We've been talking for a while now that while we love Mad Men for more than just the gorgeous ashtrays and hilarious fashions, we wish that closeted gay Salvatore (played by out actor Bryan Batt) had more to do.

Well, it looks like old Sal has had a disaster dropped in his lap, in the form of a new gay character. While the revelation isn't by any means a game-changer or a huge twist, I'll put a SPOILER warning for folks who haven't seen last night's ep and continue the discussion after the break. But I will say that it was the first time the show has tackled gay themes head-on and has bumped the series way up on our must-see list.

After the jump you can watch a short scene from last night's episode featuring the gay character, and learn more about the young actor who plays him.

Out (and brilliant) funnyman Stephen Fry and friends launch his new book, Stephen Fry in America

Following this assortment of carefully-selected news items, interested readers can find a refreshing pic of a hot man in underwear after the jump. Yes, we're serious.

• The ever-fashionable Tim Gunn will be hosting an upcoming event benefitting GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis): Fashion Forward will showcase the fashions of several new, established, and rising designers and benefit a worthy cause. Check out more details and a promo video over here.

• I've loved me some Bryan Batt since he delivered that hilarious Les Miz monologue in Jeffrey. But the Mad Men star's thoughtful responses in his interview with CNN about gays in Hollywood makes me love him even more.

• Straight Daniel Radcliffe has a non-sexual man-crush on his Equus co-star, the also-straight Lorenzo Pisoni. He notes, "If I was gay or a female I'd just want to marry him. He's gorgeous, and he's a really cool bloke as well." And then he blinded him with an awl.

• Above, our news-minded sibs at 365Gay have the final word on the Mark Foley intern harassment case.

• To say that the New York Musical Theatre Festival was "really gay" might seem a no-brainer. But seriously, this year's lineup is, like, reallyREALLYgay.

And today's Briefs are brought to you by...

I watch a lot of television and Mad Men is by far one of the best shows on for many reasons. Whether you find Jon Hamm's mysterious yet sultry Don Draper appealing or whether you're a fan of the gender politics of the time, a huge shout out is in order to AMC for airing such a show and to Matthew Wiener for creating such a twisted masterpiece.

One of the more subtle and sometimes easy-to-overlook characters is the closeted Art Director of Sterling Cooper, Salvatore Romano, played by out actor Bryan Batt.

Elliot Lawrence (Paul Keeley)

Last season we caught a glimpse of just how repressed dear old Sal can be when he met up with Belle Jolie head honcho Elliot Lawrence. Ever since that touch and Elliot's advances we've been waiting for more insight into just where Sal stands in his own sexual skin.

I'm torn as to whether or not Sal knows 100% that he's gay; he's the best actor in the room if he does. Not only can he yuk it up with the boys and put a gal down, he's gone as far as to take a wife this season! That's right, Sal has a beard, which kills me because I'm a huge fan of Sarah Drew who plays his betrothed, Kitty Romano. Is this the biggest cover up on the show? If so, Don Draper could take a cue from our quiet queer.

Sal and his Beard (Sarah Drew)

This season has featured Sal on a weekly basis as one of the usual entourage but last night was the first time he had more than 3 or 4 lines followed by a sly smirk to play with. A couple weeks back (Ep. 2.03 "The Benefactor") Elliot made a reappearance but the two barely had a moment or two to chat. Elliot asked how Sal was doing and he coldly replied. A tense scene that spoke volumes yet there has been no follow up or focus on Sal's personal life since ... until now.

Out actor Bryan Batt (Mad Men's Salvatore) at the Season 2 premiere

In a continued effort to bring you all that is important in the world of gay entertainment and ensure that you are being spoon-fed images of gorgeous, commoditized manflesh, we present the newly-minted AfterElton Briefs. Following the usual assortment of carefully-selected news items, interested readers can find a refreshing pic of a hot man in underwear after the jump. Yes, we're serious.

• Hey Randy Harrison fans! The out Queer as Folk alum is back at the Berkshire Theater Festival this summer, this time doing Beckett's Waiting for Godot. There's a fresh interview with him over here.

• George Michael performed on Good Morning America today and spoke about his history of drug busts and that fateful bathroom visit in Beverly Hills. Says George, "I meant to do that..."

• The good news: Jurassic gossip Liz Smith is reporting on George Takei's upcoming wedding just like she would on any other celebrity's. The bad news: She's doing it on FOX News, and makes a rather odd comment about William Shatner being "too butch" to attend.

• Above, ridiculously cool guest judge Natalie Portman comes out from behind the Project Runway Shadowpuppet Screen of Infamy, causing one designer to "freak out" and another to almost "pee her pants." Smell Watch what happens!

• The Newsweek cover story on the murder of 15-year-old Lawrence King is infuriating and fascinating in the same breath. Is it a coincidence that the victim and his murderer both had parents with histories of drug abuse and arrests, and that both kids themselves were troubled, disruptive, and prone to criminal behavior themselves? And yet the lesbian assistant principal who supported King's self-expression is taking the heat from many of those involved. Insane.

And today's Briefs are brought to you by...

So on Friday night I left the house (I know, crazy, right?) in the rain to brave the crowds at the annual Out 100 party in downtown Manhattan. It was a night of elbow-rubbing, open-bar-flocking gay media craziness, and I have a few tidbits to share for those of you who missed my live Twitter from the event or couldn't read my bizarre abbreviated Jumpin' Jack Flash-esque updates. (For future reference, "Cat meows, no galoshes for baby" means "Tori Spelling's purple dress was fierce, but I could have done without the mushroom risotto.")

Highlights

• Easily the highlight of the night for me was meeting Dale Levitski, almost-Top-Chef and all-around nice guy. I asked if he thought that he was portrayed accurately on the show (which he really should have won, having brought it in spades to the final challenge), and he said it was "a ditzy version" of the real Dale that made it to broadcast. He's opening his own restaurant in Chicago and when I saw him he was canoodling with Jack Mackenroth from the upcoming season of Project Runway. I asked if there was some Bravo incest going on and he said "Well...?" but the fact that the two were holding hands when he said it pretty much answered the question. Hot! Seriously, just as sweet as I'd hoped, and all the best to him and to Jack, who has some pretty big gay reality contestant shoes to fill. Jack, also very nice, told me he's pretty happy with how he comes off in the season, which starts Wednesday. We'll have to tune in to find out!

• Mary-Louise Parker was a total goofball, which really surprised me given how stiff I've always found her to be in interviews and events. She even told a gay oral sex joke when receiving her award ... know your audience, I guess!

• Gina Gershon, likewise, was great. She looked hot, but I maintain that if you piled her hair on her head and attacked her with eyeliner she'd be a dead ringer for Amy Winehouse. For real.

• Bryan Batt gave a fun and animated acceptance speech and Paul Rudnick introduced him, which was really nice and made me feel that I wasn't 100 years old.

• Honoree Jennifer Hudson looked fantastic. I wish she would have performed (especially given who did, more on that later) but I guess she was there to be admired, not sing for her supper.

• Other sightings: Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear, Marc Jacobs, Peter Stickles from The Lair (had a nice chat with him, he heads back in February to shoot Season 2), the gay judge guy from Shear Genius, the Target dog, Michael Musto, Andy Cohen, and about 100 other stylists/designers/fashion gurus that I recognized from a host of other makeover shows, reality competitions and my own nightmares.

Lowlights

• When I got home I discovered in horror that my gift bag included a DVD of famously homophobic buddy comedy Wild Hogs. What, Cruising was out-of-stock?
  

• For some reason Mya was there to perform, and for some reason she sang "Lady Marmalade". Funny, just the other day I was saying to someone, "You know, I really wish it was 2001 again, don't you?"

• Speaking of disposable pop tarts whose popularity with the gays has me continually mystified, Kelly Rowland was there to present someone some kind of something. I of course immediately wanted to yell, "Hey, Kelly - thanks for using the word "faggot" in Freddy vs. Jason!" Yes, I can hold a grudge. Especially when she helped ruin not one, but TWO horror franchises.

Here it is, folks, Out Magazine's biggest cover of the year, which features Out 100 special honorees Bryan Batt, Jennifer Hudson, Mary-Louise Parker, Bill T. Jones, and Thom Browne.

But that's not all: breaking news from the Out Mothership reveals that this year there will be a 101st honoree, Annie Lennox. Lennox will receive the Humanitarian of the Year award and will screen a short film detailing her efforts to combat AIDS in Africa at tonight's ceremony.

Congrats to all honorees, many of whom I hope to attack at the party tonight. For the full list and lotsa fun pics, check out the Out 100 website.

UPDATE: It also looks like I'll be Twittering live from the event tonight right here on the blog, so check back in for all the up-to-the-minute dish. It'll be like the As the World Turns liveblogs, only I'll have pants on!