Bigots complain over Enders kiss
A gay kiss in a recent episode of EastEnders has prompted 145 complaints from bigoted viewers.
The kiss was between Christian Clarke (John Partridge) and new character Lee Thompson (Carl Ferguson).
It prompted such pathetic complaints, on the Points of View message board, as “I am appalled by the display of homosexual kissing before the watershed shown on EastEnders. This is disgraceful whilst young children are watching and sets the wrong example,” and an equally pathetic “I had to explain to my seven-year-old son what was happening. He now thinks he is gay because he kisses his dad.”
However, some posters on the site did defend the kiss whilst the BBC has released a statement defending its inclusion in the programme.
“EastEnders aims to reflect real life, and this means including and telling stories about characters from many different backgrounds, faiths, religions and sexualities.
“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.
“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 recognised, meaning that parents can make an informed decision as to whether they want their children to watch.” – BBC statement
Perhaps next time there’s a kiss between two straight characters on a soap gay fans can complain to the respective broadcaster about the “appalling display of heterosexual kissing before the watershed.”