I’ve been neglecting this blog way too much lately. I really should vow to write more often.

Matt and I have been enjoying “Brothers & Sisters” on Sunday nights after “Desperate Housewives.” If you haven’t seen it, it’s a one-hour drama about four adult siblings and their mother and uncle who all live in California and run a family business together, a food company. The executive producers are Jon Robin Baitz, Greg Berlanti, and Ken Olin. The show is well written and funny, and in addition to a great cast – Sally Field, three “Alias” alumni (including Ron Rifkin), Calista Flockhart, and Rob Lowe, it features one of the more realistic portrayals of a gay character I’ve seen on TV – Kevin Walker, one of the siblings, played by Matthew Rhys.

Matthew Rhys neither overplays nor underplays the character’s gayness; he’s neither a mincing queen like Jack McFarland or a sexless priss like Will Truman. And while he doesn’t play to stereotype, he does queen out every once in a while like many gay men would. You can imagine that straight people wouldn’t guess that Kevin was gay but that he might set off a gay man’s gaydar. I like it.

Kevin is out and confident and he has a sexual appetite. He gets an interesting romantic life just like the other characters do. Every so often, there’s a gay kiss on the show – and what’s remarkable is that it’s not a big deal. Ten years ago it would have been. The same-sex kisses on “Roseanne” and “Ally McBeal” were hyped beyond belief because they were considered so controversial; today, two men kiss romantically on network TV and nobody bats an eye or even hears about it.

Granted, it’s a 10 p.m. show, but still… we’ve come a long way, baby.