Nicola Stephenson’s article rightly applauds Brookside’s lesbian kiss in 1994 as a marvellous moment for lesbians (I kissed a woman on Brookside 30 years ago – it changed Britain for good, 25 June). It did not, however, radically change the British media landscape or society’s perceptions of same-sex attraction.
The representation of gay men and lesbians was indeed “minimal and often portrayed negatively” in the early 1980s. However, campaigns by activists, journalists and viewers, together with some of us working in broadcasting, led to a sea change. I and others at Channel 4 commissioned programmes and films reflecting gay and lesbian life, from In the Pink in 1986 to the 1989-94 series Out on Tuesday. The BBC joined the party in 1991 with a whole evening of gay programmes, Saturday Night Out. There were lesbian kisses aplenty in these programmes.
By 1994, broadcasting and society had already changed. The Beth and Margaret kiss was a first for lesbians in TV soaps, but the main controversy was that the show started before the 9pm watershed. The scene was, however, cut from the daytime weekly omnibus screening. Gay men got their first soap kiss in EastEnders, broadcast pre‑watershed in 1989.
Caroline Spry
London
How I wish I could share Nicola Stephenson’s optimism that the change the Brookside kiss catalysed is a permanent one. Societal norms in Britain may have evolved, but I have my doubts that this change will be sustained over time. I cannot think of a single voluntary cultural shift over the past two millennia that has not ultimately been usurped by those intent on imposing their own beliefs on others through force – usually insecure men unable to persuade through reasoned debate. We live in a democracy now, but that may not always be the case. With war visible on the horizon, I take nothing for granted.
Mona Sood
Southend-on-Sea, Essex