Television history was made on Friday, August 17, 2007. The CBS daytime drama As the World Turns — a soap opera staple for 51 years — featured daytime television’s first same-sex male kiss between the characters of Luke (Van Hansis) and Noah (Jake Silbermann).

“CBS and As the World Turns are to be commended for showing an authentic expression of this couple's affection for each other just as they would with any other characters," says GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Damon Romine. “We encourage other daytime dramas to follow this show’s example and develop characters and storylines which their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender viewers can identify with.”

Luke came out last year and, as a core member of the show’s Snyder family, he’s played a pivotal role in the series but without a love interest. Hansis was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for "Outstanding Younger Actor" earlier this year for his portrayal. Noah moved to Oakdale this summer and there was instant chemistry between the two teens, but when Noah began dating Maddie the stage was set for a traditional soap love triangle with a twist.

All My Children featured the first daytime same-sex female kiss in 2003 between Bianca and Lena, but kissing between same-sex partners on broadcast television remains a rare and recent occurrence, especially between men. A scheduled male kiss on Melrose Place was edited out in 1994 before it aired, and it wasn’t until 2000 that men were seen kissing romantically on the WB’s Dawson’s Creek. In recent seasons, romantic kisses between men occurred on Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters and an episode of CBS’ Cold Case.

In the 1990 film Longtime Companion, one of the characters (played by Patrick Cassidy) is a soap opera actor who creates a stir after an on-screen kiss with a male co-star. It took 17 years for daytime television to actually catch up to that fictional scenario.

WATCH THE KISS
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qLAG8gtWt-A

WATCH THE SHOW
Tune into CBS at 1pm EDT/PDT (Central & Mountain check your daytime listings) to see history in the making with the developing relationship between Luke and Noah on As the World Turns.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Damon Romine
GLAAD Entertainment Media Director
(323) 634-2012
romine@glaad.org

Alan Locher
Director, Public Relations, As the World Turns
alan.locher@televest.com