The most memorable LGBT moments in British soaps

While British soaps have long been at the forefront of LGBT representation on TV, EastEnders boss Kate Oates said the BBC still receives complaints when it features storylines involving gay characters.

The London-set show is not alone in breaking new ground, with Coronation Street and Brookside among the other soaps making TV firsts for the gay community.

Here are the most memorable LGBT moments in British soap opera history.

British soaps’ first gay kiss

EastEnders was the first soap opera to feature a gay kiss on British TV.

The characters of Colin Russell and Barry Clarke shared a moment of intimacy during a January 1989 episode and the historic moment was watched by about 20 million viewers.

Despite the relatively tame moment, especially by modern standards, the kiss caused uproar among critics.

Michael Cashman, who played Colin, later entered the House of Lords and became a prominent LGBT campaigner.

Brookside’s lesbian kiss

Liverpool-based soap Brookside became known for breaking new ground throughout its 21-year stint on Channel 4 and was responsible for perhaps the most famous LGBT moment in British soap opera history.

It was January 1994 when Anna Friel’s Beth Jordache embraced Nicola Stephenson’s Margaret Clemence for the first pre-watershed lesbian kiss on British TV.

Danny Boyle included the scene in the 2012 London Olympic opening ceremony, which was broadcast to more than five billion people around the world, including 76 countries where homosexuality is illegal.

A transgender character arrives in soapland

When Hayley Cropper arrived on the Coronation Street cobbles in January 1998, she represented another leap forward for LGBT representation on British TV.

Hayley – played by Julie Hesmondhalgh – was beloved by fans, and was best known for her marriage to Roy Cropper until her on-screen death in 2014.

While Hayley eventually became loved and accepted by her Corrie neighbours, she experienced discrimination and bullying when she first arrived, in a storyline designed to mirror the experience of many in the trans community.

The character has been credited with having a positive impact on trans rights in real life and she contributed to Parliament amending the Gender Recognition Act of 2004 so trans people could marry.

First instance of same-sex marriage

Hollyoaks, set in a fictional suburb of Chester, was the first soap to feature same-sex marriage after it was legalised in 2014.

John Paul McQueen (James Sutton) and Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) made the historic walk down the aisle during a Christmas episode.

Trans actor plays trans character for the first time

Riley Carter Millington’s arrival in EastEnders in 2015 marked the first time a trans actor had played a trans character in a British soap.

He played Kyle Slater, the half-brother of Stacey Slater.

Carter Millington’s impact has been praised by the LGBT community.