{"id":16961,"date":"2022-06-15T13:00:16","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T11:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1660077"},"modified":"2022-06-15T13:43:42","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T11:43:42","slug":"meet-the-lgbtq-consultants-changing-the-face-of-tv","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/meet-the-lgbtq-consultants-changing-the-face-of-tv\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the LGBTQ+ consultants changing the face of TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Molly Moss\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 15 June 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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In the closing episode of Heartstopper \u2013 Netflix<\/a>\u2019s new LGBTQ+ coming-of-age rom-com series which follows the blossoming relationship between openly gay student Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and his friend Nick Nelson (Kit Connor<\/a>) \u2013 there\u2019s a vital scene where Nick comes out as bisexual to his mum (Olivia Coleman). He still likes girls, he says, but he likes boys too: specifically, his boyfriend Charlie.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember when I saw that scene come to life it was really powerful,\u201d says Jeffrey Ingold, Heartstopper\u2019s LGBTQ+ consultant and former head of media at Stonewall. \u201cYou don\u2019t get to see representations of bisexuality very often in mainstream media, particularly ones without the gendered stereotypes, and for men, it\u2019s usually that they come out as bisexual as a gateway into saying they\u2019re gay. We all thought it was really important that we didn\u2019t avoid that conversation and affirm that Nick understands that his identity is real and people around him also get that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s bisexual awakening is just one of the nuanced storylines in Heartstopper<\/a> that Ingold helped shape as part of his role, which involved doing a sensitivity check on the scripts and making sure the language used was accurate, felt authentic and avoided the negative stereotypes that have plagued LGBTQ+ characters on TV for decades.<\/p>

Of course, screen portrayals of LGBTQ+ people have undoubtedly advanced in recent years, largely thanks to a rise in the number of LGBTQ+ people in both the TV and film industries, including writers, directors, producers and actors, which has the effect of avoiding heavily criticised projects like 2013\u2019s Blue is the Warmest Colour, which came from a straight male writer and director and came under fire for its male perspective on lesbian dynamics.<\/p>\n

Russell T Davies\u2019 channel 4 hit It\u2019s A Sin about the 1980s AIDS epidemic was told by a majority queer cast and crew last year. And 19th-century lesbian drama Gentleman Jack writer Sally Wainwright was helped through the production process by script editor Stella Merz, producer Phil Collinson and historical consultant Anne Choma, all of whom are gay. Both were huge hits with LGBTQ+ and straight audiences alike.<\/p>\n

But sometimes, notes Ugla Stefan\u00eda Kristj\u00f6nud\u00f3ttir J\u00f3nsd\u00f3ttir, an advisor for All About Trans, production companies wanting to tell transgender stories don\u2019t have anyone from the community on board.\u00a0That\u2019s when they come to All About Trans, a project delivered by the charity On Road Media, which has been consulting on the storylines of trans characters in TV soaps and dramas, including Hollyoaks, Emmerdale, ITV drama Butterfly<\/a> and BBC Two sitcom Boy Meets Girl, since it was founded in 2011.<\/p>\n

This happens through \u201cinteractions\u201d \u2013 meet-ups between trans people and professionals which serve as the starting point to develop ideas, to explore potential storylines, offer script edits or to provide ongoing consultation on set.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we try to do is steer them in the right direction and show them what are the more positive ways to portrays trans people in these storylines. It\u2019s not a complicated process at all, it\u2019s just a matter of knowing what to avoid and how to portray trans people in the right way and in a realistic way that trans people can also relate to.\u201d<\/p>\n

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