As the World Turns’ Gay Controversy: Le/Noah’s Kissg Ban Revised |

Contents:

• FOURTEEN YEARS AFTER THE CONTROVERSIAL GAY KISSG BAN END, REMEMBER THE DISASTRO WAY A CLASSIC SOAP GOT ITSELF A WHOLE MS OF NEGATIVE PUBLICY
• FORMER ‘AS THE WORLD TURNS’ ACTOR REFLECTS ON REER, HISTORIC GAY KISS
• GAY TEENS FALLY KISS AGA ON "AS THE WORLD TURNS"{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}TVBY ALEXANR STEVENSONAPRIL 23, 2008/3:43 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}HALLMARKBY ALEXANR STEVENSONAPRIL 23, 2008 / 3:43 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"GAY TEENS FALLY KISS AGA ON \"AS THE WORLD TURNS\"","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2008-04-23T19:43:52.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2008-04-23T19:43:52.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"ALEXANR STEVENSON","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"TV"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LE (VAN HANSIS), NOAH (JAKE SILBERMANN) {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}211 DAYS, 14 HOURS, 45 MUT, AND 45 {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THAT’S HOW LONG HAD BEEN SCE AS THE WORLD TURNS HAD SHOWN S TWO GAY TEEN CHARACTERS, LE SNYR (VAN HANSIS) AND NOAH MAYER (JAKE SILBERMANN), {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT AN EPISO AIRG TODAY, THE CBS SOAP OPERA UGHT VIEWERS OFF GUARD WH SURPRISGLY STEAMY KISS BETWEEN THE TWO. NEWS OF THE KISS HAD NOT BEEN PREVLY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“AS THE WORLD TURNS REMAS MTED TO TELLG THE STORY OF LE AND NOAH,” SAID THE PRODUCERS OF THE SHOW A STATEMENT TO “WE NTUE TO TELL THIS AND ALL OUR STORI BASED ON WHAT WE THK IS BT CREATIVELY. THIS KISS IS THE NATURAL EVOLUTN OF THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN LE AND NOAH.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DAYTIME TELEVISN’S ONLY GAY UPLE, OFTEN REFERRED TO AS “NE” BY FANS, LAST KISSED ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2007. SCE THEN, THERE HAS BEEN PLENTY OF KISSG BETWEEN THE SHOW’S HETEROSEXUAL UPL, BUT A SERI OF TERPTNS AND PAN-AWAYS WHENEVER SEEMED LIKE THE GAY TEENS MIGHT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN THE MOST WELL-PUBLICIZED EXAMPLE, DURG LAST YEAR’S CHRISTMAS EPISO, THE CHARACTERS LEANED TO KISS, BUT AT THE LAST MOMENT, THE MERA PASSED UPWARD TO MISTLETOE HANGG ABOVE THE DOORWAY—AN “ARTISTIC CISN,” ACRDG TO BRIAN T. CAHILL, SR. V.P., MANAGG DIRECTOR FOR TELEVT DAYTIME {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT THE SEEMG DOUBLE STANDARD SET OFF A FIRTORM OF NTROVERSY, WH FANS TARGETG THE SHOW’S PRODUCERS WH LETTERS AND VENTG THEIR TRATN TER FOMS. ONE VIEWER EVEN STARTED A “KISS CAMPAIGN" DECEMBER, ENURAGG FANS TO SEND BAGS OF HERSHEY’S KISS TO CBS AND PROCTER & GAMBLE PRODUCTNS, WHICH PRODUC THE SHOW, ENURAGG THEM TO SHOW “NE” KISSG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;} STARTED A “NE LIPLOCK CLOCK,” UNTG THE DAYS AND MUT SCE THEY LAST {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AFTER THE FEBARY VALENTE’S DAY EPISO, WHICH SHOWED EACH OF THE SHOW’S MA UPL SHARG A ROMANTIC KISS EXCEPT LE AND NOAH, ANOTHER GROUP OF FANS LNCHED A MEDIA BLZ THAT LED TO WORLDWI PUBLICY OVER FANS’ MANDS THAT THE CHARACTERS BE ALLOWED TO KISS. THE MPAIGN LED TO MAJOR VERAGE ON CNN, BBC, FOX, AND NEWSPAPERS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THOSE VOLVED WH THE SHOW HAVE ALWAYS NIED THAT THE LACK OF SAME-SEX KISSG ON THE SHOW IS THE RULT OF ANY PRSURE OM SPONSORS, ANTI-GAY PROTT GROUPS, OR THE WORK, LLG SOLELY AN ARTISTIC {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I UNRSTAND WHY ALL THIS MAK PEOPLE SCREAM,” BARBARA BLOOM, CBS SENR VICE PRINT FOR DAYTIME, TOLD TV GUI’S MICHAEL LOGAN EARLIER THIS MONTH. “THE ONLY THG YOU'RE GOG TO GET OUT OF ME IS THAT THE PACG IS SLOWER WH LE AND NOAH THAN IS WH OTHER ROMANC ON AS THE WORLD TURNS. BUT THAT'S GOOD STORYTELLG. WE'RE THE BS OF GETTG PEOPLE TO WATCH MORE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ACRDG TO SOURC, THE SHOW’S UPG “NE” STORYLE WILL HAVE LE MOVG WH NOAH AND AMEERA, AN IRAQI CHARACTER THAT NOAH HAS A “GREENRD MARRIAGE” WH. AMEERA SURRENRS THE BEDROOM SHE HAD SHARED WH NOAH TO LE. WHEN AMEERA’S PRENCE STILLL GETS THE WAY OF HIS RELATNSHIP WH NOAH, LE CIS TO LEAVE, G NOAH TO TELL AMEERA HE WANTS TO END THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
• PRELU TO A KISS? THE CHASTE GAY UPLE ON AS THE WORLD TURNS TRAT FANS, ENRAG RELIG ZEALOTS, AND LENDS THE 52-YEAR-OLD SHOW SOME MUCH-NEED BUZZ.

FOURTEEN YEARS AFTER THE CONTROVERSIAL GAY KISSG BAN END, REMEMBER THE DISASTRO WAY A CLASSIC SOAP GOT ITSELF A WHOLE MS OF NEGATIVE PUBLICY

They beme one of As the World Turns’ most popular upl — and the first gay superuple daytime.

When Le was rest what’s lled “rapid agg” soaps durg which the character magilly be an adult overnight, Hansis says wrers had already cid his character would be gay.

Le would be one of the first male gay soap opera characters. Whether he was unfortable or not to play a gay character so early his reer, Hansis knew he had to take .

FORMER ‘AS THE WORLD TURNS’ ACTOR REFLECTS ON REER, HISTORIC GAY KISS

And to gay fans across the natn, Le beme one step closer to acceptance. On Aug 17, 2007, the first-ever gay male kiss on Amerin televisn was aired, which was Le and Noah Mayer (played by Silbermann, who will also be at the event) on “ATWT.

” Le and Noah shared the first-ever on-screen gay male kiss on an Amerin daytime drama on Aug. ” Openly gay his personal life, Hansis says he was apprehensive about outg himself so early the reer, aaid that he might be stereotyped. If you e out gay, you’re only gog to play gay for the rt of your life.

“It’ll be nice to get together a lot of gay characters. What I like is that ’s specific, ’s not jt on a soap opera, but a gay character on a soap opera.

GAY TEENS FALLY KISS AGA ON "AS THE WORLD TURNS"{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}TVBY ALEXANR STEVENSONAPRIL 23, 2008/3:43 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}HALLMARKBY ALEXANR STEVENSONAPRIL 23, 2008 / 3:43 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"GAY TEENS FALLY KISS AGA ON \"AS THE WORLD TURNS\"","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2008-04-23T19:43:52.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2008-04-23T19:43:52.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"ALEXANR STEVENSON","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"TV"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LE (VAN HANSIS), NOAH (JAKE SILBERMANN) {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}211 DAYS, 14 HOURS, 45 MUT, AND 45 {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THAT’S HOW LONG HAD BEEN SCE AS THE WORLD TURNS HAD SHOWN S TWO GAY TEEN CHARACTERS, LE SNYR (VAN HANSIS) AND NOAH MAYER (JAKE SILBERMANN), {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT AN EPISO AIRG TODAY, THE CBS SOAP OPERA UGHT VIEWERS OFF GUARD WH SURPRISGLY STEAMY KISS BETWEEN THE TWO. NEWS OF THE KISS HAD NOT BEEN PREVLY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“AS THE WORLD TURNS REMAS MTED TO TELLG THE STORY OF LE AND NOAH,” SAID THE PRODUCERS OF THE SHOW A STATEMENT TO “WE NTUE TO TELL THIS AND ALL OUR STORI BASED ON WHAT WE THK IS BT CREATIVELY. THIS KISS IS THE NATURAL EVOLUTN OF THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN LE AND NOAH.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DAYTIME TELEVISN’S ONLY GAY UPLE, OFTEN REFERRED TO AS “NE” BY FANS, LAST KISSED ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2007. SCE THEN, THERE HAS BEEN PLENTY OF KISSG BETWEEN THE SHOW’S HETEROSEXUAL UPL, BUT A SERI OF TERPTNS AND PAN-AWAYS WHENEVER SEEMED LIKE THE GAY TEENS MIGHT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN THE MOST WELL-PUBLICIZED EXAMPLE, DURG LAST YEAR’S CHRISTMAS EPISO, THE CHARACTERS LEANED TO KISS, BUT AT THE LAST MOMENT, THE MERA PASSED UPWARD TO MISTLETOE HANGG ABOVE THE DOORWAY—AN “ARTISTIC CISN,” ACRDG TO BRIAN T. CAHILL, SR. V.P., MANAGG DIRECTOR FOR TELEVT DAYTIME {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT THE SEEMG DOUBLE STANDARD SET OFF A FIRTORM OF NTROVERSY, WH FANS TARGETG THE SHOW’S PRODUCERS WH LETTERS AND VENTG THEIR TRATN TER FOMS. ONE VIEWER EVEN STARTED A “KISS CAMPAIGN" DECEMBER, ENURAGG FANS TO SEND BAGS OF HERSHEY’S KISS TO CBS AND PROCTER & GAMBLE PRODUCTNS, WHICH PRODUC THE SHOW, ENURAGG THEM TO SHOW “NE” KISSG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;} STARTED A “NE LIPLOCK CLOCK,” UNTG THE DAYS AND MUT SCE THEY LAST {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AFTER THE FEBARY VALENTE’S DAY EPISO, WHICH SHOWED EACH OF THE SHOW’S MA UPL SHARG A ROMANTIC KISS EXCEPT LE AND NOAH, ANOTHER GROUP OF FANS LNCHED A MEDIA BLZ THAT LED TO WORLDWI PUBLICY OVER FANS’ MANDS THAT THE CHARACTERS BE ALLOWED TO KISS. THE MPAIGN LED TO MAJOR VERAGE ON CNN, BBC, FOX, AND NEWSPAPERS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THOSE VOLVED WH THE SHOW HAVE ALWAYS NIED THAT THE LACK OF SAME-SEX KISSG ON THE SHOW IS THE RULT OF ANY PRSURE OM SPONSORS, ANTI-GAY PROTT GROUPS, OR THE WORK, LLG SOLELY AN ARTISTIC {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I UNRSTAND WHY ALL THIS MAK PEOPLE SCREAM,” BARBARA BLOOM, CBS SENR VICE PRINT FOR DAYTIME, TOLD TV GUI’S MICHAEL LOGAN EARLIER THIS MONTH. “THE ONLY THG YOU'RE GOG TO GET OUT OF ME IS THAT THE PACG IS SLOWER WH LE AND NOAH THAN IS WH OTHER ROMANC ON AS THE WORLD TURNS. BUT THAT'S GOOD STORYTELLG. WE'RE THE BS OF GETTG PEOPLE TO WATCH MORE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ACRDG TO SOURC, THE SHOW’S UPG “NE” STORYLE WILL HAVE LE MOVG WH NOAH AND AMEERA, AN IRAQI CHARACTER THAT NOAH HAS A “GREENRD MARRIAGE” WH. AMEERA SURRENRS THE BEDROOM SHE HAD SHARED WH NOAH TO LE. WHEN AMEERA’S PRENCE STILLL GETS THE WAY OF HIS RELATNSHIP WH NOAH, LE CIS TO LEAVE, G NOAH TO TELL AMEERA HE WANTS TO END THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

I thk almost soap om then on has gay characters now, ” he says. One of which was the reveal of daytime TV’s first openly gay character.

Soap opera’s first gay character and same-sex kiss ‘As the World Turns’. Acrdg to TV Insir, the show ntaed the soap opera genre’s first gay male character, Brian Starcher’s Hank Ellt.

PRELU TO A KISS? THE CHASTE GAY UPLE ON AS THE WORLD TURNS TRAT FANS, ENRAG RELIG ZEALOTS, AND LENDS THE 52-YEAR-OLD SHOW SOME MUCH-NEED BUZZ.

In the episo, Hank shar his secret to Iva Snyr that he is gay.