EastEnrs at 35 - Col and Barry and the first gay kiss soap — Distct Nostalgia

Contents:

• 'EASTENRS' ACTOR REVEALS HE IS GAY
• EASTENRS' GAY UPLE SYED AND CHRISTIAN TO LEAVE SHOW
• A GAY UPLE RAN A RAL RTRANT PEACE. THEN NEW NEIGHBORS ARRIVED.
• SOME TIPS FOR ALL THOSE STILL PLAG ABOUT GAY SCEN SOAPS LIKE EASTENRS AND EMMERDALE
• EASTENRS' GARY HAIL SAYS BBC CUT 1987 GAY STORYLE BEE OF TORY LEGISLATN
• EASTENRS AT 35 - COL AND BARRY AND THE FIRST GAY KISS SOAP
• MICHAEL CASHMAN DIVIND EMOTNAL REASON FOR EASTENRS RETURN AS PORTN OF TRAILBLAZG GAY LK
• TEXAS JUDGE WHO DON’T WANT TO PERFORM GAY MARRIAGE CEREMONI HOP WEB SIGNER’S SUPREME COURT SE HELPS HER FIGHT
• MICHAEL CASHMAN SHAR EMOTNAL REASON FOR EASTENRS RETURN AS PART OF TRAILBLAZG GAY UPLE
• HOW MICHAEL CASHMAN CHANGED THE WORLD: OM EASTENRS' FIRST GAY KISS TO STONEWALL

'EASTENRS' ACTOR REVEALS HE IS GAY

Memorable LGBTQ moments EastEnrs historyEastEnrs has been on our screens for more than 35 years – that time, the Walford-based soap has bee one of Bra’s most inic TV s but 1985, EastEnrs has never shied away om hard-htg storyl and has been at the foreont of LGBTQ reprentatn on Bize tak a look at some of the most memorable LGBTQ moments om the BBC One show’s gay kiss on a Brish soapCol Rsell was the first gay character on EastEnrs, appearg Albert Square jt over a year after the show’s first by Michael Cashman, there was ntroversy at the time when Col kissed boyiend Barry Clark (Gary Hail) 1987 – even though was jt a peck on the (Michael Cashman) and Barry (Gary Hall) were EastEnrs' first gay years later, Col and new character Guido Smh (Nicholas Donovan) shared the first mouth-to-mouth kiss on a Brish soap – an timated 17 ln people tuned to watch the uple’s beme one of the most ground-breakg scen soap history – but was emed so ntroversial that some MPs lled for the soap to be pulled om the air. Syed tells Christian he is gay and love wh him – but unr prsure om his fay, gets married to feelgs for Christian prove too strong – so Syed out. Mick held his teenage son his arms to liver a tear-jerkg speech, tellg Johnny that he loved him and there was nothg bad about beg gay, supportg him to e out through both of their stifled Carter (played by Sam Strike, send om left) and dad Mick (Danny Dyer, centre) both ma their first appearanc the soap December ’s mother Lda (Kellie Bright) ially stggled wh his sexualy – but the pair eventually make up as she tak him to his first Pri event where he meets new boyiend Gianlu Cavallo (Gabriele Lombardo) transgenr character played by transgenr actorKyle Slater’s arrival Albert Square was a landmark moment for marked the first time Brish soap history that a transgenr character had been played by a transgenr actor, wh Riley Carter Millgton takg on the historic ’s first appearanc showed him followg Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) before he later reveals he is her long-lost half-brother and the pair ultimately sharg his story wh Stacey, Kyle reveals that his mother Alison (Denise Welch) has never seen him as a man.

Walford’s first Gay PriIn July 2019, Walford threw s first-ever Gay Pri event, wh an episo tacklg a number of LGBTQ ahead of London’s Gay Pri event, the episo was seen as celebratory, diverse and tnal, but also clud moments that remd the dience of the prejudice and discrimatn still faced by the LGBTQ muny to this the inic episo, Bernatte Taylor (Clair Norris) embrac her sexualy while celebratg her first Pri, havg e out as a lbian to her mother six months earlier, while Callum Highway (Tony Clay) stggl to e to terms wh his new, also known as Halfway, was engaged to Whney Dean (Shona McGarty) at the time of Pri and was helpg to get everythg anised for the big event.

But he was mortified when brother Stuart (Ricky Champ) turned up and told him he saw him kissg Ben Mchell (Max Bown) the night 's been que the journey for Ben Mchell (Max Bown, pictured) and Callum Highway (Tony Clay), who recently got engaged the the urse of te love didn’t always n smoothly for Callum and Ben – Stuart beat up Ben later the Pri episo - the fan favoure duo went on to bee a uple, wh the pair eventually proposg to each other on the balny of lol gay bar The Prce Albert. EastEnrs actor Jake Maskall has revealed that he is gay and has a boyiend.

EASTENRS' GAY UPLE SYED AND CHRISTIAN TO LEAVE SHOW

Jake plays womanizg Danny Moon on the soap, currently havg an affair wh Sam Mchell (Kim Medlf), but he told Now magaze: "I'm gay and I've been wh my boyiend for 12 years. Image ptn, Elltt (right) said he was lookg forward to "new challeng"EastEnrs st members Marc Elltt and John Partridge, who play gay lovers Syed Masood and Christian Clarke, are to be wrten out of the BBC One soap.

Elltt said his time on the seri had been "brilliant", addg he was pleased at how had addrsed "the sensive subject matter of beg a gay Mlim".

Col Rsell appeared the BBC One soap om 1986 to 1989, as the character sparked ntentn om Dot due to his homosexualy. As long-time fans will remember, graphic signer Col and market trar Barry, ma history back the mid-eighti as one of TV’s first-ever gay upl, wh their relatnship nsired to be a breakthrough moment for LGBTQ+ reprentatn on screen.

A GAY UPLE RAN A RAL RTRANT PEACE. THEN NEW NEIGHBORS ARRIVED.

The bsman and his wife, Melissa, first plaed to the Front Porch proprietors about pre-dawn vendor liveri 2019, not long after the nservative Christian uple moved their fancial firm right next door to the rtrant, which fli a gay Pri flag. (Front Porch Market and Grill)What’s more, the Washers say, the ad rat was jt one more sult that the uple, who once planted an “all liv matter” sign their ont yard, have endured sce movg next door to a rtrant owned by a gay uple.

They married 2020, five years after they opened the Front Porch, which quickly beme a statn The Front Porch has been flyg a Pri flag on s pat sce 2016, not long after a gunman killed 49 people a gay bar Orlando.

Waybourn was print of the Dallas Gay Alliance when sued Parkland Memorial Hospal for failg to provi readily available medic to AIDS patients. In 1991, he lnched the Gay and Lbian Victory Fund (now the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund) to elect openly gay policians to office. He served as managg director of the Gay & Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn, or GLAAD, which he helped turn to a natnal group.

SOME TIPS FOR ALL THOSE STILL PLAG ABOUT GAY SCEN SOAPS LIKE EASTENRS AND EMMERDALE

He owned gay newspapers Hoton, Atlanta, New York and Washgton. “I had so many threats agast me that even the Dallas police statned squad rs outsi our home, ” Waybourn an activist, Waybourn says, his goals were clear: same-sex marriage, gays and lbians the ary, accs to lifavg medic. To the activist, feels like a step backward after a lifetime of fightg for gay pack the seats at the Board of Zong Appeals hearg hosted at Grace Epispal Church.

EASTENRS' GARY HAIL SAYS BBC CUT 1987 GAY STORYLE BEE OF TORY LEGISLATN

“I have que a few gay iends, clients and a fay member, and I have patronized a gay-owned rtrant for years, ” he whether the Washers are tryg to remake The Plas to their image of Ameri — Whe, nservative, Christian — Melissa said, “I n see where you’re g om. EastEnrs' first gay uple – Barry Clark and Col Rsell – were star-crossed lovers bee of Tory legislatn, acrdg to one of the actorsVio LoadgVio UnavailableEastEnrs viewers crge as Jean tri to sce Phil after Shirley's advice blunrIt’s not often that EastEnrs is pared to Shakpeare.

But the BBC soap’s first gay uple – Barry Clark and Col Rsell – were star-crossed lovers bee of Tory legislatn, acrdg to one of the actors. In May 1988, the Tory ernment enacted the ntroversial Sectn 28 clse prohibg “the promotn of homosexualy” by uncils and schools. Gary Hail reckons his on-screen gay relatnship was cut short December 1987 by worried BBC boss.

” In 1989, Col – played by Lord Michael Cashman, 69 – and a new boyiend shared Brish soap’s first gay kiss. Gary Hail played Barry Clark - one half of 'Col and Barry', EastEnrs' first gay uple.

EASTENRS AT 35 - COL AND BARRY AND THE FIRST GAY KISS SOAP

He talks about how that first on-screen gay kiss soap ed a real furore, Barry's iendship wh Dot, why the uple were eventually wrten out and what Gary mak of Barry's 80s hair cut and drs sense now. More than three s after they ma history as a of TV’s first gay upl, EastEnrs’ Collyns Rsell and Barry Clark are set to return to screens for Dot Cotton’s memorial. “Apparently, they ed the scene where Dot realis that Bobby and Kol share a layer schools to te populace about gay relatnships.

Acrdg to the Texas judicial missn’s 2019 warng, Hensley referred gay upl who wanted her to pri over their marriage ceremony to other people who would officiate. The northern Italian cy of Padua has started removg the nam of non-blogil gay mothers om their children’s birth certifit unr new legislatn passed by the “tradnal fay-first” ernment of Prime Mister Grgia Meloni. Surrogacy is illegal Italy, and gay marriage has not been legalized.

“There is no discrimatn agast children, ” Fay Mister Eugenia Roccella told parliament when she troduced the bill June, explag that the children of gay upl would have accs to school and medil servic jt like those who only have one livg parent. More than three s after they ma history as one of TV’s first gay upl, EastEnrs’ Col Rsell and Barry Clark are set to return to screens for Dot Cotton’s funeral. “Apparently, they ed the scene where Dot realis that Barry and Col share a bed schools to te people about gay relatnships.

MICHAEL CASHMAN DIVIND EMOTNAL REASON FOR EASTENRS RETURN AS PORTN OF TRAILBLAZG GAY LK

In 1985, he had been approached by the creators of EastEnrs, Julia Smh and Tony Holland, to play Col Rsell – the Brish soap’s first gay character.

The News of the World ran a double-page spread, headled “Secret Gay Love of Aids Sre EastEnr”, which outed his partner and prted the uple’s photos and was even an attempt to orchtrate “sister” stori about him.

Through his varied, high-profile reer and life-changg relatnship wh his hband, Pl Cottgham (an actor and mpaigner who died of ncer 2014), tells not jt the story of his life, but also the battle for LGBT equaly the the Sun vered the story of the EastEnrs gay kiss 1989When news broke that Cashman’s character would share the first gay kiss a Brish soap (a peck on the forehead), the backlash only tensified. By parison, his next on-screen kiss – Brish soap’s first gay kiss on the lips – passed worth ? “Somebody said to me: ‘When you were on I ed to watch om behd the sofa bee I didn’t want my parents to know I was gay.

TEXAS JUDGE WHO DON’T WANT TO PERFORM GAY MARRIAGE CEREMONI HOP WEB SIGNER’S SUPREME COURT SE HELPS HER FIGHT

In the 60s, gog to the police wasn’t really an optn for gay men, he says.

“That this is what happened to gay men.

In May 1988, the Thatcher ernment had brought the Lol Government Act and s notor sectn 28, which prohibed the tentnal promotn of homosexualy by lol thori and schools. ”Throughout the 80s and 90s, gay people were often portrayed as predators by media anisatns supportive of sectn 28.

MICHAEL CASHMAN SHAR EMOTNAL REASON FOR EASTENRS RETURN AS PART OF TRAILBLAZG GAY UPLE

And he is ncerned that some lbian, gay and bisexual people are jog . “The fact that lbian and gay people are willg to sacrifice trans people …we’re rollg back the clock.

HOW MICHAEL CASHMAN CHANGED THE WORLD: OM EASTENRS' FIRST GAY KISS TO STONEWALL

In 1999, he beme the untry’s first openly gay Labour MEP and went on to be print of the European Parliament’s tergroup on gay and lbian issu, while also helpg nvce Tony Blair’s ernment to troduce same-sex civil partnerships. He was ma a Labour peer 2014 and has champned issu such as pulsory LGBT-clive sex and relatnships year, he rigned om the Labour party after endorsg the pro-rema Liberal a gay rights march 1988 wh Ian McKellen.