ABC

NEW YORK — After nearly four decades on the air, one of TV's most popular soaps — "All My Children" — is celebrating a first: The marriage of a lesbian couple.

Weddings are a dime a dozen in the world of daytime dramas. There was Luke and Laura; Erica Kane and more men than you can count on two hands.

But a lesbian wedding? Now that's a first.

"When my character did first come out of the closet, there was a lot of negative reaction, said Eden Riegel, who plays Bianca Montgomery. "People were very protective of Erica Kane's daughter, and think that the beauty of the show is that we were able to reach people and get people sort of used to the idea."

"Once Bianca came out and said that she was gay, Erica said, 'But no! You won't get married!'" said actress Susan Lucci, who has played Erica Kane since the program's debut in 1970. "Well now that Bianca is getting married, you know, the other part of Erica is like, 'Hooray! I get to plan my daughter's wedding after all!'"

But at least one religious group is not happy with the long-running show's latest love affair.

"I think it is really important to understand that there is a lot of things that people don't really want to see and don't want coming into their homes, and lesbian weddings are certainly one of them," said Glenn Stanton, a research fellow with Focus on the Family.

As you might expect, gay advocates see this TV event through a different lens.

"It's reality," said Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "So when we see a lesbian couple getting married on daytime drama, it simply reflects what's happening in the real world. So in that sense, it's a victory."

Tamara Braun plays Reese Williams, the other half of AMC's lesbian couple. "If you are brave enough to want to get married — especially with the divorce rate as high as it is — then you should have that right no matter what sex you are, who you love, what color you are, how many extra toes and feet you have — equal rights for all people," Braun said.

"All My Children" airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on ABC and WFAA-TV Channel 8.