May 2, 2011
Lesbian lovers may face peak time ban
An independent review commissioned by the government could recommend that “indecent” imagery, such as lesbian kisses, be banned from pre-watershed television.
The review is led by Reg Bailey, chief executive of Mother’s Union, an international Christian organisation “that seeks to support families worldwide”. A report on the Mother’s Union website condemns the “sexualisation” and “commercialisation” of children; themes central to the Bailey Review.
An anonymous source “close to the inquiry” highlighted the impact of same-sex imagery on children’s lives in a Daily Mail article.
“‘It is hard to protect children in the internet and mobile-phone age but we have to do something. For some parents, what has been considered acceptable in the past – such as that Brookside kiss – is not appropriate for children to see early in the evening.”
The “Brookside kiss” took place in 1994, as characters Beth Jordache and Margeret Clemence locked lips in the UK’s first explicit show of lesbian affection on pre-watershed television.
However, it is not clear whether or not the final review will pronounce upon gay imagery. Members of the Mother’s Union have both supported and opposed LGBT rights in the past. Meanwhile, any blanket ban on same-sex affection alone is likely to be in violation of the Equality Act 2010.
The Bailey report is due to be published later this month.
Related Articles
Video
Lesbilicious Brighton Review – May 2012
Lesbilicious as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival 2012
May 22, 2012
It would definitely breach the Equality Act without an amendment, but amendments are so easy to obtain.
Strange that there is so little focus on whether it’s appropriate to screen news footage of people killing each other (or discussing killing) before the watershed, yet a display of affection…
It may be a breach of the equality act but the goverement it trying to scrap the Equalities Act under it’s red tape review…
But yeah, had simillar views expressed to me by parents I work for who don’t know I’m gay. Yes of course the moral problem in Eastenders is the gay kissing. It currupts children don’t you know!
Of course, we’re all forgetting that it’s the gays’ fault.
Everything.
Superinjunctions, tornados, climate change, Firefly’s cancellation, war, death, pestilence, famine, chaos, the inherent pain of human existence, the Microsoft Word paper clip, child abuse, animal cruelty, Ben Stiller films, rainy days, unemployment, rising oil prices, the death of industrial Britain, Nick Clegg… it’s all the gays’ fault. So we have to protect the children.
From the gays.
And the lesbians.
And that cute trans guy off of Hollyoaks.
Because otherwise the terrorists win.
I agree that it’s questionable to allow violence be it on the news or especially in advertising before the watershed but affection is being targeted.
But my annoyance is really about the fact that affection is being politicised. That there is an attempt to block gay and lesbian affection because it’s not heterosexual.
Affection is a good thing regardless of the gender, race or religion.
To insist that only one form of affection is acceptable creates a very narrow-minded society.
How ridiculous, surely any positive images of relationships are a good thing in any child’s life, we all have to put up with the negative one’s, women being mistreated etc surely a kiss by two loving people is a positive thing, isn’t it illegal to discriminate? gay people are the only group its ok to under misrepresent on tv.
Yes, it WILL breach the Equalities Act – until the Government repeals this Act, which is very much on the cards…
If it’s not alright to show gay and lesbian kisses, it’s not alright to show heterosexual kisses. Making a distinction between the two would be institutional homophobia. It would be effectively saying, yeah, well, we mouth off about equality and respect, but actually we still think there’s something perverted and likely to pervert children, about something we in fact deem abnormal and think is disgusting. There is no way a rule like this could be justified, and if it was imposed it would deserve contempt, derision and protest.
FUCK YOU ALL NIGGAS! I LICK PUSSY AND YOU DONT SO GET THE FUCKING BITCH SHIT DAMN ASS OVER IT!