That's right, folks: thanks to your votes, there's a new sheriff in town!

Your votes have been tabulated, and As the World Turns' spunky-yet-virginal budding gay activist Luke Snyder has unseated General Hospital: Night Shift's Dr. Kyle Julian as the Reigning Gay of the airwaves.

To find out by how much Luke won and why he beat out Julian, Eric van der Woodsen (Gossip Girl) and Charlie Sagansky (Raising the Bar) for the title, keep reading! 

Van Hansis, Jake Silbermann, Laurence Lau

Anyone who watches As The World Turns knows that the character of Brian Wheatley (Laurence Lau)), unaffectionately known as Wheatables, has had a problem with Luke (Van Hansis) and his pesky outness. Many times people have wondered "what's his problem?". Well, we may soon have the answer!

Find out more after the break.

There has been a ton of speculation over what is going to happen with Luke and Noah on ATWT now that Noah is getting hitched to Ameera. And a lot of that speculation has centered around whether Nuke was getting dumped from the show altogether due to the controversy. Part of that speculation is fueled by the fact that Van Hansis' contract is about to expire and supposedly hasn't been renewed by the show. Well, good news then — according to a source very close to the show, Van has re-signed with the show and won't be going anywhere.

Jake Silbermann, however, is still a recurring character and will continue as such for now meaning he isn't signed to a contract like Van. But my source says there are no plans at this time for Jake to exit the show either.

I want to again emphasize I've been told repeatedly that Noah isn't going back into the closet and won't suddenly develop romantic feelings for Ameera. But, just as I said w-a-a-y back when Luke came out and again when Noah joined the show, this is a soap opera and the very nature of soaps is conflict. Lovers cheat, get addicted to drugs, are possessed by demons, kidnapped, have fights, etc. And I don't expect Nuke's storyline to be any different.

In fact, I'd be annoyed if they were. My litmus test for how a show treats its gay characters is that it handles them the same way as the others on their show. That means, of course, that ATWT has failed when it comes to matters of Nuke kissing and consummating their relationship — no small thing. But I don't have a problem with Noah marrying Ameera or any of the other complications that will ensue. And I'm told they will ensue and things will get complicated for our guys.

But for those, like me, who think the show has done more things right than wrong, the news that Van is sticking around is great news indeed. Long live Nuke and their problems.

In last week's BEST.GAY.WEEK.EVER! column I mentioned that an upcoming storyline on As The World Turns would involve Noah coming to spend the holidays at the Snyder family farm. And tomorrow's preview indicates just that, although it appears Luke's grandmother stands to come between the two lovers. How exactly? Check it out after the jump, but if you read my column, you'll already have an idea of why she objects. And I actually agree with her!

A wise woman named Gloria Loring once said, "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life." Our favorte Oakdale Alpha Gay Teen, Luke Snyder, is certainly feeling the up-and-down these days, and I don't mean in the same way that his mother is.

On the upside, Luke and his wishy-washy new love Noah just today scored high marks on the AfterElton.com Readers' Choice list of the Top 25 Gay TV Characters ... <echo voice> OF ALL TIME </echo voice>. What small-town Temporarylized teen wouldn't be delighted by such news?

Well, considering the day that Luke is apparently about to have, he doesn't have much room for celebration. Not only are his puppy-dog nuzzlings with Noah coming up dry, but he learns the truth about his wayward mother. Bummer!

How will things go down for our fortune-frenzied fave? Click on through the jump and refresh often to find out as it happens...

The coming out scene is a staple of gay stories, as it's an important moment gay people experience repeatedly in their lives. In honor of National Coming Out Day, here's a few of my favorite coming out scenes.

Luke Snyder
From: As the World Turns

Right now, Van Hansis is breaking new ground as part of the first gay male romance on an American soap opera, but Luke Snyder's coming out was memorable as well for giving us so much nuance in his family's reaction. Holden had suspected Luke was gay for some time (his only concern being that Luke hadn't felt free to confide in him), while Lily felt betrayed at the idea of people in her family knowing things that she didn't. While Luke's parents were both inclined to be supportive of him, their reactions included a mix of emotions that made it one of the most memorable moments in recent memory for ATWT fans.

Steven Carter
From: Get Real

This mostly sweet teen romance climaxes when Steven comes out at his graduation ceremony. The heartfelt speech is bittersweet since Steven's boyfriend, John Dixon, remains firmly closeted, ensuring that the relationship cannot continue.

Marco DelRossi
From: Degrassi: The Next Generation

When Dylan couldn't stand being in a relationship with a closeted boyfriend any longer he broke up with Marco, leading to a rather sensitive scene where Marco's mother figures it all out from seeing her son heartbroken.

Jamie and Ste
From: Beautiful Thing

Beautiful Thing ended with the unforgettable image of Ste and Jamie slow dancing in the courtyard of their housing complex. As the camera pulls back, Cass Elliot's "Dream a Little Dream" plays and their neighbors react to the sight of the youths being so openly affectionate with each other.

News, interviews, reviews, recaps and links related to As The World Turns: Luke & Noah Go to the As The World Turns community forums Features As the World Turns' Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann Answer Your Questions The stars of ATWT reveal more about themselves and their gay characters. Interview With As the World Turns' Jake Silbermann The actor playing As the World Turns' newest gay hunk tells all. Interview With Van Hansis The actor who plays Luke on As The World Turns talks about his role as daytime tv's most visibly gay teen Soaps Come Clean About Gay Teens With two gay male characters currently featured on soap operas As The World Turns and General Hospital, daytime television has an opportunity to better represent gay identity. AfterElton.com's blog coverage for ATWT: Luke & Noah Includes Brian Juergens' liveblogging recaps of the show. Recent Video Clips

Complete Archive of earlier As The World Turns Nuke clips. (1-15)