Y&R's Gay Storyline About to Heat Up

Next week should be a big week for the gay storyline between Rafe and Adam on The Young and the Restless. It will also, thankfully, be the end of Chris Engen's run as Adam, when the gay themed scenes he just wasn't willing to perform hit the air.

Nelson Branco's latest Suds Report has this heads up:

• DVR ALERT: On June 24, fans are forced to say goodbye to Chris Engen as Adam. The next day, Michael Muhney replaces him as Genoa City’s biggest psycho — well, next to Mary Jane and myself! As for Engen, The Suds Report can now reveal, that according to our sources, the reported reason the actor bolted was because he refused to film a scene in which Rafe and Adam have sex, which airs later next week. We didn't want to ruin the story, so we kept the plot twist under wraps by saying it was just a kiss. Yep, that's right — Adam sleeps with Rafe to keep him quiet. And it's not the last time they "do it."

Rafe has had very, very little to do since he came out to Colleen awhile back, so I can't wait to see things finally start happening for him!

Engen Releases a Statement

Former Y&R actor Chris Engen has released a statement addressing the way he quit the soap and the accusations of homophobia that followed.

It's a long statement that, for me personally, doesn't really address the issue of why he left, other than saying that his 'visage and craft were being used to tell a story that I wasn't inspired to tell.' It's really just a very long self justification that, in the end, justifies nothing.

He also addresses the issue of homophobia:

I want to apologize to any of my fellow actors who I may have disappointed. I would also like to apologize to those of you who feel slighted by this choice, as I have been branded a "homophobe" by several members of the press. This is, of course, absurd and many of my dearest friends are homosexuals who would be more than happy to speak on my behalf. My decision had nothing to do with religion, or anything I learned at Bishop Montgomery High School. Bishop is a great institution of learning that encourages tolerance and acceptance of others. I do not ascribe to any one religious ideology but do value the truth that exists in them all. I think the unfortunate assumption that has been made is that Catholics are intolerant of homosexuals on the basis of their Catholicism. Intolerance of anything is a product of one’s underlying belief system as an experience of limitation. It is the line we intellectually draw within ourselves that prevents us from understanding those things we reject, because it defines the boundaries of who we are as individuals. We are what we are, but we are also NOT what we are not. Intolerance is a natural reaction that, I believe, we must understand in order to defeat. It is not a fire to be stomped out by an angry foot or extinguished by a inundating stream of media exposure. Homosexuality is a quality of beingness: one of many qualities that make up the rich diversity that humanity expresses.

I've known quite a few homophobic people who almost immediately proclaim, when confronted, that they have lots of 'homosexual friends'. I'm not saying that Engen is another such person, but the use of the terms 'homosexuality' and 'homosexuals' over and over, instead of the term 'gay', always sets off alarm bells for me.

As for what he says about Catholics, I completely agree that there are a lot of open minded Catholics out there (not to mention LGBT Catholics), many of whom are trying to change their Church's outlook on gays and lesbians from the inside.

At any rate, I'm not impressed with Engen's reasoning and justifications. The story he wasn't 'inspired to tell' involved him kissing another man. There's just no getting around that, no matter how many 'homosexual' friends he has who are willing to jump to his defense (and where are they, by the way?).

He also claims his former co-stars would 'speak on his behalf', too, if they weren't 'afraid of the consequences'. Yet, even the anonymous quotes we've seen from them haven't been supportive of his actions.

Engen is yesterday's news. He can try to muster up a career in which he doesn't have to play any 'uninspiring' stories and I'll be fine never seeing him on my television screen again. I'm more than ready to see Michael Muhney as Adam.

More on the Engen Affair

The Suds Report has a bit more on Chris Engen of The Young and the Restless walking out on his contract in the middle of a major storyline, reportedly because he didn't want to kiss another guy:

Meanwhile, the Y&R cast is understandably upset with Engen who is walking out in the middle of a front-burner storyline during its climax. One of Engen’s co-stars tells The Suds Report that various cast members tried to convince him not to leave this meaty role. “Forget the gay thing for a moment,” says one leading man. “He’ll never work in Hollywood again because he walked out in the middle of a contract. You don’t do that.”

I'm sorry, but I'm sure plenty of actors and actresses have to do love scenes with people they're not attracted to. Hell, gay actors and actresses have been making out with the opposite sex on stage and screen since forever, and I've yet to hear of one walking out on a role because of it.

If it's a moral issue, why did Engen (who is Catholic) not walk out over the many nefarious things his character has done before this? I guess being gay is worse in his mind than driving a pregnant woman mad?

Another former co-star is quoted as saying that Engen has been 'off' for some time and that they think he's having issues that go beyond not wanting to do this storyline. Maybe so, but the fact remains that having to kiss another man was what sent him walking off the set.

Fortunately, there are plenty of actors out there secure enough to play gay or bisexual roles, whatever their own sexuality, and I'm looking forward to seeing Michael Muhney (below) take on the role of Adam and seeing what develops between him and Yani Gellman's Rafe.

Actor Quits Y&R to Avoid Gay Storyline?

According to an article at Soap Central, actor Chris Engen, who played Victor Newman's son Adam on The Young and the Restless, has quit his role abruptly after learning from upcoming scripts that his character was going to become involved with gay attorney Rafe Torres, the first LGBT character in Y&R history.

It was hinted from the start that Rafe would become involved with a major character who would be revealed as bisexual, and many fans thought it would be Adam, given the friendship that already existed between the two.

The show is said to be considering legal action against Engen, who is breaking his contract by quitting. At the same time, TV Guide has reported that the show has already hired actor Michael Muhney to take over the role.

Did Chris Engen really walk away from a role on the number one rated soap in daytime (and straight into a potential lawsuit) just to avoid having to kiss another man? If so, that's beyond pathetic, not to mention completely unprofessional. Does Engen plan on having a career after this?

Given that Y&R is a show that now employs two of daytime's three out LGBT actors (Celementine Ford and the newly returned Thom Bierdz, who is back on the show after a twenty year absence), the rest of the cast may be glad to see the last of Engen and his kind of attitude. It would be especially interesting to hear from Bierdz, who just gave a great interview to The Advocate, and Ford, who recently voiced her opinion on the Miss California controversy, on this subject. I doubt they'd pull any punches.

If nothing else, at least we know that Rafe has a storyline coming up that involves kissing another man.