I missed the Will and Grace bandwagon back when it first set out to pioneer and probe the minds of viewers back in 1998. I never even saw an episode until they started running them in blocks on Lifetime network, and then it reeled me in. A few weeks ago, they ran an episode during which Will, Grace and Jack gathered around the television to watch their favorite show in promise of the first gay television kiss. When the camera panned away from the couple before the kiss even aired, Jack was in an uproar. They promised, but then the network backed out because of the controversial nature of showing two gay men kissing on TV. Long story short, after a series of unsuccessful protests at NBC, Jack went down to a live taping of The Morning Show, and Will kissed him in front of everyone, making history.

Today, the gay and lesbian community is still not equally represented on television, but networks have eased up a bit.

They’ve even started to explore more open teen sexuality issues. Last night on Ugly Betty, Betty’s nephew Justin, who has been portrayed as sensitive and somewhat effeminate since the series kicked off, had his first gay kiss.

After an argument between Justin and his friend about an onstage kiss Justin shared with his female acting partner in a school play, the toy boys come together and share an intense kiss that leaves them both confused. With the series coming to a close this season, there will be little time for the relationship to develop, but it did bring Justin out of the closet in a big way.

Viewers are saying, “What’s the big deal? We’ve seen gay kisses for years, and we’re not shocked.” Of course we’re not shocked, but like that pioneering episode of Will and Grace, it’s still a big win for the gay and lesbian community, which continues to be minimally represented in mainstream entertainment.