Every week we're going to pick the gays who made the biggest splash on television and let you, the keepers of the flame, decide who will be crowned Gay of the Week.

We'll announce the winner the following Monday, and that champion will

reign until a new set of challengers are unveiled the following week.

Here are this week's nominees:

Officer John Cooper, Southland

We've been watching Officer John Cooper deal with chronic back pain and an addiction to painkillers for 26 episodes, and we've seen his ethics tested in his struggle. When he couldn't get an extra refill from his ex-wife, he considered stealing pills from a victim's medicine cabinet, and started buying drugs from a dealer.

Throughout that struggle, he's managed to function as a police officer, frequently showing insight and skill despite his issues with pain and addiction. This week, however, Cooper hit a new low. Not only was he unable to back up his partner when he was needed, he was severely tempted to tamper with drug evidence Thankfully, when faced with an ultimatum from his partner, Cooper chose to get treatment.

Mel and Mike White, The Amazing Race

The first time they took on The Amazing Race, Mel and Mike were defeated by a misdirected taxi. Two years later, they faced a new challenge as the physical demands of the race were much tougher for Mel as they dealt with hypothermia trying to find a frog figurine in cold, Japanese mud.

As sad as it was to see such a nice team go so quickly, Mel and Mike went out on a high note. Despite the pressures of the race, they handled the physical difficulties admirably. As Mel tried to push on, Mike put his father's health ahead of the competition, pushing for them to quit so that Mel could get some medical attention.

Kash, Shameless

Until now, Kash has been a passive man, and the only things we've seen him enjoy were sneaking pork rinds behind his conservative wife's back and his affair with his teenage employee Ian. That passivity finally broke this week, when he discovered that Ian was having an affair on the side with local thug Mickey.

After seeing the two together, Kash bottled up his rage for a little while, but when Mickey visited to steal a candy bar and taunt him about the affair, he finally broke.

The last time Kash pulled a gun on Mickey, he was left with a black eye and Ian had to get the gun back. This time, Mickey ended up with a bullet in his leg. Hopefully, that's the beginning of Kash standing up for himself.

Blaine Anderson, Kurt and Burt Hummel, Glee

This was an amazing week for Glee's gay fans. For gay teens Kurt and Blaine, an attempt at a "sexy" performance led to a musical number full of awkward Kurt expressions. Blaine tried to bring up the topic of sexuality with him, but aside from admitting to feeling as sexy as a baby penguin, he was clearly not ready to discuss the topic.

Since Kurt wasn't ready to talk with Blaine about the issue, he turned to dad Burt and let him know how badly he needed to have "the talk" with a parent. What followed was something not often seen on broadcast television, a heartfelt discussion about sexuality between a gay teen and his father, a discussion definitely earning Burt an honorary nomination.

Vote for your favorite by Midnight PST Sunday. Be sure to check back on Monday to see who you've picked as Gay of

the Week!

Who is your Gay of the Week for 3/11?Market Research