The Kiss Heard 'Round the World?

It finally happened. Sweet little Kurt got a smooch from his season-long crush Blaine on Glee. More than one, actually. Now, it wasn't the first same sex kiss on the show, that's apparently old news (I'm a little out of the viewing loop), but it was the first kiss shared within the development of a traditional teen romance.

Kurt's first kiss came earlier this season via an angry closeted bully. So last night, prime time America got to see two teenage boys realize their mutual attraction. Awww, gay love. Precious.

Recall that it was only 11 years ago that Jack kissed Will on Will and Grace, marking the first same-sex male kiss on a prime time comedy. Since then, we haven't seen too much of it. I mean, are Mitchell and Cam ever going to kiss on Modern Family? How am I ever supposed to find them a believable married couple!

Say what you will about Glee and its overblown, overwrought plotlines, predilection toward cheesy 80s ballads, misguided themed episodes and unbelievable characters. None of that can take away from its power to elevate outsiders to the mainstream. Yes, sometimes the show treads dangerously close to those shooting star "the more you know" moments, but that's exactly what I love about it. Heavy-handed or not, Glee's message of tolerance just can't be ignored.

Out vs Out There

It's been close to a week since Adam Lambert's AMA performance and people still won't shut up about it.

When it comes to issues of homosexuality, I really believe there is a generational difference. I watched the AMA's Sunday night and actually loved how far "Glambert" took it. All the other performances were rather blah - including and especially Janet's hyped 8-minute performance - and Adam Lambert was the only singer to go the extra mile and put on a show. I was actually entertained watching it. I did not think the over-the-top sexuality was inappropriate; I've been exposed to that sort of stuff since I was a child.

I saw the Madonna kiss. I've seen footage of Hendrix simulating sex with his guitar. And when it comes down to it, there's a lot of sexual imagery that takes place on stage - involving mics and guitars; think about it. I'm not an idiot. I understand that gay men are more than the stereotypes. They are sexual beings. Why should they be ashamed? When I saw Adam push a dancer's face into his crotch I was surprised, sure but, I also thought it was brave. It was a moment, of ya, I'm gay. I like having sex with men. Get over it.

My parents, on the other hand, were disturbed. They felt uncomfortable. My dad, the intolerant that he is, was absolutely grossed out and had felt the need to voice his sentiments. It was actually distracting to my viewing experience. I spoke to my friends and they expressed undergoing a similar experience. They found that Adam Lambert had given the best performance of the show (not to mention, of his life) but, their parents were offended. I knew that people would be talking about it the next day but, I didn't think there would be so much backlash.

The media pounced on the story. The West Coast broadcast was edited. ABC turned its back on him. Good Morning America cut his performance the next day. The View denounced him for being sexually aggressive. I won't detail all the commentary but, I will say most accounts seemed to judge him for being a sexual deviant.

I really, truly feel the backlash has arisen from our national discomfort with homosexuals. After the AIDS scare of the 80s, we neutered gay men. The homosexual lifestyle was thought to be too decadent. We separated them from their sexuality so that they could be acceptable to the mainstream. Gay male couples on non-pay cable TV shows never get to demonstrate their affections for each other while straight couples pretty much can get it on whenever, wherever.

As my friend Sha'Donna attested, we've grown accustomed to the image of the friendly neighborhood gay. Will from Will and Grace. The safe gay. The one we can go shopping with, who will advice on fashion and relationships. What Adam Lambert did was step outside the comfortable box we had placed him in. He forced us to rethink our assumptions. He stood up for himself and applaud him for that. If we're going to move on as a society, we have to accept the gay man for all that he is.