I think the problem is that up to a point, they WERE treating them like normal boys in love. When they were falling in love they had two major kisses (which was pretty impressive considering their time on the show and that one of the boys in question still considered himself straight), but then as soon as they decided to become boyfriends -- and between the kisses and becoming a couple groups like the AFA had plenty of time to deluge P&G with complaint letters -- they're all, "Oh, let's hold hands and go take a romantic walk and stare dreamily into each other's eyes! Who needs to kiss, right?"

I might agree with the baby steps thing if it weren't for the fact that ATWT didn't start out taking them, either. They were moving in a direction where Luke and Noah would treated like a real normal homosexual relationship, and then promptly yanked them back into Celibacyland when the bigots started dumping angry letters in their laps.