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Why do soaps still have gay or lesbian characters having the main focus of being gay. |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,192
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Why do soaps still have gay or lesbian characters having the main focus of being gay.
In almost every storyline? I get that some people are still not acceptive of gay or lesbian people but compared to years ago, it's a small percentage now. Gay people as well as lesbians are normal but the focus of them being gay reflects in their storyline. I'm not homophobic, just making a point. Straight people won't have the focus of being straight in a storyline. Being gay or lesbian is a part of you. Can't we have one gay character or lesbian who doesn't have to come out and is just gay but no one brings it up?
What I'm not liking at the moment is Bryan Kirkwood's idea of making all the men on Hollyoaks gay or having affairs with gay men, that's just silly and not representing a village today unless he's going for the gay village these days. And don't get me started on him making Ste believe he's straight, that's ludicrous as it is and he paired him with Sinead out of all people! |
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#2 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 982
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Spot on
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#3 |
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 31,001
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I agree with you. It's so tedious in this day and age. I'm quite expecting Johnny to come back from Italy with a girlfriend, just so he can come out all over again.
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#4 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 22,461
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Quote:
In almost every storyline? I get that some people are still not acceptive of gay or lesbian people but conspired to years ago, it's a small percentage now.
Gay people as well as lesbians are normal but the focus of them being gay reflects in their storyline. I'm not homophobic, just making a point. Straight people won't have the focus of being straight in a storyline. Being gay or lesbian is a part of you. Can't we have one gay character or lesbian who doesn't have to come out and is just gay but no one brings it up? What I'm not liking at the moment is Bryan Kirkwood's idea of making all the men on Hollyoaks gay or having affairs with gay men, that's just silly and not representing a village today unless he's going for the gay village these days. And don't get me started on him making Ste believe he's straight, that's ludicrous as it is and he paired him with Sinead out of all people! BIB 1: A small amount? No, not really. People are just wise enough to hold their tongue these days. BIB 2: How does a gay character have a storyline without that storyline reflecting that somehow. BIB 3: Um... no dating someone, getting married, breaking up, getting divorced storylines has to do with your sexuality be it straight or gay. BIB 4: If you are gay. You have to come out, at least to your closest family and friends. Especially if the character is young and still confused. BIB 5: EVERYONE has affairs in Hollyoaks, sexuality plays no part. BIB 6: Throughout that storyline quite a few characters have basically said Ste is lying to himself. Agree it is terrible though. In conclusion, most of what you have said it utter tosh. |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,192
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Quote:
BIB 1: A small amount? No, not really. People are just wise enough to hold their tongue these days.
BIB 2: How does a gay character have a storyline without that storyline reflecting that somehow. BIB 3: Um... no dating someone, getting married, breaking up, getting divorced storylines has to do with your sexuality be it straight or gay. BIB 4: If you are gay. You have to come out, at least to your closest family and friends. Especially if the character is young and still confused. BIB 5: EVERYONE has affairs in Hollyoaks, sexuality plays no part. BIB 6: Throughout that storyline quite a few characters have basically said Ste is lying to himself. Agree it is terrible though. In conclusion, most of what you have said it utter tosh. |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 2,424
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One thing I would say Hollyoaks have done well is Esther's character as she's a lesbian but there wasn't much of a fuss when she 'came out' as it was very early on in the role. Her sexuality has never been much of a focus point really which is good - even when she was being bullied by the sixth formers they never made it about her sexuality.
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#7 |
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,813
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Until we had the saga with the vicar, Sean's story lines in Corrie didn't really centre around his sexuality did they?
I suppose they did make a big deal about it with Johnny in EE. I don't know, I suppose it's the nature of soaps to dramatise everything, not just being gay. As others have said though, it's really a non-issue for most these days. There is still homophobia out there I'm sure and as a straight woman I don't really know what gay people today have to face but it all seems a lot more equal than it was (and rightly so of course!). |
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#8 |
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: London
Posts: 26,708
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It would be great if the sole purpose of an LGBT character was not their sexuality however in general TV fails to do this and concentrates on the struggle and indifference of LGBT people.
EastEnders for example - it would be nice if a gay couple moves onto the Square without any issues- they are just gay and part of the community. It's also interesting that many of the top people in soaps are gay yet cannot write positive storylines for LGBT people. This is my opinion of course. |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 39,630
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Quote:
In almost every storyline? I get that some people are still not acceptive of gay or lesbian people but compared to years ago, it's a small percentage now. Gay people as well as lesbians are normal but the focus of them being gay reflects in their storyline. I'm not homophobic, just making a point. Straight people won't have the focus of being straight in a storyline. Being gay or lesbian is a part of you. Can't we have one gay character or lesbian who doesn't have to come out and is just gay but no one brings it up?
What I'm not liking at the moment is Bryan Kirkwood's idea of making all the men on Hollyoaks gay or having affairs with gay men, that's just silly and not representing a village today unless he's going for the gay village these days. And don't get me started on him making Ste believe he's straight, that's ludicrous as it is and he paired him with Sinead out of all people! Aaron's not in the closet any more, so hey, he has an affair with a married man: cue more closety secret drama. Robert's in the closet, even now he's been found out. Lawrence isn't sure what the hell he is. Ste is the most stupid one. He came out totally unproblematically about 5 years ago, so to create more drama, they've shoved him *back* in the closet. But then, that is Hollyoaks. |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,192
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I think there are a few more "straightforwardly gay" characters around - I'm thinking of Ali and Ruby in ED (both now left though), and Finn. But I agree soaps more often than not seem to want to turn sexuality into a massive dramarama, and that's turned the clock back a bit.
Aaron's not in the closet any more, so hey, he has an affair with a married man: cue more closety secret drama. Robert's in the closet, even now he's been found out. Lawrence isn't sure what the hell he is. Ste is the most stupid one. He came out totally unproblematically about 5 years ago, so to create more drama, they've shoved him *back* in the closet. But then, that is Hollyoaks. |
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#11 |
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: London
Posts: 26,708
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Hollyoaks sounds awful!
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#12 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,192
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Quote:
Hollyoaks sounds awful!
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#13 |
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Losing the plot and not caring
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In partial answer to the OP's title question, because TPTB have been reading too much DS and for some reason apparently feel the need to pander to this sort of minority view, irrespective of character context.
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...52&postcount=1
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#14 |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 39,630
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I'm just thinking that after Sinead leaves, what will happen to Ste? Is he going to wake up one morning and decide he's gay again?
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#15 |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 39,630
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Quote:
In partial answer to the OP's title question, because TPTB have been reading too much DS and for some reason apparently feel the need to pander to this sort of minority view, irrespective of character context.
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...52&postcount=1 ![]()
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#16 |
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Losing the plot and not caring
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You missed the one about Cain and Finn getting it on. Funniest thread for ages.
![]() Oh yes, another good one. Just shows again that there is some limited demand for the gay-focused sls - ANY gay-focused sls................well at least on DS.
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#17 |
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 5,037
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You missed the one about Cain and Finn getting it on. Funniest thread for ages.
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#18 |
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Alcohol aisle in Tescos *gulp*
Posts: 12,043
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Quote:
It would be great if the sole purpose of an LGBT character was not their sexuality however in general TV fails to do this and concentrates on the struggle and indifference of LGBT people.
EastEnders for example - it would be nice if a gay couple moves onto the Square without any issues- they are just gay and part of the community. It's also interesting that many of the top people in soaps are gay yet cannot write positive storylines for LGBT people. This is my opinion of course. Quote:
Hollyoaks sounds awful!
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#19 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 14,370
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Hollyoaks is a prime of being the worse for doing this, it always got to be someone repetitive affair shagging some underage teen, normally Harry and Ste for example! or turning a former straight character gay for storylines, they made Ste gay and now are doing this stupid storyline with Sinead when he being living as a gay man for the past 5 years, I know it not that simple but you know come on.
Don't get me wrong that has been some fantastic coming out s/l/episodes Aaron (ED), JP and Craig (HO) and Johnny (EE) where done v.well. We have another Aaron type storyline with Ben Mitchell, not wanting to come out to his hard nut father who seemed to have begrudgingly accepted his sexuality but then he hooks up with Abi even though he doesn't want too just so he can keep a image. It seems some characters who are gay are just about their sexuality and don't exist outside that box, which is a crying shame but that is the writing mostly. |
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#20 |
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Martin Fowler
Posts: 11,362
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Spot on OP
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#21 |
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 26
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I think Johnny in eastenders would have been a really good example of bucking this trend had he stayed. I have zero problem with showing an 18 year old coming out and struggling with that, exploring the journey of slowly adjusting to life as a young gay person, I feel because the actor left the story never really finished. I think it would have bee interesting to have seen Johnny grow and develop over a few years to the point that his sexuality was no longer an issue and his story lines would then be seperate from his sexuality. I think a big part of the problem is that their aren't so many longstanding gay characters in soap. We'll none I can think of anyway. I refuse to count Sean in corrie
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 5,583
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Quote:
In almost every storyline? I get that some people are still not acceptive of gay or lesbian people but compared to years ago, it's a small percentage now. Gay people as well as lesbians are normal but the focus of them being gay reflects in their storyline. I'm not homophobic, just making a point. Straight people won't have the focus of being straight in a storyline. Being gay or lesbian is a part of you. Can't we have one gay character or lesbian who doesn't have to come out and is just gay but no one brings it up?
What I'm not liking at the moment is Bryan Kirkwood's idea of making all the men on Hollyoaks gay or having affairs with gay men, that's just silly and not representing a village today unless he's going for the gay village these days. And don't get me started on him making Ste believe he's straight, that's ludicrous as it is and he paired him with Sinead out of all people! Relationships with parents, siblings, friends, lovers and people that they are married to. So obviously gay characters are going (from time to time) to have romantic relationship stories just as straight characters do. The only difficulty with gay characters in soaps is that, because there are not many gay characters in the cast, it is necessary to bring someone from outside or have an existing cast member come out as gay to have these relationships. That is why it seems more in your face because they new gay character has to be announced (on screen) as being gay in some way to start the story. Whereas a straight character is assumed to be straight unless stated otherwise. Of course that is also a reflection of real life. Because you would not know if someone was (or was not) gay unless they made it obvious in some way. Anyway does anyone in Corrie ever bring up the fact that Sophie or Sean are gay. They are both accepted as being Sophie or Sean and the fact that they are both gay is hardly if ever mentioned anymore. |
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#23 |
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 109
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Quote:
And don't get me started on him making Ste believe he's straight, that's ludicrous as it is and he paired him with Sinead out of all people!
It's ridiculous that television seem to be afraid of the concept of bisexuality and instead rely on binary homo/heterosexual. Even when people have had long-term, meaningful relationships with the opposite gender as soon as they get into one with the same gender it's "oh they were just gay all along". It's just sad. |
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#24 |
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: London
Posts: 6,362
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I agree that Ste should just be written as bisexual and accepted as being bisexual. He has children and is obviously having sex with Sinead and also fancies men and has relationships with men. Unfortunately it seems that bisexual people still face a struggle in being accepted and even believed! Some people just don't seem to be able to get their heads round bisexuality. There are plenty of bisexual people in real life and I would like to see more bisexual people on soaps and have them and other characters comfortable with their bisexuality.
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#25 |
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 53,967
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I'm not sure I agree with the sentiment. Relationships and sexuality (in any form) are a soap staple.
It's rare for a character to not have a relationship or sex life. Ian Beale has had many wives and relationship drama but no one complains that he's all about his sexuality. By not wanting gay characters to have storylines that involve their sexuality seems to me like a way of saying you want them to remain celibate. Maybe that's not your intention but that's what it seems like - that gay characters are fine as long as any sexuality stuff is kept behind closed doors. I can't think of any current soap character that only has sexuality based storylines. They might have affairs or sex or come out but it's not the whole purpose of their character. |
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