Cutting away from Y&R’s Adam and Rafe kissing isn’t going to make it any less gay and, therefore, more palatable for conservative viewers. Odds are they’ve alreadytuned out because the mere existence of gay characters disturbs them…or because Adam’s story in general is so crazy. A little smooch action isn’t going to make it any worse. Not-so-gay gay content is kinda like being a “little bit pregnant.” The barn door’s open, the horse has fled, and there ain’t no getting it back in the stall.

On a show where Mary Jane’s routinely talking to her DEAD, STUFFED CAT (No, I will never get over Kitty), Sharon played mattress tag with three guys in a handful of days, and Devon is lusting after his auntie Tyra, two guys kissing is a cause for alarm? Please. I think out of all the crazy stunts Adam has pulled, tonsil hockey with Babyface Torres is probably the most benign.

Especially since they’ve already slept together. Again, newsflash: Whoever was going to tune out because of the icky gayness probably did so at that point, when viewers saw even less than they did this week.

Here’s the thing about daytime right now: After ATWT trail-blazed with Noah and Luke and did it successfully, other soaps are jumping on the bandwagon and wanting a piece of the action. But you can’t have your gay cake and then try to eat it as heterosexually as possible. You can’t be all trendy and incorporate two gay characters and one sexually ambiguous one (please page me when you figure yourself out, Adam) only to get all shy about letting them act like regular people. ATWT and ATWT fans fought the kissing battle already; to start Y&R off back at square one is silly. Are viewers really going to have to go through this every single time a same sex duo is featured? Come on.

That’s not to say that I think Adam and Rafe kissing is some wonderful example of equal representation. Unlike with Noah and Luke, I don’t think a slew of fans are going to be writing in for this duo to kiss and be shown making love. This story is not a positive portrayal of gay characters and should not be lauded as such. It’s messed up. It implies that Adam is so desperate that he’s debasing himself, doing something shameful and uncharacteristic, by seducing Rafe, and it makes Rafe look hopelessly clueless. And not showing them at least shirtless after a sexcapade or engaged in a kiss adds an extra layer of offense. It’s like, “OMG, Adam is doing something SO EVIL that we CAN’T EVEN SHOW YOU HIS BEHAVIOR.” So, my rationale for seeing Adam and Rafe be physical is simply this: Straight characters manipulate each other with intimacy and sex all the time and we see it. Why shouldn’t the same rule apply to gay or bisexual manipulators?

originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com