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

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 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!
• EASTENRS' GARY HAIL SAYS BBC CUT 1987 GAY STORYLE BEE OF TORY LEGISLATN
• MICHAEL CASHMAN SHAR EMOTNAL REASON FOR EASTENRS RETURN AS PART OF TRAILBLAZG GAY UPLE
• I KNOW ALL NEWS CELEBRIFASHNLIFTYLETECHNOLOGYTV & MOVIWORLD NEWS SEARCH FOR: HOME » TV & MOVI » FIRST PICTUR AS GROUNDBREAKG GAY UPLE COL & BARRY RNE EASTENRSFIRST PICTUR AS GROUNDBREAKG GAY UPLE COL & BARRY RNE EASTENRS
• EASTENRS TO FEATURE FIRST GAY BAR ON ALBERT SQUARE
• I’M 43 – BUT I’M MA TO FEEL LIKE A DOSR BY YOUNGER GAY MEN
• ONE OF N.L.'S FIRST MARRIED GAY UPL LOOK BACK WH PRI
• 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

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 ?

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

“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.

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

“The fact that lbian and gay people are willg to sacrifice trans people …we’re rollg back the clock.

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. 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 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!

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

I KNOW ALL NEWS CELEBRIFASHNLIFTYLETECHNOLOGYTV & MOVIWORLD NEWS SEARCH FOR: HOME » TV & MOVI » FIRST PICTUR AS GROUNDBREAKG GAY UPLE COL & BARRY RNE EASTENRSFIRST PICTUR AS GROUNDBREAKG GAY UPLE COL & BARRY RNE EASTENRS

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.

EASTENRS TO FEATURE FIRST GAY BAR ON ALBERT SQUARE

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.

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

Ruby Rose’s Batwoman is TV’s first openly gay superhero (Picture: CW)2020: Ruby Rose’s Batwoman be first major gay superhero. 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).

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. 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.

ONE OF N.L.'S FIRST MARRIED GAY UPL LOOK BACK WH PRI

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.

The cln of a gay relatnship on a fay show the midst of the AIDS crisis was even bated parliament. 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.

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

Harry Daley, a self-ted gay man, meets the BBC producer JR Ackerley while walkg his Hammersmh beat. Ackerley, also gay, puts Daley on the rad and troduc him to his lerary iends cludg Room Wh A View thor EM Forster. In 1953 he reports a theft to police, but when officers realise he is gay, they arrt him stead.

The Wolfenn Commtee publish s Report to the laws on homosexualy and prostutn. The BBC ually asks psychiatrists, lawyers and clergymen to discs the ‘problem of homosexualy’. In the aftermath of the Wolfenn Report, BBC Rad broadsts ‘The Homosexual Condn’.

Forster is the thor of Passage to India, Room Wh a View, and the ‘gay Lady Chatterley’s Lover’, Mrice. 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. Millns listen at Sunday lunchtim to the highly gay stereotyped characters played by Hugh Paddick and Kenh Williams.