Sir Ian McKellen viss the BFI Southbank to talk about Edward II, the 1970 adaptatn of the Christopher Marlowe play that saw he and his -star, Jam Lrenson, engage Brish TV’s first gay kiss.
Contents:
- LGBT REPRENTATN ON TV THROUGH THE AG – OM EASTENRS’ FIRST GAY KISS TO TRANSGENR SUPERHERO
- FIRST GAY KISS ON BRISH TV TO BE SEEN FOR FIRST TIME 40 YEARS
- SIR IAN MCKELLEN ON EDWARD II AND BRISH TV’S FIRST GAY KISS
- SIZZLG ! 20 YEARS AGO, THIS GAY KISS MA TV HISTORY: WATCH
- EASTENRS’ HISTORIC FIRST GAY KISS TO BE BROADST AS PART OF BBC FOUR’S PRI SEASON
- HOW MICHAEL CASHMAN CHANGED THE WORLD: OM EASTENRS' FIRST GAY KISS TO STONEWALL
- GROUNDBREAKG ON-SCREEN GAY KISS THROUGH HISTORY
LGBT REPRENTATN ON TV THROUGH THE AG – OM EASTENRS’ FIRST GAY KISS TO TRANSGENR SUPERHERO
* first gay kiss british tv *
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. 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.
FIRST GAY KISS ON BRISH TV TO BE SEEN FOR FIRST TIME 40 YEARS
The Season 3 fale of Dawson's Creek aired 20 years ago on May 24, 2000. The episo featured TV's first gay kiss, between Kerr Smh's character Jack * first gay kiss british tv *
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.
But the show phed forward regardls, and even had gay rights activist Candace Ggrich officiate the weddg to drive the pot home.
SIR IAN MCKELLEN ON EDWARD II AND BRISH TV’S FIRST GAY KISS
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.
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.
SIZZLG ! 20 YEARS AGO, THIS GAY KISS MA TV HISTORY: WATCH
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).
Wrers Marty Feldman and Barry Took e gay slang Polari the nuendo-laced Julian and Sandy sketch Round the Horne, wh leral straight-man Kenh Horne. Bona = good, dolly = pretty, eke (ef) = face, lalli = legs, naff = bbish/poor, nanty = no/nothg, ogle = look/eye, omi = man, omipalone = gay man, palone = woman, riah = hair, varda = seeRound the Horne, Sunday 7 March 1965, 14.
HOW MICHAEL CASHMAN CHANGED THE WORLD: OM EASTENRS' FIRST GAY KISS TO STONEWALL
The stud-based play is billed as ‘a smopolan London uple (Glenda Jackson and Aled Lynch) fd their outwardly charmed liv upend by a troubled homosexual iend (Nil Williamson)’. However, after 10 long years of mpaigng to implement the Wolfenn Report, the new act is barely a victory for gay rights.
It do not ver the Merchant Navy or the Armed Forc, do not extend to Stland or Northern Ireland, and do not equalise the discrimatory age of nsent for gay men.
Man Alive broadsts two edns weeks ahead of the Act lookg at the liv of gay men and lbians Alive: Consentg Adults: 2: The Women, BBC Two, Wednday 14 June 1967, 1970s: Breakthrough.
GROUNDBREAKG ON-SCREEN GAY KISS THROUGH HISTORY
Humphri (John Inman), Bombardier ‘Gloria’ Bemont (Melvyn Hay) and edian-host Larry Grayson reprent only one type of gay man. Negative portrayals of the LGBT+ muny on televisn are wispread at this time, but radil for s day, toward the end of this episo of Steptoe and Son a gay police officer is troduced, whout all the ual stereotyped characterisatns. Intifyg as gay, Robson is unique chart mic at the time, when rerd pani expect artist to be the closet for fear of affectg sal.