ichael Jensen from http://afterelton.logo-blogs.com ) and my own Top 7 List

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Cold Case’s unabashedly passionate gay relationship from two Sunday’s ago got me thinking about the most intriguing/groundbreaking relationships on television. David (Michael C. Hall) and Keith (Matthew St. Patrick) from Six Feet Under immediately leapt to mind and then all I could picture was David and Keith kissing. After a moment with that pleasant interlude, I remembered how much I enjoyed Kevin (Matthew Rhys) on Scotty (Luke MacFarlane) on Brothers & Sisters, and Will & Grace’s Will (Eric McCormack) and Vince (Bobby Cannavale).
There aren’t nearly as many gay couples to choose from as there should be, but the more I thought, the more I came up with. Some relationships may have only lasted a few episodes, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be meaningful and powerful. Heck, just look at the reaction to Jimmy and Coop on Cold Case’s Forever Blue. So here is my unofficial list of the most intriguing gay relationships on television.
12) Gus and Wally, Mission Hill
Yes, they’re animated, but that doesn’t mean the writers didn’t give them real heart. Besides having a passionate, longterm relationship the two fellows are in their late 60’s. They have to be included for that alone.
11) Simon Banks (Christopher Sieber) and Philip Stoddard (John Benjamin Hickey), It’s All Relative
No, it wasn’t an especially good show and didn’t last past the first season, but it was still one of the first (if not the first) network shows to have a gay male couple who were just a nice, boring suburban couple. Yes, they had to learn to be slightly more tolerant of their homophobic in-laws, but it was those in-laws who really had the learning to do. Plus the show featured the wonderful Harriett Sansom Harris. (Trivia fact: Hickey just played a military officer on last Sunday’s Brothers & Sisters.)
10) Joe (Steven W. Bailey) and Walter (Jack Yang), Grey’s Anatomy
Joe is the gay bartender where all the docs from Seattle Grace hang out at. While his boyfriend, Walter, has only appeared on two episodes so far, one of them was this season’s Where they Boy’s Are. The show didn’t shy away from the couple’s sexuality, their desire to have children, or their love for each other. Plus, the gay boys made better outdoorsmen than most of their straight counterparts.
9) Conrad Gates (Ben Price) and Noah Alexander (Marcel McCalla), Footballers’ Wives
This BBC night time soap opera not only offers up a same-sex couple, but Conrad is also that rarity on television–a bisexual man who doesn’t turn out to be a serial killer. Conrad is also completely comfortable in his sexuality enabling him to help Noah come out. True, he’s not the most ethical of guys (hey, it’s Footballers’ Wives; they’re all conniving backstabbers) and Noah’s storyline ultimately doesn’t end well, but it was good while it lasted.
8) Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty Wandell (Luke MacFarlane), Brothers & Sisters
Kevin and Scotty’s relationship may not have lasted nearly as long as many viewers hoped. But it came after what felt like a long drought in positive gay relationships, and gay viewers especially applauded the exploration of their storyline. Kevin and Scotty’s relationship was also unabashedly romantic and sexual. Plus their passionate same-sex kisses arrived without a lot of hoopla.
7) Jack McPhee (Kerr Smith) and Ethan (Andy Kaufman), Dawson’s Creek
It was big news back in 1998 when Jack McPhee came out on Dawson’s Creek. It was even bigger news when he kissed Ethan, the man he loved the following season. Their shared kiss was the first shown between two men since Melrose Place’s infamous cut away from Doug Savant’s same-sex kiss (which was supposed to be the first gay male kiss). Unfortunately, much of the good done by showing two teenagers falling in love was undone by some of Kerr’s statements to Entertainment Weekly. Said Kerr about kissing another man:
It’s not the most fun thing in the world, but I agreed to play this role and [producer] Greg Berlanti does want to take it that far. That’s as far as I’m going to take it. I don’t think teenagers need to see two guys kissing on a weekly basis.
Thank heavens for Doug Savant’s much more enlightened view.
The rest of the list is below the fold!

6) Vito Spatafore (Joseph Gannascoli) and Jim “Johnnycakes” (John Costelloe), The Sopranos
The Soprano’s Gay Vito proved gay men come in all shapes and sizes, and Gannascoli’s performance as a gay mobster riveted viewers. But it was when Vito hooked up with Johnnycakes that Vito truly came alive for the first time–a great irony given his ultimate fate.
5) Omar (Michael K. Williams) and Darnell (Ernest Waddell), The Wire
Before there was Gay Vito there was The Wire’s Baltimore version of Robin Hood, Omar Little. Omar is a stick-up man who robs drug-dealers and gives the money back to the drug addicts. Omar’s world may not be accepting of gay men, but that hasn’t kept Omar from falling in love several times, including with Darnell. Things may not end well for Omar and his men, but The Wire’s devoted viewers have been rewarded with a complicated, gritty, and realistic portrayal of black gay life in parts of poor, inner city urban America.
4) Will Truman (Eric McCormack) and Vince D’Angelo (Bobby Cannavale), Will & Grace
Will’s lack of a boyfriend got under many viewer’s skin as season after season went by without a love interest for the uptight lawyer. But when Vince strolled into Will’s life, the wait seemed worthwhile. Vince took some of the edge off of Will and made him seem more human. And it was nice having the show end with the two of them happily settled. (It didn’t hurt that there wasn’t a flash forward showing Vince getting gunned down as happened to another gay cop!)
3) Brian Kinney (Gale Harold) and Justin Taylor (Randy Harrison), Queer as Folk
I belong to the camp of gay men that never took to Queer as Folk and its Pittsburgh posse of gay men doing drugs when they weren’t doing each other. (At least that’s how it seemed to me and it is my list after all!) But there is no denying that QAF was the first show to be unapologetically gay and sexual, and no one on the show embodied that better than Brian and Justin.
2) Noah Nicholson (Daryl Stephens) and Wade Robinson (Jensen Atwood), Noah’s Arc
Like Queer as Folk, Noah’s Arc is a show that made no apologies for being gay, sexual, and African American. Unlike Brian and Justin, however, Noah and Wade were a couple I identified with and cheered for. From the first episode, when the still closeted Wade made his way toward self-acceptance to Noah’s unapologetic sense of style (which sometimes jumped the fashion shark–repeatedly) Noah and Wade were a couple it was hard to keep your eyes of off.
1) David Fisher (Michael C. Hall) and Keith Charles (Michael St. Patrick), Six Feet Under
When David and Keith first hit television screens in 2001 they were like nothing gay viewers had ever seen. They were as much a part of Six Feet Under as any of the other couples and just as flawed and sympathetic. Watching David fumble his way out of the closet and then watching the two men navigate the tricky waters of commitment was exactly the sort of thing gay viewers had so long hungered for. It’s a sad statement that network television still hasn’t come anywhere close to equaling the depth and heart of this relationship.

Okay, so the list above is a reprint of Michael Jensen's list which he posted on www.afterelton.com last December 14. Here'e my own:

7. Reichen Lehmkuhl and Chip Arndt in Amazing Race 4 - they were described as "Married" and they were a different kind of Alpha-Male team the show ever had; Buff, athletic, handsome, sexy and GAY. Thing is, whenever they reach the pitstop, they would only do hi-fives or hug. while other lovers either kiss or kiss and make-out. Anyway, it's nice to have a Jock gay couple win a reailty TV show, the first so far...the couple broke-up later but are still good friends, with Chip happy to be back in real corporate life and Reichen now dating Lance Bass
6. Brian and Michael ( Gale Harrold and Hal Sparks ), Queer as Folk - high school best friends and one time, they almost became lovers ( Mike's Mom, Debbie nearly caught them making out ), the two had each other for almost all their lives, usualy with Mikey rescuing Brian from trouble. Brian knew about Mikey's love for him, however, he refused to take it to the next level. In Season episode 11, he had to push Mikey away so his bestfriend could realize he had good fortune with Dr. Dave. Debbie would later tell Brian, "Christ, I was pissed at you last night. Everybody was. But right in the middle of my cussing you out, I finally figured it out. You can't do anything quietly, can you? Everything's got to be a spectacle, a drama...But he doesn't realize that it's the best thing that could ever happen. That you did him a favor. That maybe now he can finally have a chance to have a life."
5. Adam and Toby ( Jon Fleming and Charlie David ), Dante's Cove - In "Dante's Cove," they were mortal enemies in high school, best friends later in life; however, Toby had a major attraction for Adam which the Jock used to his advantage; just like how Brian kept Michael at some kind of leash which he yanks when his gay best friend falls for another man. In Season 2, Adam declares his love for Toby, saying it took him a long time to realize his feelings. Unfortunately for Adam, Toby now has Kevin whom he loves more than anything else in the world. i can't help but think of En Vogue's song "Too Gone, Too Long" when I think of that scene

4. Will Truman (Eric McCormack) and Vince D’Angelo (Bobby Cannavale), Will & Grace - Vince wasn't the hottest guy Will dated in "Will and Grace", but he was the sweetest. I think Vince was great because Will had a lover and a bestfriend in him; my theory is that Vince is Will's soulmate because in the show's finale, we see 2 future scenarios: Wil with Grace living in bitterness anf bitchyness, and a future where Will has Vince, Grace has Harry Connick, Jr. and that W & G are still bestfriends. I cried because that show was soo sweet, and it's the last time we'll see them...
3. Cliff Dobbs and Russell Baskins ( Frank Grillo and Dan Montgomery ), Wasteland - Russell, afraid that he will be outed by Cliff Dobbs, the journalist assigned to write a "fluff piece" on him, convinces Dawnie to pose as his fiancée. The gang quickly puts together a bogus engagement party for Cliff's benefit, but by the end of the evening Russell has grown tired of the charade and brings the party to a screeching halt by confessing to Cliff that he's gay. But it turns out that that was exactly what Cliff had been hoping to hear—and not because he wanted to write about it. They kissed on TV a lot of times, and this was in 1999, before Queer As Folk. Sadly, the series was cancelled after only 3 episodes...

2. Kevin and Toby ( Gregory Michael and Charlie David ), Dante's Cove- they are a gay couple with issues like ours, only compounded by a mad witch, an obsessive warlock, a "straight" bestfriend proposing a commitment with Toby and a lesbian bestfriend with magic like Akazukin Chacha ( if you watch anime, she's the litlle witch whose spells always backfires ) among many others. I've already posted my review for the show, please check it out, and you can download Season 1 and 2 on my group Iason R*cks Riki ( www.iasonfucksriki.multiply.com ). Here's an amazing snippet about what Gregory Michael thinks about the show:
"
"It's an amazing opportunity," Gregory said of being cast on the show, a gothic gay soap. " I think it's really great to see a show like this actually on a gay and lesbian channel."
I asked him for a preview of season two.
"Something is always happening on 'Dante's Cove.'" he said. " Do you want to know who I'm going to do this time?"
Um, sure.
"I have a boyfriend on the show, Charlie David plays my boyfriend, and this year you're going to see us get involved in some fiascos. Who's going to cheat on who and who reaps the benefits of cheating? That's what I want to know?"
Hmmmmm. Sounds intriguing. So what's it like for a straight man to play a gay man - especially a gay man who gets as much action as your character does? Gregory admitted that he was a little afraid to take such a sexual role on because, frankly, he didn't really know how to do convincing love scenes with another man.
" I'm a straight man. But Charlie's gay and I think if he weren't gay, it would be two straight guys who are kind of lost. Especially on the sex things, he can kind of teach me the right way. We work it out," he said."
Check out the entire artcile ant the great blog at: http://www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood/cable_tv_shows/

1. Ben and Michael ( Robert Gant and Hal Sparks ), Queer as Folk - Ben came into Michael's life in Season 2. I wish he had a cameo in Season 1, though. Ben has AIDS, and every gay man must have had panic attacks after every test afraid to test HIV+. Despite HIV and addiction to steroids, Ben was able to form a haelthy and lving relationship with Michael, helping him get over Dr, Dave ( his last lover ) and Brian ( his bestfriend whom Mikey used to love the most ). Nothing holds Ben back - not even his relationship challenges, fatherhood or HIV positive status. He's living his dream and is determined to keep it that way. What did Robert Gant fans would learn from the Ben and Mikey love story: "That you don't die! That HIV does not equal death. You have to take care of yourself. There are many, many people living perfectly healthy lives with HIV, with or without medication--and I think that's a case-by-case basis. It's such a different contemplation when I read posts on the [Showtime] Web site like, "Oh, I hope Ben doesn't die!" That's where people's minds go.
I'm really happy the show is exploring this. It's never been done before. I can't tell you the number of letters I've received or the number of people who have come up to me. [Being gay and positive is] doubly exclusionary. Not only are you dealing with acceptance around gay/straight, you're dealing with acceptance issues within your own peer group. Fear. People literally afraid of you. It's such a common dynamic that's emerging for gay men to have to contemplate. Do I date? Do I not date? Positive men have to contemplate whether to date only positive men or do they date negative men? And I think the same thoughts occur to negative men."
*That was a quote from:
Advocate, The, April 15, 2003 by Michael Rowe"