How Michael Cashman changed the world: om EastEnrs' first gay kiss to Stonewall | LGBTQ+ rights | The Guardian

Contents:

• 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
• EASTENRS' TONE GAY KISS TO BE REPEATED FOR BBC FOUR'S PRI SEASON
• EASTENRS AT 35 - COL AND BARRY AND THE FIRST GAY KISS SOAP
• 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!
• PIERS MAN APOLOGIS FOR ANTI-GAY ARTICLE ATTACKG EASTENRS OVER ‘YUPPIE POOFS’
• EASTENRS’ HISTORIC FIRST GAY KISS TO BE BROADST AS PART OF BBC FOUR’S PRI SEASON
• BBC REJECTS PLATS ABOUT EASTENRS GAY KISS
• COMPLATS POUR TO BBC AFTER EASTENRS SCREENS GAY KISS BEFORE THE WATERSHED
• EASTENRS GAY KISS: HARRY REID 'UPSET' AT HOMOPHOBIC REACTN TO BEN MCHELL AND PL COKER SCENE
• EASTENRS TO FEATURE FIRST GAY BAR ON ALBERT SQUARE

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

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. “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.

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. 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.

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.

EASTENRS' TONE GAY KISS TO BE REPEATED FOR BBC FOUR'S PRI SEASON

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. 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.

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

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. 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.

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!

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.

But the show phed forward regardls, and even had gay rights activist Candace Ggrich officiate the weddg to drive the pot home. 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.

PIERS MAN APOLOGIS FOR ANTI-GAY ARTICLE ATTACKG EASTENRS OVER ‘YUPPIE POOFS’

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. 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.

Leadg gay rol, Cameron (Eric Stontreet) and Mchell (Jse Tyler Fergon) were troduced after adoptg a Vietname dghter, Lily. 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. Ruby Rose’s Batwoman is TV’s first openly gay superhero (Picture: CW)2020: Ruby Rose’s Batwoman be first major gay superhero.

EASTENRS’ HISTORIC FIRST GAY KISS TO BE BROADST AS PART OF BBC FOUR’S PRI SEASON

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).

Episo featured a hallmark moment when Col Rsell (Lord Michael Cashman) had the first mouth-to-mouth gay kiss on Brish televisn wh his boyiend Guido (Nicholas Donovan).

BBC REJECTS PLATS ABOUT EASTENRS GAY KISS

BBCRelated: 50 groundbreakg soap characters Digal Spy magaze issue 12In the s sce this scene aired, EastEnrs has ntued to explore reprentatn Walford wh an episo takg place durg Pri and the openg of the Square's first gay bar, The Prce Michael Cashman was a part of many groundbreakg storyl on the soap as Col durg his three years as an EastEnrs st member.

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.

Piers Man has apologised for g homophobic language a historic EastEnrs story that has rurfaced on Twter. Piers ManS Meddle/ITV/ShutterstockThe story led on lls om MPs to take EastEnrs off air, after aired a kiss between gay characters Col Rsell and Guido referred to the pair as “yuppie p***s” the py, notg that the kiss was aired at a time “when lns of children were watchg”. As I've said before, I’m ashamed of some of the appropriate language I ed The Sun thirty years ago about gay stars.

COMPLATS POUR TO BBC AFTER EASTENRS SCREENS GAY KISS BEFORE THE WATERSHED

Piers Man (@piersman) January 29, 2020Quote-tweetg the article, he said: “As I’ve said before, I’m ashamed of some of the appropriate language I ed The Sun thirty years ago about gay stars.

In 1987, the character ma soap history he shared a forehead kiss wh Barry Clark, which was the first gay kiss to be screened on prime time Brish years later, Col’s kiss wh Guido beme the first mouth-to-mouth gay kiss on a Brish leavg EastEnrs shortly afterwards, Michael -found LGBTQ rights mpaign group Stonewall. He was the very first gay character to appear on the soap, but has sce gone on to bee a proment human rights activist and an appoted member of the Hoe of Lords.

A year later, the character beme the first ever to have a gay kiss on a Brish soap - both appld and nsired eply ntroversial at the time. The Brish prs had a field day wh Col's relatnship wh his on-screen boyiend, Barry, and much of the verage was nakedly homophobic.

EASTENRS GAY KISS: HARRY REID 'UPSET' AT HOMOPHOBIC REACTN TO BEN MCHELL AND PL COKER SCENE

The homosexual love scene between yuppie poofs was screened the early eveng when lns of children were watchg. Man told PkNews: “I’m ashamed of some of the appropriate language I ed The Sun 30 years ago about gay stars.

The former journalist highlighted a piece he wrote for The Telegraph 2005, which he admted he was”rather ashamed” of his past wrg about gay people, notg the EastEnrs verage and attempts to expose “whether male pop stars were gay or not”. EastEnrs’ historic first gay kiss is set to be aired on BBC Four this month as part of the channel’s Pri season. At the time, the scene was blasted by the Brish tabloid prs, wh Piers Man, then a wrer at The Sun newspaper, scribg the brief kiss as a “homosexual love scene between yuppie p***s” that was “screened the early eveng when lns of children were watchg.

The character of Col was first troduced 1986, and had been volved Brish soap’s first gay kiss scene of any kd when he lightly kissed his boyiend Barry Clark (Gary Hail) on the forehead 1987, sparkg a then-rerd number of plats. Col notably faced homophobia om Albert Square legend Dot Cotton (June Brown), who began to spread mours that he had HIV. Speakg to Attu 2017, Lord Cashman relled the outcry that acpanied time on EastEnrs  the late ’80s, when fears about HIV/AIDS were stokg homophobia across Bra.

EASTENRS TO FEATURE FIRST GAY BAR ON ALBERT SQUARE

Cashman appeared on the soap for three years om 1986 and generated headl when his character had the first gay kiss a Brish soap opera wh boyiend Barry Clark, played by Gary boss are keepg tails of Col’s return tightly unr wraps but his vis is set to raise a big qutn for Dot Branng (June Brown) when he appears two episos next actor-turned-Labour MEP said: “It was a real joy, ed a privilege, to return to my old home of Albert Square.

“To be amongst so many iends aga, and to be back the place where 30 years ago I started an amazg journey, an amazg journey which credibly helped to change the untry, and certaly s attu to lbian, gay and bisexual people.

More than 150 people who plaed after two gay men kissed on BBC soap EastEnrs have been told by the rporatn that they treat gay and straight relatnships the same way. “I am appalled by the display of homosexual kissg before the watershed shown on EastEnrs, ” one person wrote on a BBC msageboard.