Gay Irish actor Aidan O’Callaghan at the centre of new EastEnrs LGBTQ+ storyle • GCN

Contents:

• NEARLY HALF OF BRS THK THERE ARE 'FAR TOO MANY' GAY PEOPLE ON TV OM HEARTSTOPPER TO EASTENRS, GRAHAM NORTON SHOW TO DRAG RACE - HERE'S WHY THEY'RE WRONG"SHOULDN'T WE BE LIFTG UP LGBT+ TV STARS, NOT PICKG AT THEM FOR THEIR MOMENT THE SPOTLIGHT", WR MYLONDON LGBT+ REPORTER MATT SPIVEYGETWTLONDONBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTS NEWSOPNBYMATT SPIVEYCONTENT EDOR13:13, 5 MAR 2023UPDATED15:08, 5 MAR 2023BOOKMARKLGBT+ PEOPLE ARE FAR MORE VISIBLE ON MASTREAM TV BUT THERE'S STILL A LONG WAY TO GO FOR EQUAL REPRENTATN (IMAGE: BBC)SIGN UP FOR NEWS AND FEATUR OM OUR DIVERSE MUNI MORE 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 SIGN UP FOR NEWS AND FEATUR OM OUR DIVERSE MUNI INVALID 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!
• I’M 43 – BUT I’M MA TO FEEL LIKE A DOSR BY YOUNGER GAY MEN
• WHO WAS THE GAY MAN EASTENRS?
• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY
• HOW MICHAEL CASHMAN CHANGED THE WORLD: OM EASTENRS' FIRST GAY KISS TO STONEWALL
• CORK ACTOR AIDAN O’CALLAGHAN JOS EASTENRS ROLE OF GAY BAR MANAGER
• EASTENRS - SO STEVEN'S GAY...
• GAY IRISH ACTOR AIDAN O’CALLAGHAN AT THE CENTRE OF NEW EASTENRS LGBTQ+ STORYLE
• I’M 43 – BUT I’M MA TO FEEL LIKE A DOSR BY YOUNGER GAY MEN

NEARLY HALF OF BRS THK THERE ARE 'FAR TOO MANY' GAY PEOPLE ON TV OM HEARTSTOPPER TO EASTENRS, GRAHAM NORTON SHOW TO DRAG RACE - HERE'S WHY THEY'RE WRONG"SHOULDN'T WE BE LIFTG UP LGBT+ TV STARS, NOT PICKG AT THEM FOR THEIR MOMENT THE SPOTLIGHT", WR MYLONDON LGBT+ REPORTER MATT SPIVEYGETWTLONDONBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTS NEWSOPNBYMATT SPIVEYCONTENT EDOR13:13, 5 MAR 2023UPDATED15:08, 5 MAR 2023BOOKMARKLGBT+ PEOPLE ARE FAR MORE VISIBLE ON MASTREAM TV BUT THERE'S STILL A LONG WAY TO GO FOR EQUAL REPRENTATN (IMAGE: BBC)SIGN UP FOR NEWS AND FEATUR OM OUR DIVERSE MUNI MORE 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 SIGN UP FOR NEWS AND FEATUR OM OUR DIVERSE MUNI INVALID 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!

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. 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.

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

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.

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

WHO WAS THE GAY MAN EASTENRS?

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

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

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).

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. Whether 's daytime TV, soaps, chat shows, realy TV, news bullets or sports punds, Brish TV has allowed the rise of talent om all walks of society but some people seem to thk there are too many gay people on their screens - here's why they are wrong. It's no surprise that people are overwhelmed by queer reprentatn on televisn after s of gay people beg crimalised then persecuted unls they kept their sexualy hidn behd closed doors.

Let's not fet the outrage at EastEnrs airg the soap's first ever gay kiss the 90s.

CORK ACTOR AIDAN O’CALLAGHAN JOS EASTENRS ROLE OF GAY BAR MANAGER

Throughout the history of televisn, gay people have been prent the foundatn of much of the entertament and programm we watch today.

Those doors have been all but blown off their hg and seeg proud LGBT+ stars every rner of the programmg schle of the big TV works is one big step 'normalisg' the existence of gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenr people and showsg their talent as well as openg up important nversatns. Throughout the history of televisn, gay people have been prent the foundatn of much of the entertament and programm we watch today - for example, the first Director General of the BBC, John Reh, who began his role 1922 is believed to have had sexual relatns wh men. Graham Norton has been an out and proud gay man on our screens and rad for years and is showg no signs of stoppg.

EASTENRS - SO STEVEN'S GAY...

Wh the rise populary of shows which centre around the liv of queer people such as It's A S, Sex Edutn, Heartstopper and Feel Good there are plenty of reason to celebrate the wav that have been ma followg years of trailblazg stars breakg through and openly intifyg as gay. As Drag Race stars Tayce and Assta Manla ma very clear on season two of the UK anchise, there are very few black LGBT+ ins the history of our stage and screen as both stars chose Naomi Campbell as their 'gay in' nway theme.

Assta said on the show: "Here's the thg, i really stggled to fd a person of lour and someone who is a gay in.

Growg up there was no one that I uld look to that was gay and Black and an in the UK. There's jt not enough reprentatn for our culture as a POC [person of lour] and pecially someone who's gay.

GAY IRISH ACTOR AIDAN O’CALLAGHAN AT THE CENTRE OF NEW EASTENRS LGBTQ+ STORYLE

" It's unclear om the data whether people specifilly thk there are too many gay people, characters, actors or shows on TV but they seem to be missg the pot of jt how important LGBT+ reprentatn is - as major dramas and soaps regularly clu storyl focsg on gay people.

Who was the gay man EastEnrs? Who was the first gay actor EastEnrs? When was the first gay kiss on UK TV?

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

Lord Michael Cashman played EastEnrs’ first gay character Col Rsell for three years the 80s. After makg his but, Col started a relatnship wh Barry Clark (Gary Hail), which saw them have the first gay kiss a Brish soap opera on primetime televisn.