By Daniel Batalla

Daily Titan Columnist

Television has never been so entertaining and, more importantly, television has never been so gay.

Prime-time’s fall line-up has delivered entertaining and enjoyable sitcoms in past years, but this season shows like “Modern Family,” “Glee” and “Brothers and Sisters” have introduced audiences to positive images of gay characters like never before.

Whereas supporting gay characters on TV used to deliver witty banter between flamboyant gestures, we are now beginning to see a shift in how we are perceived in the media.

No longer are gay characters just ostentatious, flashy stereotypes, but are now being cast in leading roles as loving parents, confused adolescents and the happily married couple.

However, as progressive as our fictional characters have become, the recent uproar over Adam Lambert’s racy performance on the American Music Awards has sparked controversy and shined a light on a double standard in the entertainment industry.

His “shocking” routine at the AMAs just reminded us that America still hasn’t fully embraced the “sexual” in homosexual.

On Nov. 22, Lambert performed his single “For Your Entertainment” in front of thousands of fans and some of the music industry’s most influential artists.

As I lay in bed watching him grind and gyrate on stage, I knew almost immediately there would be backlash. But never did I expect there to be such a witch hunt after the former “American Idol’s” act.

Since his controversial debut at the AMAs, Lambert’s appearances have been pulled from “Good Morning America,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”

Yes, Lambert’s performance was sexually charged, but so are most acts that perform on award shows these days.

The only difference between Lambert and scantily-dressed female pop acts are breasts.

The Madonna and Britney Spears kiss at the “MTV Video Music Awards” in 2003 also garnered much interest from the media, but not nearly as much of a negative reaction as Lambert has received.

Being blacklisted from television over a few suggestive sexual acts and a kiss between him and his keyboardist seems excessive, especially since his performance was broadcast after 10 p.m., well into safe harbor hours.

The following morning, CBS even went as far as to blur the image of Lambert’s same-sex kiss on their “Early Show” broadcast.

Really, CBS?

I guess we’re OK with gays on TV, just so long as they don’t express any acts of sexuality.

It’s difficult to say whether coming out of the closet as a celebrity can damage a career, but in Lambert’s case he seems to be experiencing the effects of the homophobic media very early in his rise to fame.

There are celebrities, like Ellen Degeneres and Neil Patrick Harris, whose careers have flourished since coming out.

As one of the lead actors on CBS’ top rated sitcom “How I Met Your Mother,” Harris has managed to do the unthinkable and convince his audience that he can play not only a straight man, but a ladies man.

Degeneres has been quoted as saying, “I would beg anyone, any celebrity, to please come out. It is the most important thing you’ll ever do to save lives.”

Yet, there are others like Rupert Everett who advises entertainers in Hollywood to stay closeted claiming that coming out ruined his career.

It’s no wonder celebrities, like most of us, have a difficult time deciding whether or not they should come out.

In an age where nothing goes unnoticed and news can be broadcast all over the world in a matter of seconds, can celebrities still stay closeted?

Meredith Baxter of “Family Ties” has proven that it’s never too late to come out. She managed to fly under the radar for years until Perez Hilton posted pictures of Baxter and her girlfriend on his Web site.

Though it seems as though she was backed into a corner by the controversial blogger, this past week she announced on the “Today Show” that she is a lesbian and has been in a serious relationship with her girlfriend for four years.

It’s easy to forget sometimes that behind all the glitz and glamour, underneath the designer clothes and after the red carpets have been rolled away, that celebrities are people too.

Behind closed doors they deal with life’s struggles just like the rest of us.

At the end of the day, we all simply want the opportunity to be ourselves without fear of judgment.

So celebrity or not, public figure or average Joe, the choice to come out is ultimately up to you, not some sleazy, overweight blogger.