Afraid to speak out.

Pretty much everyone on Coronation Street has either murdered someone or been involved in serious crime. Are they trying to send us the message that we should all do this. I will need help with the gory stuff if that's the case.

Agree. It's everywhere, even teen vogue which is targeted at very young girls. . Everyone pushing anal sex too, which is not healthy for girls. Or anybody really. I resent this pushing of alternative lifestyles, and as for kink! Unspeakable and disgusting. Moving this overtly into Pride marches now. Nothing to be proud of there!

People can get on with their lives without interfering in the freedom of others.

I have met some smashing lesbian and gay people in my lifetime. All of them have enhanced my life by being friends, and ordinary (sometimes flamboyant) people. Difference adds spice, colour, and interest to life, yet they are being harassed, and specially targeted. Nasty.

We do not need it pushing at us. Just to accept they are there, have fears and joys like us. We do not need details of what they do and how, or to be given the impression they are the majority voice in the world.

This is not doing gays and lesbians any favours.

I think you are mixing up two things, the kink thing is very different to having a gay relationship in a soap opera.

I don’t even know what “the kink thing” is.

What are you watching??

Why are you watching it?

Nobody's is preventing anybody from speaking about anything. The jump from "too many gays on Coronation Street" to "its like Hitler's Germany and free speech is in danger" is just too much to take seriously.

Absolutely this. I am sick of hearing that we 'aren't allowed' to say whatever it is. We are. We have free speech in this country, so long as it doesn't contravene laws against slander, libel, terrorism or hate speech.

The same applies to 'I'm scared to speak out about' whatever. Again, we can speak about whatever we like, but equally, we can disagree with views we find offensive - it's called discussion.

If someone has views that would break laws if they were expressed publicly, or if they are so offensive to others that they will cause public disagreement, maybe they should re-examine those views? If they feel that they are unable to defend their POV in discussion, then again, maybe the views are indefensible.

As for Corrie, as others have said, it is unrealistic in many ways. As it's been running for 60 years and is aired for 3 hours a week, it would be very difficult to come up with something new every episode. Also, drama is about 'suspension of disbelief', as watching film of life in most streets would be very boring.

Life in Doodledog Towers is pleasant enough, but who wants to watch the Dogs getting up, pottering about a bit, me working from home some days, Mr Dog going about his day, us reading books, a bit of telly in the evening, then going back to bed? Just reading that is boring, never mind watching it in 'real time'. Spice it up with one of us going to jail for a game of pool with the neighbours, being run over by a speeding car on Accident Corner, or one of our children getting involved in an adulterous triangle and already it's got more viewing potential.

The gay footballer story seems to me a bit forced given the timing, but as a story it's got a bit more 'legs' than the usual 'coming out' ones, as that is less of a big deal than before. Soaps do give people a chance to discuss things at a remove, so if a troubled teenager or young adult is struggling to speak to their parents about their sexuality, a gay storyline might be the impetus they need. From my own perspective the gay storylines are just love stories (or not, as the case may be), the same as heterosexual ones.

It was a slow day on GN peasblossom

Oh do come on how many gays are there in Corrie ? the vicar and his lover plus his ex lover and the footballer not a huge proportion at all …… have I missed any out ? compared to how many go to hospital every week and how many go to prison and how many find jobs as soon as they lose one How the heck does this equate to Hitler blimey a jump and 6 there

The same sex couples that I know are not badge wearing or banner waving. They're just living life.

They are soaps! From what I remember most of the residents of Corrie have been either in prison or the victims of crime, it exaggerates real life and is not supposed to be a social documentary.

Robron is the greatest storyline on Emmerdale since Charity and Cain were revealed as Debbie’s parents. I hated Robert since I myself was a schoolchild because of all he did to Andy, and his transformation as a character into someone I actually cared about was brilliant. Also the lad who plays Aaron is an absolute belter of an actor. Robron forever!!!

Also, Manchester historically has a large and vibrant gay community. It would be less realistic for Corrie not to have a notable LGBT presence. It would be like Eastenders being rammed full of only white characters.

Not watching it, don't engage in it, but there is a connection with some groups in society.

Oh do come on how many gays are there in Corrie ? the vicar and his lover plus his ex lover and the footballer not a huge proportion at all …… have I missed any out ?

Quite a few. Grannycool52 listed them earlier. And she missed out Nina and Asha (both bi) and Tracy, who had a one night stand with Paula. My favourite was Ted (known in the Tilsley family as Gay Dad/Grandad).

I agree with Baggs though - the idea’s to try to stop gay relationships being seen as unnatural by some viewers. That can only be a good thing, imho.

There’s only five current gays in Corrie surely we re not going back 30/40 years to count them all
Nina and Asha can hardly be counted they had a very vague friendship that ended in a brief experimental fling but both ended with lads surely that was just that an experiment and I certainly wouldn’t count Tracy’s drunken fumble
Can’t remember a Ted at all must have missed that period of Corrie
But does it really matter how many…. it’s a SOAP

Everyone dies at the hands of a doctor in Holby ……they are fiction at its worse but entertaining in some bizarre light hearted way ?

I truly did think long and hard before I posted the thread which, to me personally, indicated I'm wary of my own perceived "Thought Police".
The comparison to Hitler's Germany was not helpful I admit, my excuse is that it was the only example I could come up with at the time. Perhaps modern day China would have been better.
The recent rally in Tianamon (spelling?) Square made me feel quite ill.

Since its creation in 1985, Eastenders has amassed a higher child mortality rate than all of the worlds developing nations combined.

I think we can accept the realism of a few gay folk in Weatherfield on that basis.

I hope this doesn't sound as though I'm being argumentative ExD because that's really not my intention.

But in China you can still be sent to "conversion therapy" for being gay. You can be sent to a concentration camp (basically) if you are a particular ethnic minority. The pictures from Tiananmen Square were scary, I thought. In this country, we can say we don't like gay people on TV, and all that happens is you get told off by a few middle aged Grans.

Freedom of speech is really not at stake here.

Currently in Corrie we have Todd Billy Sean Paul James and James boyfriend.
I had just remarked on this to my husband at breakfast. And thecend scenes where James showed up and everyone was watchjng and smiling was OTT. (IMO). I have gay friends and relatives. I accept people are gay and I believe everyone should be treated the same regardless of sexual orientation. And yet I still feel funny when I see two people of the same sex kissing.

thescend the end
watchjng watching

Sorry. posted while checking

In Answer to AD s original post Not going to shout you down not going to call you names but think you’re overthinking all this it’s just a story and it mimics real life to a small extent Just like pantomime Dames are over made up to draw attention so do the soaps over egg situations to get your attention I don’t ever feel I can’t speak out over something I don’t agree with but when it comes to sexual things I couldn’t care less or want to know what anyone gets up to just like
they ve no idea what I get up to
Just watch and enjoy or turn off if you don’t

I just cant see the link from Sean in Corrie to Tiananmen Square.

Whoops wrong name I ve just changed you into AD sorry ExD

But does it really matter how many

Not to me. But you asked the question. Perhaps you don’t actually watch Corrie, but Sean’s probably the most established gay character. Paula was in a month ago. “Sophie”’s on maternity leave. Gay dad’s funeral was earlier this year. Hardly 30/40 years ago.

But ‘gay dad’ who ever he was wasn’t in it a month ago? I don’t remember that story line remind me when was he in it and who was he gay with Maggie ? I watch Corrie all the time and started watching with my Nan early 80 s With Ena, Minnie and Martha now there was a trio there have been periods when I ve been away from the shores or may have missed times though, but not since I ve been old and grey it’s my daft indulgence
I think it’s much more ridiculous how many of them end up in the one hospital bed

My youngest son is gay. He has been with his partner for fifteen years now and is very happy.

I STILL know people who refer to gay men as 'shirt lifters' and flap a limp wrist when talking about them, so any way of promoting the normality of two people in a loving relationship, no ,after what the sex, is welcome.

The point of the gay footballer story is surely to appeal to the 'man's man' type. The vicar is for the women in the audience. What point there is to Sean, I have no idea

I really cannot see the link between saying you feel uncomfortable about homosexuality and Hitler or China...... No one is going to inter you for your opinions.
Judge you perhaps, but we do that with every person we meet.

I think I am probably very naive and uninformed about racism and so have struggled at times with the coverage on TV. But, because I know I am ignorant of the issues, I do try not to make pronouncements on the subject.