Skip to content
Gravesham Pride
  • Home
  • Events
    • Event Diary
    • GMVP2020 – Watch Again
  • Merch & Gifts
  • Queering The Quarantine
    • The C-Word
    • QTQ Colouring Book
    • QTQ Playlists & Podcasts
    • QTQ Tests, Quizzes & Surveys
    • QTQ Word Games
  • Us & Friends
    • Community Pages
    • The Teams
      • Volunteer Vacancies
    • Partners & Sponsors
      • Our Partners
  • Contact
    • Talk To Us
    • Get Involved
      • Volunteer Vacancies
    • Business Enquiries
Site Search

Activists call for more religious LGBT characters as EastEnders…

Campaigners, including Vicky Beeching, are urging TV bosses to increase the representation of religious LGBT+ characters on our screens.

Their calls follow reports that soap EastEnders is set to introduce a lesbian Muslim for the first time.

According to the The Sun, character Iqra Ahmed (Priya Davdra) will come out as gay later this month.

Vicky Beeching, a gay writer and equality campaigner, who works to make the church a more diverse and inclusive place, said that better media representation would help to show viewers that people can be both religious and LGBT+.

“There’s a strong belief in many religious communities that you cannot be LGBTQ and a person of faith,” she told PinkNews.

“That was the view I grew up with and it forced me to stay in the closet until I was 35 years old.

“That paradigm pushes people to choose between their beliefs and their LGBTQ identity, which is an immensely painful and damaging situation.”

Young people of faith need to see diverse religious role models on TV, says Vicky Beeching

Beeching, who was a star on the Christian rock scene before she came out as gay in 2014, explained that she battled with this viewpoint from her teenage years until her early thirties, which was “so bleak at times” that she even considered suicide.

The 40 year old went on to say that increased representation of LGBT+ characters from faith backgrounds on television would help young people who are LGBT+ and religious to feel less alone.

“The media can help to break these outdated stereotypes by including characters who are both LGBTQ and religious; who are able to unite both and live happy and fulfilled lives,” she continued.

“Young people of faith especially need to see diverse religious role models online and on TV.”

Beeching added: “Then, if they are LGBTQ themselves, they’ll know that some faith communities will accept and celebrate both aspects of their identity.

“Coming out will be less terrifying and they’ll know that they’re not walking the path alone.”

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
World War II Veteran Comes Out As Transgender Woman At Age 90
Margate Pride Rock night creates safe space for LGBTQ+ community
Helanna Bowler-Irvine
I'm a child of the section 28 generation who came out in my teens at an all girls school... as you can image that did not turn out so well! Experiencing first hand the damage it can do when people are placed in an environment where LGBTQ+ matters are totally taboo I made a promise to myself to never to stay quiet and ashamed again. Although I am an activist, educator and rebel at heart, first and foremost I will always be a mother and wife.
Lesbian religious LGBT characters EastEnders Muslim

Related articles

BBC bombarded with 1,200 complaints…
Chief Rabbi publishes first LGBT…
Pope Francis just named a…
Songs of Praise will feature…
LGBT people are ‘being made…

Posts By Category

Support Our Work Raising Awareness, Promoting Inclusion & Diversity and Providing Services to The LGBTQIA+ Communities of Gravesham.

Corporate

Gravesham Pride CIC
A Community Interest Company
Managed & Operated by Volunteers
Registered in England & Wales:
No. 12069934
Registered Office:
84 Parrock Road, Gravesend DA12 1QF

Policy

Privacy Policy
Terms of Sale
Cookie Policy
Accessibility
Equality Statement

Volunteer Vacancies

Volunteer With Us

Administrator/Company Secretary
Content Manager

Donate & Support

Support Our Work Raising Awareness, Promoting Inclusion & Diversity and Providing Services to The LGBTQIA+ Communities of Gravesham.

© Gravesham Pride CIC 2020
Theme by Colorlib Powered by WordPress
  • Login
  • Password Recovery
  • Member Profile
  • My Store Account
  • My Bookings & Tickets
  • New Event Submission
  • Event Submission
  • My Bookings & Tickets
  • Group Wall
We use cookies to assess how you use our website and to personalise your user experience. Click ACCEPT to agree to our cookie use and continue. You can refuse to accept any cookie use and still view this website but some functions will not work as expected. You can also view and amend your personal cookie settings for this website before continuing. To read more about our cookie use and other policies you can follow the links in the footer of every page on this website. ACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are essential for this website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensure functionality and security features of this website. These cookies do not store your personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookie that may not be particularly necessary for this website to function and is used specifically to collect user data, via our usage and analytics partners, our advertising partners and our social media partners. Also any additional embedded contents which may be termed as non-necessary cookies.