John Partridge on 'Enrs' gay characters

Contents:

• GROUNDBREAKG TV GAY CHARACTERS COL AND BARRY RNE  EASTENRS AFTER 33 YEARS
• HOW MICHAEL CASHMAN CHANGED THE WORLD: OM EASTENRS' FIRST GAY KISS TO STONEWALL
• LGBT REPRENTATN ON TV THROUGH THE AG – OM EASTENRS’ FIRST GAY KISS TO TRANSGENR SUPERHERO
• BBC EASTENRS FANS MAND A 'GAY FAY WH REGULAR PROBLEMS' AS EVERY LGBTQ+ CHARACTER HAS 'THE SAME STORYLE'FANS OF THE SHOW WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME DIFFERENT STORYL GIVEN TO S LGBTQ+ CHARACTERSGETWTLONDONBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTSNEWSBYELLEN JENNESENR WHAT'S ON, SHOWBIZ AND TV WRER11:56, 4 MAY 2022UPDATED12:28, 4 MAY 2022BOOKMARKEASTENRS FANS SAY THEY WANT TO SEE LGBTQ+ FAI WH 'REGULAR PROBLEMS' (IMAGE: BBC/KIERON MCCARRON/JACK BARN)GET FREE EMAIL UPDAT FOR EASTENRSMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 GET FREE EMAIL UPDAT FOR EASTENRSINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!
• EASTENRS' BEN MCHELL TO E OUT AS GAY
• EASTENRS STAR WHO WAS FIRST EVER GAY CHARACTER ON BRISH SOAP - AND BEME A LORDNOT BAD GOG AT ALL!GETWTLONDONBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTSNEWSBYTOM HAYNREPORTER22:06, 21 JUN 2021UPDATED22:11, 21 JUN 2021BOOKMARKLORD CASHMAN WAS ALBERT SQUARE'S FIRST LGBT+ CHARACTER (IMAGE: BBC)GET FREE EMAIL UPDAT FOR EASTENRSMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 GET FREE EMAIL UPDAT FOR EASTENRSINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!
• EE - SOAP CHARACTERS THAT ARE GAY REAL LIFE
• 'EASTENRS' NEEDS MORE GAY CHARACTERS, SAYS JOHN PARTRIDGE
• EASTENRS IS BRGG BACK ANOTHER GAY CHARACTER
• WHAT'S LIKE BEG A GAY MLIM?

GROUNDBREAKG TV GAY CHARACTERS COL AND BARRY RNE  EASTENRS AFTER 33 YEARS

He first appeared 2008 and at the time actor, John Partridge, told Daily Star: “It’s about time EastEnrs had a gay character the show. 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.

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

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. 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. 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.

LGBT REPRENTATN ON TV THROUGH THE AG – OM EASTENRS’ FIRST GAY KISS TO TRANSGENR SUPERHERO

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.

While we may now take for granted the prence of queer figureheads on TV, ls than 30 years ago the mere prence of someone intifyg as gay uld send viewers to a tailsp, pecially as beg gay – or gay marriage – was illegal. For ’s Pri Week, we’ve looked back through the years of LGBT relatnships on TV, celebratg landmark moments and trailblazg shownners who fied the odds to get the sential scen on air while startg to break down homophobia and transphobia the procs. Here are jt some of the characters and shows that broke new ground brgg lbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer stori to our screens.

Col Rsell and Guido Smh aired the first lip-to-lip kiss on Eastenrs (Picture: BBC)In 1989, the first lip-to-lip gay kiss aired on Brish TV urty of Eastenrs. It happened between Col Rsell (Michael Cashman) and his romantic other half Guido Smh (Nicholas Donovan) – after years of character Col beg out and gay on the seri.

BBC EASTENRS FANS MAND A 'GAY FAY WH REGULAR PROBLEMS' AS EVERY LGBTQ+ CHARACTER HAS 'THE SAME STORYLE'FANS OF THE SHOW WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME DIFFERENT STORYL GIVEN TO S LGBTQ+ CHARACTERSGETWTLONDONBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTSNEWSBYELLEN JENNESENR WHAT'S ON, SHOWBIZ AND TV WRER11:56, 4 MAY 2022UPDATED12:28, 4 MAY 2022BOOKMARKEASTENRS FANS SAY THEY WANT TO SEE LGBTQ+ FAI WH 'REGULAR PROBLEMS' (IMAGE: BBC/KIERON MCCARRON/JACK BARN)GET FREE EMAIL UPDAT FOR EASTENRSMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 GET FREE EMAIL UPDAT FOR EASTENRSINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!

The first lbian kiss beme so inic aired as part of the 2012 Olympic ceremony (Picture: Channel 4)Brooksi’s 1994 lbian kiss between Beth (Anna Friel) and Margaret (Nila Stephenson) is often ced as the first UK gay kiss, but unfortunately they were five years late. The moment was so inic, even managed to land a place a montage for the2012 London Olympic Openg Ceremony – airg across the world cludg untri where homosexualy was illegal.

Sean and Pedro held their first gay mment ceremony on TV1994: The Real World airs first gay weddg ceremony on TV, and stars HIV+ nttant. In 1994, realy TV show The Real World: San Francis broke some ser ground whout even meang to when gay uple Sean Sasser and Pedro Zamora held a mment ceremony to each other live on air.

EASTENRS' BEN MCHELL TO E OUT AS GAY

It’s one of the most fg moments of the late 90s – Ellen Degener g out as gay, first as a character on her show, and then publicly shortly after. Queer as Folk was a no-holds-barred look at life of three gay men Manchter (Picture: Channel 4)1999: Queer As Folk lnch the UK. Starrg Aidan Gillan, Charlie Hunnam and Craig Kelly – Queer As Folk beme groundbreakg telly part to s no-holds-barred look at life and sex on the Manchter gay scene.

Lnched by Rsell T Davi, Queer as Folk aired at a turng pot time for homosexualy and acceptance, wh the ernment that same year lowerg the age of nsent for gay sex down to 16, the same as heterosexual sex.

While there was fely some problematic elements to the show, still showed beg gay a much more well-round, ls stereotypil light than before, and was one of the first major seri to lead off three gay characters.

EASTENRS STAR WHO WAS FIRST EVER GAY CHARACTER ON BRISH SOAP - AND BEME A LORDNOT BAD GOG AT ALL!GETWTLONDONBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTSNEWSBYTOM HAYNREPORTER22:06, 21 JUN 2021UPDATED22:11, 21 JUN 2021BOOKMARKLORD CASHMAN WAS ALBERT SQUARE'S FIRST LGBT+ CHARACTER (IMAGE: BBC)GET FREE EMAIL UPDAT FOR EASTENRSMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 GET FREE EMAIL UPDAT FOR EASTENRSINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!

First havg a heterosexual relatnship wh Oz (Seth Green), Willow veloped feelgs and relatnship wh young wch Tara (Amber Benson), before g out as gay to her iends. They later went on to get married and adopt a send child, but this was the first time on a major s that the ncept of adoptn, and raisg a fay a gay hoehold, was tly displayed at length. Batwoman ught the attentn of fans everywhere when was nfirmed that actrs Ruby Rose will be playg the superhero – and she will be playg her as openly gay.

In April 2019, rerd label drama Empire aired the first ever gay black weddg on work TV, wh Jamal Lyons (Jsie Smollett) tyg the knot to Kai Givens (Toby Onwumere). Prev LGBTQ+ storyl on EastEnrs have clud the very first gay kiss on a Brish soap, shared between characters Col Rsell and Guido Smh (played by Michael Cashman and Nicholas Donovan, rpectively) 1989. While ’s te that bisexual people are more at risk than both straight, lbian and gay people terms of mental health problems, lerally patg bisexual romance a picture of mental illns is not a helpful way to portray bisexualy.

EE - SOAP CHARACTERS THAT ARE GAY REAL LIFE

Bisexual men particular are stigmatised; when pared wh gay men, lbians, and bisexual women, surveys show they are at the bottom of the pile when to people’s attus about them. Bi men are also rated ls favourably due to the false belief that they are rriers of HIV that “spread” the disease to the “straight world”, a remnant of the homophobic disurse surroundg HIV/AIDS the 1980s. Bisexual people are viewed ls favourably by gay and lbian people as well, meang they face a double discrimatn om both gay and straight muni.

Of urse, the muny has numero lbian and gay alli – but ’s important to note that discrimatn by other lbians and gays do exist and do impact the liv of bi people.

And acrdg to Meg John Barker, a bisexual activist and amic who -wrote guil for rearchg bisexualy, bi men are often grouped wh gay men studi.

'EASTENRS' NEEDS MORE GAY CHARACTERS, SAYS JOHN PARTRIDGE

More than that, I hope the show lv to some of the plexi of livg as bisexual, perhaps not feelg at home eher a gay club, nor the Queen Vic.

EASTENRS IS BRGG BACK ANOTHER GAY CHARACTER

Gay marriage is now legal the UK, same-sex upl n adopt children and the Brish ernment plans to abolish gay nversn are queer people now treated equally? 47 Elena Alvarez, One Day at a Time (Isabella Gomez)Mike Yarish/NetflixAlistair RyrFrom Ellen g out the '90s to recent seri like Morn Fay explorg the ia of gay parenthood, ss are arguably the most groundbreakg genre when to on-screen pictns of morn LGBTQ+ first season of One Day at a Time, the now-ncelled reboot of the '70s s phenomenon, may tread faiar ground when to Elena Alvarez' (Isabella Gomez) g out story, but explor the trma of the closet wh an unexpected the cultural nservatism of olr Lato fay members to straed relatnships wh the homophobic men of the fay, One Day at a Time don't sugar-at s trma, even as handl s exploratns wh a lightns of touch.

Hell beg so outspoken about her bisexualy and fendg wh iends, fay and lovers anticipated what I'd al wh my mid- and late-20s whenever I'd discs my inty wh both straight and gay people. 39 Jt Suarez, Ugly Betty (Mark Inlito)Andrew Eccl//ABCLra Jane Turner In the early 2000s, Betty Suarez's nephew Jt was the gay reprentatn that many young people craved and whose g out storyle spired a generatn. But those aren't the only reasons Phil Mchell's progeny will go down 's inty as a gay man, om bullied schoolboy to revenge-seekg hardman to fiancé, has always been tied to his plot l and his populary.

WHAT'S LIKE BEG A GAY MLIM?

First there was his teenage love Pl Coker, who was tragilly murred bee of his sexualy as part of a storyle that shed a grim light on vlent homophobia. Ben's volvement the #Ballum saga also gave the EastEnrs wrers a new angle to explore sexualy and g out – which triumphantly clus Phil Mchell punchg an angry homophobe square the face.

36 Ryan Hay, Special (Ryan O'Connell) BETH DUBBER/NETFLIXAli GriffhsRyan O'Connell's portrayal as a fictnalised versn of himself Netflix's Special is unique, not jt bee of the show's foc on a gay man wh cerebral palsy, but bee of the sheer amount of self-pretn that ntas. It monstrat exactly why so many gay men are reluctant to volise what they have suffered, and should be broadst police statns up and down the land to prevent such occurrenc om not only beg a rary, but extct altogether. Patrick, played by Jonathan Groff, didn't e out until llege but his entire life out of the closet has been fed by the lgerg anxieti om when he was si ; a straed relatnship wh nservative parents back Denver, to the strs of nformg to a body type the gay muny would see as (Raúl Castillo) has an even more ayed relatnship wh his father due to the lgerg homophobia of his eply relig fay jt outsi the cy.