Excellent assessments of both politcs and raising the question of how much do we support gay entertainment offerings just because they're gay. And that you're both adorable doesn't hurt one bit either. I'm reserving the bulk (And it is bulky) of my comment for the Here! network, which has often been a source of wonderment for me. I marvel at its sort of bipolar unevenness in terms of quality between the series and movie divisions.

Dante's Cove is utterly unwatchable. The first 15 minutes of the first episode made my eyes roll so violently that I nearly gave myself whiplash.

I've forced myself to watch The Lair and I'm finding it almost as unwatchable. The plot's predictable, the acting is bad, the production values are nearly unbearable. There is the nudity that gay audiences have come to demand, but honestly, does it have to come at the expense of quality? Rent a porn tape if you're that desperate for flesh! (I mean really!)

I haven't seen Paradise Falls, which is another Here! series, but I'm fairly certain that it will also cause me to gag more fiercely than any foot long phallus, and I don't gag easily. I'm not exactly sure who at the Here! network is taking too much Xanex, but whoever it is the effect is that it is imparing not only taste, but intelligence. Where is the clever repartee that gay people are known for? Where is the well written plot? Where is the surprise twist which may make people think differently about the subject matter? I know gay men respond favorably to seeing as much penis and ass as possible, but is it too much to ask for a tiny smattering of substance as well?

As for Here! movies, I find many are often more tolerable. The Donald Strachey series of movies starring Chad Allen and Sebastian Spence, as you mentioned, are often an easy watch. No, it isn't Angels in America, but it is nonetheless an an effortless and often fun way to spend time. In addition, each movie of that particular series has, in my opinion, gotten markedly better in terms of production value and acting talent.
Shelter, another gay movie from Here! is also a favorite of mine. Yes, I'll admit to it whole heartedly: I'm a sucker for romance! And Shelter fills the bill adequately. It isn't the calibur of BB Mountain, but then again, the leads aren't beaten to death or left facing a lonely existance. I know it's a tad Hollywood, but every now and then I like a happy gay ending (Wait, that didn't sound quite right...).
While Here! does put out some watchable fare in terms of movies, they often produce some major dreck which should have never been given consideration for production, much less a budget. Trapped was nearly unwatchable and should have been called, I Wasted Too Much Time Watching This Crap. Similarly The Raven, which the producer's had the gall to associate to Edgar Allen Poe, was gut wrenchingly awful in every way possible. Poe should have really risen from his grave and taken revenge: That would have made a better movie. I was in gagony watching it and am still loathe to admit that I continued to watch it to the end.
There are others movies produced under the Here! banner that are fairly good and a few that are gagnacious. I will say that whoever is head of the movie division is doing a far better job than the series division, but in either case, a dose of bipolar medication might be in order.