What the TV Guide article put into question was an arc of the same-sex storyline, in which Dorian (Robin Strasser) claimed to be a lesbian and married her campaign manager in order to win the town mayoral election. She needed the gay vote. Then, there was an mass wedding involving more than two dozen same-sex couples, which triggered antigay protests and a subplot involving Kyle’s former boyfriend Nick getting gay-bashed. This is where some claim, looking back, One Life could have made a misstep with Middle America. In fact, even actor Claywell spoke out about his uneasiness with this beat of the story. “From the beginning, Scott and I were uneasy about that big gay political wedding. We were telling a slow, subtle love story about two guys who just happened to be gay. We didn’t want to make it in-your-face, which is what the wedding was. It pulled us away from what we were trying to do. We wanted to exist separately from that. It was too much, and in a way, Scott and I became the sacrificial lambs.”

Whatever the case, while Kish bites the dust, this duo certainly captivated the hearts of both the gay and mainstream community as one of the best soap opera love stories of 2009.

And now for the only same-sex story left standing, until September that is. Recently, As the World Turns has turned up the heat between Luke (Van Hansis) and pompous neurosurgeon Dr. Reid Oliver (Eric Sheffer Stevens, pictured above at right with Hansis). And there is nothing like forcing two characters that have some sexual energy together into confined quarters. This is better known as Soap Device 101. Two weeks ago the boys were stuck in an elevator together, and we saw Dr. Oliver lose his composure and admit he was claustrophobic and grab Luke, making the snarky doc all the more appealing to Luke. Eric Sheffer Stevens has been winning raves for his performance, and it looks like fans may be warming up to a Luke-Reid pairing. You can watch the clip here. 

Noah apparently has already started casually dating since his breakup with Luke. But, Nuke fans, Gay Paris has not given up on this supercouple. In fact, mark you calendars for July 10, for the second annual Nuke in Paris fan event. Tickets are 125 euros. There will be a meet-and-greet with Van and Jake Silbermann (Noah) and a two-hour Q&A, among other event highlights. For more information on how you can get close to Nuke one final time, log on to www.mgcevents.com.