8 key moments that shaped LGBT+ representation in TV

June is Pride Month and at the moment we're seeing more and more LGBT+ representation on our televisions. However, before the likes of It's a Sin and RuPaul's Drag Race dominated our screens, it was a very different story.

LGBT characters were either displayed as crude stereotypes and made the butt of the joke or, in most cases, they just didn't seem to exist. The absence of positive queer representation on television made it more challenging for LGBT+ people to come out and be comfortable with who they were. Here we'll dive into some important milestones that have shaped the way LGBT+ stories are told.

First gay kiss on UK TV (EastEnders, 1987)

Back in 1986, EastEnders introduced a new character called Colin Russell, played by Michael Cashman, he was one of the many middle class characters introduced to Albert Square in the 1980s. Colin was the soap's first openly gay character and later in the year he begins a relationship with Barry Clark (Gary Hailes) who moves in with him.

In 1987, a scene showed Colin give Barry a peck on the forehead and it stirred up some of the British press. The BBC was inundated with several complaints and calls from MPs to take the show off the air. The BBC didn't seem fazed too much by the complaints because 18 months later, Colin shared a kiss on the mouth with his new partner Guido Smith (Nicholas Donovan).

Colin left Watford in 1989 but made a short return in 2016 where he married his partner, Eddie.

First pre-watershed lesbian kiss (Brookside 1994)

This scene from Brookside is considered a landmark moment in British television where Beth (Anna Friel) and Margaret (Nicola Stephenson) shared an on-screen kiss. This kiss marked the first lesbian kiss on British TV as well as the first same-sex kiss to air before the watershed - a time where TV channels can air content more appropriate for adults.

The moment was significant enough that it appeared in a montage during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics!

Gay storyline in a children's show (Byker Grove 1994)

For many of us, Byker Grove is known as the TV show that kickstarted the careers of Ant and Dec, but did you know they were also the first children's show in the UK to cover issues of sexuality, which included a same sex kiss on the cheek?

In 1994, the BBC's famous show for younger viewers aired a storyline where Noddy (Brett Adams) develops feelings for his male friend, Gary, and kisses him on the cheek at the cinema. Unfortunately for Noddy, the response was what many young queer people dread, with Gary storming out calling him "sick". The scene once again drew outrage from the tabloids with them calling for the show's producer, Matthew Robinson, to be sacked.

Ellen comes out (1997)

Over in the United States, comedian Ellen DeGeneres made headlines as she publicly came out with the famous line on the cover of Time magazine: 'Yep, I'm Gay'. Soon after, her character on her sitcom (also called Ellen) came out too in 'The Puppy Episode'.

Ellen was a well loved public figure at the time and although her sitcom was soon cancelled, her chat show became a huge success. Her coming out helped normalise seeing LGBT+ people in the public eye which helped shift people's views.

Queer as Folk (1999)

At the end of the century, Russell T Davies' drama, Queer as Folk aired on Channel 4. The show focused on a group of three gay men who lived in Manchester's gay village. The show was considered another turning point with its ability to showcase gay stories and how it was unafraid to include more sexual themes in its storytelling.

Even without seeing the show, Queer as Folk is known in people's heads as a show that helped shift and shape the landscape TV, making room for more queer stories to be greenlit.

Watch a clip from the show on YouTube.

First transgender actor to receive an Emmy nomination (Laverne Cox 2014)

Netflix Original series, Orange is the New Black, a drama set in a women's prison was hailed for its incredible use of a diverse cast including casting Laverne Cox as transgender inmate Sofia. In the past decade it had been common to see cisgender actors take on trans roles which would help reinforce negative stereotypes of trans people.

However, Orange is the New Black helped change the dynamic by casting a trans woman which has brought more authentic transgender stories to a mainstream audience. In 2014, Laverne earned an Emmy nomination for her work on Orange is the New Black becoming the first openly transgender person to be nominated in any acting category. Laverne also went on to receive three more nominations for Orange is the New Black in 2017, 2019, and 2020.

First BBC comedy to prominently feature transgender issues (Boy Meets Girl, 2015)

Boy Meets Girl is a BBC sitcom about relationships with larger age gaps. The show made history as not only the first BBC comedy to prominently feature transgender storylines but also the first to star a transgender actress with Rebecca Root playing Judy.

The script, written by Elliot Kerrigan, was discovered through the Trans Comedy Award, a partnership with the BBC Writer's Room that worked to discover positive portrayals of transgender characters. For the role of Judy, only transgender actresses were considered, which shows that casting for these roles has come a long way in the past decade.

It's a Sin (2021)

In early 2021, we were treated to another brilliant piece of drama written by Russell T Davies. It's a Sin took us back to the 1980s as we met a group of friends who live through the height of the AIDS crisis. Whilst this isn't the first time we've had a story about the AIDS crisis, many of the other works come from the United States, so this British viewpoint on how it affected the community in the UK was welcomed by queer audiences.

With an incredible cast of LGBT+ actors (including Years and Years' Olly Alexander in the leading role as Ritchie Tozer), the show was able to educate both a mainstream audience as well as younger queer people about the horrors of the AIDS crisis. The success of the show has seen more open conversations about HIV and AIDS and there has been an increase in HIV tests being taken.

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• TV shows
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• Eastenders
• Brookside
• byker grove
• Ellen DeGeneres
• queer as folk
• Orange is the New Black
• Laverne Cox
• boy meets girl
• rebecca root
• its a sin
• olly alexander
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• lgbt+ history month
• pride month