UK TV Soap's Gay Snog Raises Hackles... But Only a Few

Romance is back in style for the gay characters of the UK soap opera EastEnders, a prime time program that aired a kiss between two men on Oct. 7.

Gay news Web site Pink News posted an Oct. 10 article on the kiss, with the most remarkable part of the story perhaps being not the kiss itself, but the public's response: though EastEnders is a much-watched program, only 150 viewers complained about the same-sex smooch.

The BBC respectfully disagreed with those who complained, saying that their policy is to approach relationships between gay characters with the same level of authenticity as relationships between heterosexuals, the article said.

In the Oct. 7 episode, Christian (played by John Partridge) and Lee (played by Carl Ferguson) were seen sharing a snog in a park by local gossip Dot (portrayed by June Brown).

Dot's exclamation: "The Lord's not the only one with eyes."

Indeed, a lot of eyes were trained on their TV screens in homes across the UK when the kiss took place, and out of all those viewers, a mere 150 voiced their objection.

The kiss between Christian and Lee doesn't mark the first time that the evening soap has allowed gay men to engage in a public display of affection. The Pink News article recalled that in 1987, a same-sex kiss also made waves--though the outcry was much larger, and the kiss, the first to be shown on a British soap opera as taking place between two men, was much more innocent: a mere peck on the forehead, which Colin (Michael Cashman) planted onto his boyfriend, Barry (Shaun Williamson), before 17 million viewers.

The ensuing tumult set a record for viewer complaints and led to angry rhetoric in the English Parliament. But the BBC stood by the gay characters, although not without subjecting them to some drama: then, as now, homophobic busybody Dot threw herself into the task of spreading gossip about the lovers.

In 1989, Colin and a new love, Guido (Nicholas Donovan), shared the first kiss on the kips between men to be shown on TV in the UK, generating a whole new flap led by the tabloid press.

By comparison, the kiss shared by Christian and Lee drew hardly a ripple of complaint, although those who wrote in made no bones about their feelings.

The Pink News article quoted one note posted to the show's message board which read, "I am appalled by the display of homosexual kissing before the watershed shown on EastEnders."

The BBC replied to this, and other, complaints with the statement that, "EastEnders aims to reflect real life, and this means including and telling stories about characters from many different backgrounds, faiths, religions and sexualities."

Added the BBC, "We approach our portrayal of homosexual relationships in the same way as we do heterosexual relationships.

"In this instance, Christian is enjoying the first flush of romance and we've shown him being affectionate with his new boyfriend in the same way any couple would."

The BBC's reply continued, "We also aim to ensure that depictions of affection or sexuality between couples are suitable for pre-watershed viewing.

"We believe that the general tone and content of EastEnders is now widely recognized, meaning that parents can make an informed decision as to whether they want their children to watch."

In the United States, prime time dramas are no stranger to sex between straight couples, and there are even hints of other sexualities coming into play (such as on the series Dirty Sexy Money, which has a transsexual character, and Ugly Betty, which includes a gay teen), but there is little in the way of same-sex kissing or other physical romance.

Even on daytime soaps in the U.S., gay characters have sometimes seemingly had their sex lives excised, as was the case for Noah and Luke on As The World Turns. As reported at EDGE the characters were repeatedly seen initiating what looked like a kiss, only for the camera to turn away or the lovers to share a chaste hug.

As reported at the blog for the Web site of the Gay and Lesbain Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) a number of U.S. cable channels are scheduled to air public service announcements relevant to GLBT Americans on Saturday, Oct. 11, which is celebrated by the GLBT community as "National Coming Out Day."

The GLAAD blog asserts that the PSAs, set to be aired on Fox Reality Channel, the Independent Film Channel (IFC), Lifetime, The N, the Sci-Fi Channel, the Sundance Channel, and the USA Network, will represent "the largest national one-day television promotion ever for LGBT equality."

One major network, ABC, will also air the PSAs, which feature celebrities such as Martina Navratilova, Marlee Matlin, and T.R. Knight, on some of its affiliated local stations.

National Coming Out Day was started in 1988, making this year's observance the 20th anniversary of the occasion, noted the GLAAD blog.

Neil Giuliano, president of GLAAD, was quoted in the blog's posting as saying, "National Coming Out Day gives us a vital opportunity to talk about ensuring that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people feel comfortable being open about who they are with their friends and families and in their communities."

Added Giuliano, "Thanks to the generosity of our broadcast partners, we have a tremendous opportunity to reach Americans across the country with a message of inclusion and acceptance."