It is time for another So Gay! list and having yesterday listed the year’s villains, today we’re listing those worthy of respect and praise: 2005’s biggest coming out stories.

5. George Takei. Actor George Takei, best known as Mr. Sulu from Star Trek, surprised Trekkies around the world when he declared his homosexuality and spoke of his sibling’s lack of compassion. However, he did not comment on the Richard Gere/Tribble rumor.

4. Logo. MTV Networks launched their little gay channel that could this summer with a great mix of original programming and news. And the network’s commitment to blogs (we’ve been featured) makes us happy it came out this year even more.

3. Tab Hunter. The one time sex symbol and Hollywood star wrote a book, Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star, and in doing so came out of the closet. At 74, we’d just wish he’d done it sooner. But we totally think it’s never too late for the truth.

2. Sheryl Swoopes. Sheryl Swoopes is the bomb. She is a sport’s hero, a strong woman, and now an out and proud carpet muncher. In a field where gays are not supposed to show their faces, Ms. Swoopes did just that. We got mad love for you, baby.

The top coming out story of 2005 after the jump.

[Read On ...]

• The Madonna media train keep on trucking. We have two words for her new Rolling Stone cover: Fucking hot!

• Of course the ex-gay movement would recruit this guy to write a book about his past queer lifestyle. The media is going to just eat up his Christian-fashioned name: God Easter.

• Anna Nicole Smith took home a female bartender in West Hollywood last week for a night of lesbian love. E! needs to give this woman back her own reality show.

• Kinky gay supernatural sex on cable isn't going away anytime soon. Here! has signed Dante's Cove on for a second season.

• If you missed Mariah Carey's stop at the Virgin Megastore in Hollywood yesterday, not to worry. Another queen stops by tomorrow night: Tab Hunter.

• The Vatican continues to make absoultely no sense. This time it's rumored they might allow gay priests after all. The caveat? Hard proof they've had no nookie for three years. We want to be the ones responsible for those tests.

• 50's film pretty boy Tab Hunter stops by NYC's Out Professionals Center this month for a chat about his prolific film career and what it was like to fuck Anthony Perkins.

• A British author was kicked out of a children's talk for calling Harry Potter "gay," something we've been saying for years.

• Though what we're really waiting for is the Colin Farrell sex tape to hit the internets, we must make do with Tom Sizemore and possibly the white trash couple of the Century, Kevin Federline and a pregnant Britney.

• We expect our lesbo cops to be nothing but "verbally aggressive."

• As everybody and their mother now knows, Tom Cruise captive Katie Holmes is with child. Glee! Little Scientologists!

The New York Times gives 50's Hunk Tab Hunter a chance to plug his new biography. Topics: being gay and closeted in Hollywood.

The Times maintains its respectability by asking Hunter thought-provoking questions such as which famous people he's slept with. Rock Hudson? Nope. James Dean? Just a friend. Anthony Perkins? Bingo! What no follow-up question about dressing up as Mrs. Bates?

Hunter also goes onto defend noted heterosexual Tom Cruise, saying he doesn't buy into the rumors. But he doesn't stop there. Though he himself at one point was a huge closeted movie star, he goes on to say he firmly believes none of the current batch of "A-list" stars are gay. Not one. I have a feeling the Hollywood Gay Mafia might disagree with that.

Hunter's book, Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star is out next month.