It seems to me that, on top of some rather ropey representation of lesbian/gay characters and also bi women, the soaps' representation of bi male characters is extremely poor.

For a start, they're virtually never referred to as bisexual but simply as exclusively gay (whenever someone else feels the need to label their sexuality).

On top of this, they're often portrayed as untrustworthy and are often the villains in their shows (Danny in EE and Rob in ED to give two recent examples).

I get that every show needs a villain (and bi men offer the added shock value of being able to cheat on their girlfriends/wives with another guy).

But just for once, couldn't the soaps depict a bi male who's a likeable character and who is also capable of monogamy? Or is that too much of a stretch for certain soap writers' feeble imaginations?

Did you see Ravi and Kris in Hollyoaks? They were good characters

Yes I did.

But they're the exception that proves the rule.

I agree OP. For some reason the bi men in soaps have people telling them they're gay and that they "need to face up to the fact they're gay". Why can't people accept that some people are bi and that it's perfectly natural? I'd like to see an openly bi character who is comfortable with exactly who he is and who is accepted as bisexual by other characters and of course the viewers.

Lockie in HO? Not the best character but open about his sexuality.

There's barely anyone in soaps capable of monogamy (regardless of gender or sexual persuasion) - bi-sexual men aren't singled out especially, in that respect.

Me too Smurf.

I'm happy for them to depict the classic gay-in-denial characters too (Ben Mitchell will probably continue down this route), as they're sadly very true to life. But alongside that, they could depict an out bi guy, who's open about having had both girlfriends and boyfriends in the past. Such out bi men do exist.

I'd also like them to depict a predominantly straight guy who enjoys a bit of man-on-man fun now and again, but that's all it is - a bit of fun. Such a character would likely be very discrete though, as mostly straight guys see little benefit in outing themselves.

But I really think that showing a mostly straight discrete guy, a comfortably out bi guy, and a classic gay-in-denial guy in the same show would make for some interesting comparisons.

ETA: If room, they could also have a happy out gay male character too, plus any lesbian/bi women. And it would be amazing if they ever introduced an asexual character into the mix.

I'm not surprised HO is leading the way in this regard. It tends to be bolder with LGBTA issues and storylines, due to the perception that its audience is younger and so more able to handle such storylines.

I don't understand why characters (Martin, Rebecca) keep having a go at Sonia for 'turning lesbian'. She's had relationships with men and women in the past, so she's obviously bisexual. However the EE writers seem reluctant to explore that.

I know it doesn't need spelling out in big letters, but you'd think at least once, when being slagged off for 'becoming' a raging lesbian*, Sonia might correct them by saying she's bi.


(* I can't remember the actual quote, but it did make me laugh!)

I was just thinking of the Sonia situation actually.

I get where you're coming from, but in Sonia's case, it seems (like quite a few lesbian women) she's conformed to the traditional get-married-to-a-man thing but has found being with a man to be somewhat lacking. She even said to Carole about how the fireworks she experiences in bed with Tina were always missing from sex with Martin. It's like someone switched a lightbulb on for her. This is true to life, as some people take a long time to realise that they're gay.

That said, she seemed to have a powerful love relationship with Jamie back in the day, so with Sonia who knows?

I agree.
but with Robert from Emmerdale I kind of find it true to his character, as far as i remember his character always been like that regardless of his sexuality, his always been manipulative and cheated on every partner his ever been with.

But what storyline can they get out of someone being bi sexual?

It's not like they're going to show the sex scenes are they?

A bi love triangle wouldn't work either.

How about they just give them stories that aren't about their sexuality?

True, but I personally think with Robert when they brought him back they were not quite sure how viewers would take to him.
Robert quickly became a favourite again partly due to his affair with Aaron and also because Ryan Hawley is so good in the role.
I think the writers got cold feet after his 'trial' period and just don't know how to keep up what they had started. They throw in the same old rehashed scenes now and again to try and give a hint of continuity and tease the Robron fans.
I bet they wish they could just phase out the 'bisexua'l side of Robert but hope perhaps the summer stories might prove me wrong.

I kind of think the tptb don't believe in them and think they can only be one of the other. Not even Sonia is being referred to as bi. It's always the "now gay" stuff we get. It's kind of disgusting and offending.

I don't think they ever expected the Robert/Aaron pairing to become as popular as it has.

The same kind of storylines a heterosexual would get I imagine(roll eyes)

Only to gays, which kinda proves a point.

How wide was the field of study you used to come to that conclusion?

I like Rob and Aaron and I'm a straight female!

Same

Exactly.

exactly. the storylines will be the same as they would be for a heterosexual character, so what would be the point of him being bi in the first place.

I'd imagine that if the writers brought in a bi sexual character it'd be because they'd do a storyline regarding his sexuality. And if they didn't, and his sexuality was never mentioned, then at the end of the day, what actually does it achieve? What would be the point?

I'm sorry, but are you being deliberately obtuse?

For a start, it would achieve an increase in bi male visibility and that in itself is reason enough to justify it.

It's right that the soaps represent a diverse range of people. And just because a character is bi, it doesn't mean that all storylines involving that character need to be about their sexuality.

yes, it's time Norris in CS had a good storyline...