Well, the good news is I got the head pulled in an hour and a half flat...I'm gettin kinda good at this.
Bad news, Yes HG was on wrong, no it didn't survive. The oil wasn't the problem, in fact the deck, except for a 2x2 square in that corner, was perfectly clean. The problem was that the sealant on the front corners wouldn't let go without taking some of the gasket with it. I am not taking any chances so I am gonna get a new gasket tomorrow. Maybe toyota has one in stock.