its purpose. Luke and Noah were brought back together and then seemingly torn apart again. In this single hour I laughed, I cried, I cheered and I even danced. What more could you ask for from a soap? It was pure entertainment from beginning to end. It's very rare I can say that these days. This is where I get personal. As a gay man of 38 who has watched soaps his entire life, I never thought I would see a show like today. I was incredibly moved when Cyndi was singing "True Colors" to Luke. Not only was I thinking about Luke's journey and how the words were true for him, I was thinking about myself and how I couldn't believe I was watching a gay pride event on AS THE WORLD TURNS on an episode which prominently featured a gay couple, Luke and Noah. There are days I feel the world is not very accepting and there are days when ATWT frustrates me to no end with the Luke and Noah storyline and the lack of airtime. But today was a day to celebrate how far we've come. Thank you to AS THE WORLD TURNS for telling a story no one else on daytime will tell. No matter how much hype other shows and producers and writers may get, no one can take away the groundbreaking storyline you have created and the special episode you created today. You are the only daytime soap who has shown the courage to tell a continuing love story for two gay men. This was not just a good soap episode. It meant something to me. And to lots of fans. Please continue to remember how "real" this story is for a lot of people and treat it with the sensitivity and class it deserves. Here are the clips today including both of Cyndi's fantastic performances.

Today's Soap Star Birthdays

Bill Hayes (Doug, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 83 Scott Holroyd (ex-Paul, AS THE WORLD TURNS) - 33 Kari Schlamann (Hannah, SCRIPTS & SCRUPLES) - 26

News Brief

The Nuke Fancast: Episode #6 Hilarious recap of last week's Luke and Noah scenes, the fans question of the week and the always touching "How Nuke Changed My Life" segment. 1 Checking in with ATWT's Austin Peck "I have to take off my hat to the writers, because everything I have been able to do as an actor started with what they have given me," Peck says. "They've allowed me to be goofy, to be silly, to be arrogant and obnoxious -- childlike, actually, like a big puppy dog. They see that's a big part of my personality, so they write toward that." INTERVIEW: Former AMC and current ARMY WIVES star Kim Delaney On reprising her role as Jenny on ALL MY CHILDREN if asked: "Uh-huh. I would do it. I love Agnes Nixon. I love the whole show. But I can't [now] — I have no time!" SOAPNet plans BEVERLY HILLS 90210 beach marathon On Saturday, July 26th, SOAPNet will glory in the 50 hottest moments of the original Fox series. From 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., ET/PT, three beach-oriented episodes of the show will be shown back-to-back-to-back, with six interstitials that will reveal from 1-50, the hottest "moments" in BH 90210 history. PHOTOS: Now it's the boys' turn... The HOLLYOAKS hunks strut their stuff 1 Not to be outdone by their female colleagues from Channel 4 soap HOLLYOAKS, the boys have stripped off...just weeks after the girls did the same. The HOLLYOAKS hunks were in Mallorca shooting the official 2009 calender and they certainly did not disappoint. It turned into more of a battle of the six packs then a friendly lark about the sun as the lads stripped off and showed the photographers what they were made of during the shoot. Deep Soap: Don’t Knock It Until You Try It Sara A. Bibel blogs: "Earlier this week I attended a networking event for people who work in New Media. (I figure I qualify now that I’m a blogger.) Hundreds of people crowded into a bar. We all attempted to schmooze over the loud music. I was introduced to the friend of a friend. When the small talk led to my soap writing past he said, 'I hope you won’t find this offensive but…' In my opinion, if you have to start a sentence that way with someone you’ve just met, it’s better to keep your mouth shut. He kept going. 'So is writing for soaps considered to be like writing for the National Enquirer? Do you just sit around throwing out crazy ideas?' It never ceases to amaze me how people who don’t watch soaps think they know about them. Most non-watchers think all soaps are as unrealistic as Passions. I try to explain that most shows take themselves more seriously, but they rarely believe it. These non-viewers have no qualms about telling me how the soap writing process works."