A New Gay in De(grassi) Village

Memba that old show from the 80s, Degrassi Junior High?

No?
Me Neither.
Guess what?
If you didn't know, Canadian TV brought back the series with new kids in 2001 called Degrassi: the Next Generation. (no relation to Star Trek).

Now, Degrassi always tried to be hip with the kids because they always dealt with teen issues on their level. It dealt with drug use and STDs and drunkenness etc. It even dealt with teen pregnancy (memba Spike) and the gay question.

The new show is set up around Spike's daughter Emma starting school at Degrassi. (we'll post about her later cause she's a groovy chick.
Anyway, in season two we meet Marco (played by Adamo Ruggiero). A lad confused by his sexuality

The interesting thing is he actually comes out to his friends in season 3, dates his one of his friend's brother and does really well in school. His BFF (Spinner) has trouble with his queerness but gets over and actually sticks up for Marco against a Christian club at the school. Then a new kid who is gay calls him out on his hypocrisy and Marco comes out to his parents.

When he graduates and goes to university, he breaks up with his boyfriend, has a gambling problem, is in an interacial relationship (a normal thing at Degrassi), becomes an escort and sleeps with his best friend who happens to be a girl (Ellie who was a goth cutter). You would think they have exhausted every gay story line with this kid. (BTW Adamo came out of the closet last year.)

Well, you'd be wrong.
There's a new kid at Degrassi from Lakehurst.
Lakehurst High was burned down so now the kids go to Degrassi. Lakehurst was a rougher school so of course there is turmoil between the kids at Degrassi and the Lakehurst kids, but that's a whole other story.

Now we meet Riley played by Argiris Karras
You may recognize him from the make over show Look-a-like. He wanted to look like Justin Timberlake

Riley is a school jock on the Degrassi football team (the Panthers). Of course, he struggling with his sexuality

He befriends Peter who is the son of the former school principal. Peter was the school cad who was always macking on the girls and posting naughty pics of them on the web. Anyway he and Riley became friends, And Riley came on to Peter while playing a video game at Peter's house.

Of course Peter freaks out and decides to "go steady" with Mia (the Lakehurst single mother at 14) to shake the gay away. Peter decides his friendship with Riley is too important to him to just throw it away and tries to reconcile with him. On Degrassi everything works out neat and clean with in a half hour and all is reconciled and they are friends again.

Riley has a different problem. Since being rebuffed by Peter, his fear that word will get around that he is gay, he turns to steroids to help his performance on the football team and to help "butch him up". He also starts dating a cheerleader, but he's going online cruising for dudes

Miss thing can't seem to exercise the gay away and the steroids are creating roid rage, Peter confronts him as says it alright that he is gay, has nothing to prove and he can still be a star athlete.

What's gonna happen now?
Is he going to come out of the closet or will he stay on DL with soccerstud_1717.

Stay tuned to continuing story that is Degrassi for your assi

I think this time round their approach the gay question is more realistic instead of the school life Marco had that we wish we all had.

Oh to be young and gay again. I'd keep my brains and take the body.