Gay loving singer Cyndi Lauper appears on tomorrow's As The World Turns to help homo couple Luke and Noah find their pride. And, because they want to drum up ratings, the long-running soap's press folk sent out this very special preview of Lauper, as well as actors Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann shooting the shit about working with the pop star. It's simply fabulous!

As The World Turns' gay gamble sure paid off.

Despite all the conservative outcry over gay teen couple Luke and Noah, the long-running soap's storyline has bucked the trend and garnered new viewers, reports the hilariously disinterested Gina Bellafante:

Soaps have been shedding audiences for years now. The young, especially, have found their absurdities elsewhere; there is almost nothing put forth by the writers of All My Children that could, in a stupidity contest, outrank a single moment of The Hills.
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Since its introduction of a gay-theme story line last summer As the World Turns has actually gained viewers, specifically younger viewers, some of whom turned to the show, unpredictably enough, after following the romance of the college-age characters Luke (Van Hansis) and Noah (Jake Silbermann) via YouTube clips posted by fans — new media reviving fossil media.

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As The World Turns' gay storyline paid off in spades at last night's GLAAD Media Awards. Alright, maybe not "in spades," but the did get the outstanding daily drama award. Not that it's a surprise, of course: the soap garnered scads of gay press for casting Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann as teenage lovers.

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It's incredible what a vagina can do for a storyline!

As The World Turns' Terri Colombino says it's her nether regions that keep her storyline on sexual track, while gay teens Noah and Luke have barely made it to first base, an omission that's led to widespread protest. From Popnography:

Austin Peck (Brad) and Terri Colombino (Katie) — whose steamy, straight sex scenes are by far the most racy on the show — don't mince words when asked about the Nuke cool-down. "ATWT got scared off because there were two men," Peck tells Out.

Colombino says there's one simple reason her character's sex life won't suffer the same fate: "I have a vagina."

Meanwhile, another actor close to the shows hints that producers may dodge a controversial kiss by breaking up the gay teen couple.

• Awesome: "One of my best friends is a straight girl. She's convinced I want to lick her pussy."

• Homo-politico and Elizabeth Dole nemesis Jim Neal joins The Bilerico Project.

• Is married socialite Fabian Basabe making moves on male bartenders in front of his wife?

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• This is why we love New York. The Broadway strike comes to an end and the cast of A Chorus Line dances through the streets. And that lead liner looks pretty cute. Maybe we should become theater queens…

• NYU's Stern Business School just got its first gay group. How did they not buy into gay rights sooner?

• Lesbian love quarrel flames: "A lovers' quarrel between two women got out of hand, police said, and one found herself nearly set on fire." Ow!

• John Travolta at notoriously gay spa?

• Anti-Gay marriage radio ad plagues New Jersey.

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While we're on the subject of attractive men, we'd like you all to take a second marveling at Van Hansis.

The As The World Turns actor's probably feeling pretty low today. He lost outstanding young actor Daytime Emmy Award, for which he was nominated for his role as a gay teenager, Luke. Poor thing.

Maybe, just maybe, if we all lust over these pictures of Van, our collective - um - boost will send him some psychic love. Keep on truckin', Van.

Vroom-vroom…