The Top Five

FILM

MilkSean Penn's towering performance is impossible to ignore -- and so is the film, made even more relevant after the success of November's antigay ballot initiatives.

XXYThis thoughtful, marvelously performed Argentinean import is about an intersexed teen deciding just who she -- or he -- wants to be.

Sex and the CityThe film that managed to trump even Mamma Mia! as the summer movie with the gayest sensibility.

Were the World MineFilled with clever songs and gorgeous cinematography, this clever indie is Hedwig gone High School Musical.

The Edge of HeavenThe film's lesbian romance is among the hottest and most absorbing ever filmed.

TV

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)This comedy about a group of straight friends who own a bar in Philadelphia features more gay plots and subplots than seems possible.

30 Rock (NBC)A rival to the legacies of Arrested Development and Frasier, this show scores even more points for continually making Tina Fey's character get mistaken for a lesbian.

Mad Men (AMC)The show's portrayal of closeted ad exec Salvatore is enough reason to tune in, and looking at star Jon Hamm only makes it sweeter.

Brothers & Sisters (ABC)The first series to feature a gay marriage and develop a plot line around life after they said "I do."

Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-list (Bravo)Our favorite comedian continues to tramp from Sydney Mardi Gras to bear conventions.

MUSIC

Hercules and Love AffairHercules and Love AffairNYC DJ Andy Butler's club ensemble--featuring Antony Hegarty on vocals--updates two ancient artifacts: disco and Greek mythology.

Yo! MajestyFuturistically Speaking...Never Be AfraidThe party album of the year, courtesy of an African-American Christian lesbian hip-hop act.

Baby DeeSafe Inside the DayA transgender harpist from Ohio digs into her messy childhood for this inspired set of modern art songs.

Arthur RussellLove Is Overtaking MeThis posthumous set from the queer iconoclast revealed yet another side to his far-reaching sound -- accessible singer-songwriter fare.

Kaki KingDreaming of RevengeStunning instrumentals reinforce the assertion that this young guitarist is as gifted and original as Hendrix, Clapton, or Page.

THEATER

[title of show]A fresh, funny musical about two gay guys writing a musical about two gay guys writing a musical.

The Drunken CityAdam Bock's variation on A Midsummer Night's Dream was a play about all the important things: love, lies, friendship, kissing, and drinking.

The New CenturyPaul Rudnick is among the funniest gay writers in America, and this quartet of one-act plays at Lincoln Center Theater showcases him at his best.

EquusThe London revival of Peter Shaffer's 1973 psycho-thriller zoomed to Broadway on the lurid appeal of naked Harry Potter, but titillation gave way to respect as Daniel Radcliffe gave a riveting performance.

Last night of TrannyshackSan Francisco's legendary Tuesday night punk-rock drag cabaret Trannyshack ended its 12-year run at the Stud bar with a three-hour extravaganza this August.

BOOKS

Stray Dog Winter by David FrancisA brilliant suspense thriller set against a backdrop of international intrigue.

The Hakawati by Rabih AlameddineA Lebanese-American returning to his father's bedside in Beirut hears family tales spun by his gay uncle and others.

Sex Variant Woman: The Life of Jeannette Howard Foster by Joanne PassetWriter Jeannette Howard Foster finally gets the attention she deserves in this thoughtful biography.

The Age of Dreaming by Nina RevoyrA 73-year-old Japanese-American actor looks back on his life as a silent-film star.

The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean GreerGreer proves himself a sensitive chronicler of the closet in this tale of a marriage that unravels in San Francisco during the Korean War era.