Is this a valid point, or just more PC meddling?

[Smiler.]

I heard this on R4 earlier

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11437...

I'm not a 'phobe (well I would say that wouldn't I) but why can't they just leave it alone?

Ben Summerskill of Stonewall said:

...a hugely important part of our cultural glue....

Is that a euphemism?

[Tiggsy]

99% of gay's on TV are not much further on from Are You Being Served. It's as though the UK public can only deal with them when they are camp and prancing....God forbid they should be like "us"

[Ewan S]

Well it's quite a tricky one this. I have a friend who is gay and was in a relation with another guy. They split up, yet this guy comes round from time to time. I quizzed my mate about this and apparently it's now "friends with benefits". Now most straight people are not programmed to react in a good way when faced with a brief mental image of 2 blokes being friends with benefits.

So it's all well and good being liberal on these matters, but at some point the issue has to come up against some solid brain programming which will basically say "error, does not compute". Until that programming is changed worldwide, I suspect stonewall and the like will continue to have an issue.

[JustinP1]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I think that's right.

The generally accepted figure used to be '1 in 10' which meant that looking around your friends and family, at least a few would be gay. Although they might be, I always thought that that figure was quite far out.

When it comes to stereotypes I agree that gays may have been pidgeonholed into a stereotype in soaps etc.

However, pretty much all characters in those type of programmes are stereotypes anyway... white, asian, straight, gay, posh, scally, that is the way it is.

[Ewan S]

My mate doesn't mince, although he is rather keen on wearing sleeveless tops down to the pub. His now ex though - a complete mincing fairy. I kept expecting him to turn up in a white tutu with wings on the back!

[Jim the Sunderer]

BBB said:

Audiences want 'more realistic' portrayal of gay people
The BBC has made "great progress" in its portrayal of gay people and gay relationships, but there is still more to be done, according to a report.

They certainly put a lot of them on the television, in a rather zealous way.

P.s. I assume by 'more realistic' they mean shagging strangers in public toilets.

Edited by Jim the Sunderer on Thursday 30th September 17:30