Gay Asian Survivor Brad Virata

Now that AfterElton.com has run a story about current Survivor: Cook Islands contestant Brad Virata that confirms his gayness, I can say that Virata, a Filipino-Hawaiian, is the first known gay and Asian-American male ever to be featured on a television reality series. He is also the second known gay and Asian-American male, after Alec Mapa (who played a gay supporting character in the 2001 CBS sitcom Some of My Best Friends), to have an ongoing role on a major broadcast network television program. And this is not just any show. CBS's Survivor is a hugely profitable and internationally distributed series in its 13th season that has garnered millions of viewers across the globe.

As Brokeback Mountain star Jake Gyllenhaal said at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards after winning, with Heath Ledger, the Best Kiss prize, "It's a big deal. It's a big deal. Thank you, not just from me, but from all those people struggling with love, which is all of us. Thanks." Virata's presence on Survivor: Cook Islands is a big deal. Actually, it's momentous.