You know, there are days I think we’ve hit a plateau in the process of gaining acceptance in the larger societal structure. (We being the GLBT community) Then there are times I think, “Wow, things HAVE changed.” Case in point:

The love affair between two young men on the venerable CBS soap opera “As the World Turns” has triggered a protest campaign by angry viewers.

It’s just not the sort of protest you’d expect.

Fans of the fictional romance between Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer are baffled about why the two characters haven’t kissed on-screen since September, wondering whether it’s a sign of squeamishness by CBS or show sponsors Procter & Gamble Co.

The fans have started a letter-writing campaign, posted an online petition and even have a Web site that counts the days, hours, minutes and seconds since Luke and Noah last locked lips.

“We totally support this show and applaud the show for doing this story line,” said Roger Newcomb, a computer worker from New York’s northern suburbs and the man behind the campaign. “We just don’t understand why they have to be censored or treated differently.”

“As the World Turns,” which premiered in 1956, had the first gay male character in daytime drama in 1988.

Reading this dovetails a related subject my honey posted about last week. Bayou wrote about the visibility of the GLBT community in media. Or lack thereof, in the past. Things are vastly different now than 20 and 30 years ago.

I’ve been thinking about the first time(s) I saw myself reflected in some form on television, and two very distinct memories come to mind. Unfortunately, I don’t have explicit recollections of when these things occurred, just that I was very young- no older than 10 or 11, most likely. If only memories came equipped with time stamps like digital cameras…

Sometime in the early 80′s, Susie Bright appeared on Phil Donahue. I don’t recall the exact premise of the show, and she was one of several guests. But at least part of the show was a discussion about homosexuality. And this quote -which I have to paraphrase, it was years ago- stuck with me.

…People have a tendency to airbrush lesbian sex, like it’s not passionate or sweaty or intense.

She looked so confident as she said it, as though she’d never felt the sting of rejection or worry or fear associated with being gay. I felt an awareness in my head that hadn’t ever been name, saying “Yes, that’s me. She’s talking about me.” Her image and voice have since been seared in my head; I’ve thought about it many times since that day.

The second memory is less defined, but no less powerful. My dad was watching some drama, possibly a medical one. A couple had had a baby that was born intersexed. There was disagreement and angst over whether the baby should have surgery to become a boy, or a girl. The father was hell-bent on the kid being male, when the doctors were telling the family raising it as a girl would be more realistic. In the end, they decided to make the baby female.

I can’t really explain what I thought about that show, except to say it seemed to resonate with me. It still does, in a way I can’t quite explain.

When I think back, these are the only two instances I remember seeing anything in the media that reflected any part of me. Now, there are so many more faces and lives and stories out there. Some have just pieces of me, some reflect large swaths of my experience, hopes, and dreams.

It’s heartening. So many have pioneered, so many have gone before and each effort has built to where we are now. I believe there is only one way to go- up. And we’ll see more and more stories, more and reflections of ourselves out there- and we’ll find bits of home and solace and peace in them.

Every time that happens, it’s a strand of progress that builds upon another strand, which adds up to one rich tapestry.

Keep weaving, everybody. Keep weaving.

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