KENILWORTH, 9 MARCH 2003 — Despite a welter of complaints about the gay kiss in Casualty, the BBC says it is sticking with its commitment to include gay people in its programming, particularly in drama.
In a letter to the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA), the BBC says it “has a duty to show people from all walks of life, be they old, young, gay, straight, disabled, black, Asian or white, fulfilling a full range of roles within society. All sections of society have an equal right to honest representation.”
The pledge comes after the Corporation received over 340 complaints about two male characters in the Saturday night soap who were shown in a close-up embrace. In a letter to the people who complained, the BBC reiterates its policy of inclusivity and says: “The characters of Ben and Tony were introduced from the outset as being gay. They are treated the same way as any other character in the programme. In the same way as heterosexual characters, they are shown as playing a key role in the running of a busy hospital department as well as experiencing the highs and lows of their personal lives. We believe, therefore, that a storyline about two gay men which includes scenes of them kissing is an entirely valid subject to be included in a programme like Casualty.”
Responding to complaints that the kiss was broadcast before the 9pm watershed, the BBC says: “Casualty is transmitted pre-watershed as we consider its overall style to be suitable for a general audience including children. This episode was no different from any other, containing no scenes of nudity, strong language, distress or sex that would be considered unacceptable before 9pm or beyond the normal expectations of the series. To transmit the programme at a later time on account of the inclusion of a gay kiss would be discriminatory.”
GALHA wrote to the Corporation encouraging it to stand firm in the face of such a barrage of criticism. In its reply, the BBC’s Neil McFarlane writes: “I read with great interest and appreciation your sentiments welcoming the depiction of the kiss [...] Please be assured that your very constructive comments have been comprehensively recorded for the benefit of senior management, the Casualty production team and other relevant programme makers.”
GALHA’s secretary, George Broadhead, said: “This response is very reassuring. The lesbian and gay community has fought for many years for fair representation on TV, and we’re pleased that the BBC is taking seriously its duty to reflect all sections of society in its programmes.”