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

Contents:

• MICHAEL CASHMAN SHAR EMOTNAL REASON FOR EASTENRS RETURN AS PART OF TRAILBLAZG GAY UPLE
• EASTENRS' GAY UPLE SYED AND CHRISTIAN TO LEAVE SHOW
• 'EASTENRS' ACTOR REVEALS HE IS GAY
• EASTENRS' GAY UPLE SYED AND CHRISTIAN TO LEAVE SHOW
• EASTENRS AT 35 - COL AND BARRY AND THE FIRST GAY KISS SOAP
• 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' GARY HAIL SAYS BBC CUT 1987 GAY STORYLE BEE OF TORY LEGISLATN
• I’M 43 – BUT I’M MA TO FEEL LIKE A DOSR BY YOUNGER GAY MEN
• I’M 43 – BUT I’M MA TO FEEL LIKE A DOSR BY YOUNGER GAY MEN
• EASTENRS STAR CLAIMS BBC CUT THE SOAP’S FIRST GAY ROMANCE BEE OF THE ERNMENT’S ANTI-LGBT+ SECTN 28

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

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.

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".

EASTENRS' GAY UPLE SYED AND CHRISTIAN TO LEAVE SHOW

EastEnrs actor Jake Maskall has revealed that he is gay and has a boyiend. 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. Gary Hail played Barry Clark - one half of 'Col and Barry', EastEnrs' first gay uple.

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. We’re celebratg Pri Month, a time for tg on Pri history and celebratg our gay muny. EastEnrs character Callum me out as gay 2019 (Cred: BBC).

Later he admted to her that he was gay and began a relatnship wh Ben. She soon began to realise she was gay and had feelgs for her bt iend Sian Powers.

'EASTENRS' ACTOR REVEALS HE IS GAY

Later Paddy disvered Aaron vised a gay bar and when he asked him about his sexualy, Aaron attacked him. In urt Aaron admted he was gay. 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.

EASTENRS' GAY UPLE SYED AND CHRISTIAN TO LEAVE SHOW

Christian, like me, is an openly proud gay man and he is certaly gog to ffle a few feathers when he arriv.

On the day of Syed and Amira’s weddg, which was a huge episo, Syed admted to Christian that he is gay. He later gave advice to Ben Mchell when he nfid him that he is gay. Sean is openly gay (Cred: ITV).

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

Antony, like his character Sean, is openly gay and when Sean first appeared he was out and proud. The character Ben is gay (Cred: BBC).

In 2011, Ben me out as gay, however at first Phil didn’t accept this. However when the two men went on a night out, they were both btally beaten up a homophobic attack.

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

Vansa is played by actrs Michelle Hardwick, who is openly gay. 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. In the 60s, gog to the police wasn’t really an optn for gay men, he says.

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

“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.

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.

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

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. 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. 1989: Col Rsell and Guido Smh air first gay kiss on UK TV Eastenrs. 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.

I’M 43 – BUT I’M MA TO FEEL LIKE A DOSR BY YOUNGER GAY MEN

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. 1994: Brooksi airs first pre-watershed gay kiss between Beth and Margaret.

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. It was also the first gay kiss between two women. 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.

I’M 43 – BUT I’M MA TO FEEL LIKE A DOSR BY YOUNGER GAY MEN

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.

Exchangg vows and rgs, the pair effectively beme the first gay weddg to ever air on televisn.

EASTENRS STAR CLAIMS BBC CUT THE SOAP’S FIRST GAY ROMANCE BEE OF THE ERNMENT’S ANTI-LGBT+ SECTN 28

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