T.R. Knight says NO to the tune of $50K

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.

• Some good news and some bad news. The good news is that T.R. Knight has donated $50,000 to help defeat Proposition 8, which would strip same-sex couples in California of their right to marry. The bad news: The supporters of the bill are ahead in fundraising efforts and in the polls, so we need more people like Knight (the first gay Hollywoodian to pony up that kind of cash) to step up to the plate. For more info and to donate to the cause, check out NoOnProp8.

• The optimistically-titled LA Times piece "California Leads the Nation in Gay Rights" points out that even if Proposition 8 goes through (*shudder*), the state is still the pioneer for LGBT equality. Replied New York: "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!"

Marc Felion and Fausto Fernós of Feast of Fools with drag queen Teri Yaki as Amanda

• I'll totally watch the October 17th What Not to Wear episode where the gay Feast of Fools guys throw their female friend Amanda to the ever-fabulous Clinton and Stacy for renovation. Apparently the producers have said that it's "the gayest episode ever" ... isn't that kind of like saying that one of the Golden Girls eps was the "most menopausal"?

• Out British comedy actor Richard Wilson (Merlin, Doctor Who, One Foot in the Grave, Father Ted) will host the next Stonewall Awards, which honor entertainers who have had positive impact upon the lives of LGBT people.

Chad Allen (with Adam Grimes) is among the few out actors in soaps

• TVGuide Canada's soaps editor posted a lengthy discussion of why there are so few out actors in daytime (Lea DeLaria and Chad Allen, who's technically in nighttime, being the only two), when gay characters are becoming more common both before and after naptime.

• And in today's "gay porn past" news: Defamer is reporting that the new VP of casting for FremantleMedia (the company behind American Idol and The Price is Right) began his Hollywood career as gay porn star Jordan Young. Idol from the Sky, indeed!

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It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for; the moment we never thought would ever see the light of day. Yes, soap fans, Emmerdale’s loved up gay couple Paul Lambert (Mathew Bose) and Jonny Foster (Richard Grieve) have FINALLY done the deed and tied the knot! Not once but twice!

Of course, this being a gay soap wedding, the happy day was never going to go off without a hitch. With the bickering Blackstocks (that’s Paul’s proud parents, Rodney and Val) at loggerheads over the ceremony, Jonny and Paul decided to do a runner from their own wedding.

Have no fear though folks, the lovebirds simply decided to ditch being the star attraction at the Home Farm freak show in favour of a much simpler affair down at their local registry office.

But alas the newly married couple were far too chicken to break the news to either of their parents - not that anyone can blame them! So they decided to go ahead and get married again, this time in front of their family and friends, complete with Jonny’s best man Barry as a pretend registrar!

Despite being Emmerdale’s first gay wedding (sorry, civil partnership!) Paul and Jonny’s marriage was altogether something of a lacklustre affair. In fact, at times it felt like watching a Carry On film; I half expected to hear Kenneth Williams’s unmistakable laugh or one of Sid James’s classic filthy cackles! But at least Paul and Jonny got their happy ending. For now.

Highs: Paul and Jonny looking oh-so handsome in their snappy suits; and Jonny’s mum Patricia dolled up like a dog’s dinner – complete with a fashion accessory pooch tucked under her arm!

Lows: Bev the blubbering lesbian; Val’s tacky ice sculptures; and zero smooching between the lovebirds. Instead we had to make do with a brief peck on the cheek and a manly hug! What’s up with that?!

It's like this: we're losing. Bad.

I'm referring, of course, to the poll going on right now at hollywood.com's CBS Soaps site, where the whole queer Luke/Noah storyline is going down (sorry) to defeat.

Luke owns me for the best line ever in a soap, when he tells his female best friend Maddie, "Yes, Maddie, we're the perfect prom couple, except that I'm gay and your boyfriend is in jail." I hate when that happens.

But seriously (although it actually pains me to use that phrase), this storyline is a groundbreaking one. Luke is a character who has grown up on As the World Turns, and is a genuine part of the soap family. The introduction of Noah, an out gay teen who moves into town, has been creating a huge amount of buzz, and being treated like, well, the birth of a new soap uber-couple.

Right now, not so much with the deathless romance, though. In the poll, which asks "Should Luke pursue a relationship with Noah," here are over a thousand votes against, and only 122 for, their relationship. This is completely unacceptable. Go vote. Vote now. Vote often. Get your friends, family, and pets to vote.

Soap poll is here. And as your reward, under the jump is a little piece of the ongoing saga of Luke and Noah and best girlfriend Maddie.

I don't actually watch soap operas (no, shut up, I really don't!), but some of my best friends do, and one of them sent me this link the other day. She said, look, there was gay sex on Passions this week, you should write about it for that gay men's website you blog for.

And I thought, right, gay sex on television, like that's going to happen.

But it did, along with a sort of strange SM/retro-closeted/denial/coming out sort of vibe that kind of freaked me out.

This falls into a personal category of things I call res ipsa loquitur. And then my friends are all, oh Christie, stop trying to act all clever and speaking Latin and stuff, so I translate: this is one of those things that speaks for itself.

But then my editors go, ummm, Christie, we pay you to write, not point dumbly at a YouTube clip and say oh my god, they have the hot and somewhat kinky mansex on Passions.

But just watch this clip after the jump, and then you'll understand why I kind of thought it should speak for itself: