Sci-Fi Is Definitely A Little Bit Gay

Originally published on www.vadamagazine.com

I’ve never really been a big fan of the Sci-fi genre, apart from a bit of an obsession with Doctor Who and a childhood love of Star Wars. But everyone’s allowed to like the odd film or TV show from a selection of different genres. However, recently I’ve found myself to be quite partial to the odd bit of Sci-fi.

Over the last few weeks I’ve basically shut myself out from the rest of the world, and immersed myself in the television show Heroes. After 77 episodes and copious amounts of hours dedicated to watching this show I can honestly say I’ve been converted to the Sci-Fi cause, but one of the main things I took away from the show was how much you can read Sci-fi, and this show in particular, as an allegory for gay rights.

This may sound a little strange, but let’s take a look at the whole thing. If you don’t like spoilers then stop reading now, but if you don’t mind them then carry on.

Firstly the show centres on a group of people who have certain abilities like telekinesis, mind reading, the power to heal themselves, stop time and fly, amongst many other different abilities. These people, also known as specials to those in the show, are hidden away in society afraid to come out so to speak, and show ‘normal’ people what they can do.

Throughout each season we see various scenarios about what will happen if they do come out. In some of these scenarios they are accepted, and in other scenarios, other members of society hunt them because they are scared of them.

This can be seen as reflective of what happened to gay people in society as for many years gay people stayed hidden, feeling that they were not the same as straight people and many lived in absolute fear of persecution, and many in certain countries still do, just like the specials.

Throughout the show, during flashback segments and primarily in season one, the majority of people with abilities don’t realise that there are others like them, just like many young people when they first realise that they are attracted to members of the same sex.

By season four of the series we are introduced to a group of specials living at a carnival as they were either rejected by friends or family, or simply had nowhere to turn, as they were different.

As many of us are aware, over the years many gay people around the world have suffered issues of rejection from friends and family and society in general, this in turn has resulted in communities being formed, the fact that we have LGBT pride parades are a prime example of this.

Sadly Heroes was cancelled at the end of season four, and judging by the final episode of the show, season five would have seen the specials integrating into society, being proud of who they are. However we will never know what would have happened to the specials. We can only assume that like gay people they would have integrated and gradually people would have learnt that they were not to be feared.

This would have been similar to when gay people finally came out of the closet, and after much persecution and resistance society learned that people from the LGBT community were not to be feared either. However, as we know this is not true of all places around the world, and many gay people are still persecuted and their fate at the moment is very much as mysterious as what happened to the specials. But as they mentioned several times in season four, the world and people can change, and one day this will hopefully be true of the whole world when it comes to LGBT rights. If many Sci-Fi programmes are to be believed, then it most definitely will.

Giving Thanks: Russell T. Davis

Originally posted on www.biggaypictureshow.com

When we see gay people appear on our television screens many of us may feel a sense of pride or achievement just because we are being represented on television. In all fairness this sense of pride or achievement may not be as strong as it was 10 or 15 years ago, as we now see gay people in all walks of life and we are no longer considered a taboo in the British media, or by a vast number of those in society.

But what we have to ask ourselves is how did this happen? Yes there have been people campaigning for years to allow gay people to have the same rights as straight people, and they fought the battles in courts and in parliament and helped us achieve equality in the workplace, schools and many other areas of our lives where we were once discriminated.

But the mass media, television, film, music also had a significant impact as many believe what they see on TV, and come to find what they are shown to be the norm. So how did we get to have gay characters spring up in film and television? Well that credit has to be given to those behind the scenes.

Over the last few decades countless writers and producers have helped gay men and women make their way onto our screens, and in Britain one of the most well known to do this is Russell .T Davies.

We all know Russell for his revival of the hit Sci-Fi programme Doctor Who and its subsequent spin off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, and even with these shows he’s managed to incorporate LGBT characters in the shape of Captain Jack Harkness the well known bisexual who is played by openly gay actor John Barrowman.

But obviously this probably wouldn’t have been possible if it hadn’t been for his breakout television show Queer as Folk, which centred on gay men living in Manchester. The show broke boundaries and helped gay men get the representation on television that was needed.

However his contributions to the LGBT community on television didn’t just start on Queer as Folk. Whilst working on children’s television show Children’s Ward he wrote a script that challenged the assumption that only gay people could contract HIV, when he featured a teenage boy who had been infected with the virus due to a blood transfusion. And he even incorporated gay characters in other programmes he worked on, such as a lesbian vicar in the late night soap Revelations.

So whilst we are sat watching television and see these gay characters walking around on our television sets, just take a moment to think about the great people working behind the scenes who have helped push us into the mainstream media and into most people’s viewing schedules.

Why gay characters need to be on TV

Originally posted on www.biggaypictureshow.com

Over the last decade the gay community have come onto our television screens with a bang. Since the 90s we have seen a selection of television shows achieve ratings and critical success such as Queer as Folk, Sugar Rush and Lip Service, along with gay characters playing principal roles in other television dramas and comedies like Shameless, Skins and Gimme Gimme Gimme.

Aside from this we now have gay characters on our television screens on a daily basis with soaps like Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and Eastenders featuring several gay characters and storylines, allowing everyone to see that we are just the same as everyone else.

However where these programmes, characters and storylines have been met with praise and positive responses, they have been equally met with dislike and several complaints to Ofcom.

Over the last few years there have been several issues in the news surrounding gay people on television, such as the complaints surrounding a lesbian kiss on Coronation Street, along with some feeling there were two many gay characters on the show. There were complaints surrounding a gay sex scene involving openly gay actor John Barrowman in Doctor Who spin off Torchwood, despite the programme being aired after the watershed, and there were complaints regarding a gay couple being seen in bed with each other in Eastenders.

The fact of the matter is when straight people on these shows are shown kissing or in bed, we never hear of several complaints being made to Ofcom because of it. And even more importantly gay people are part of society and therefore should feature in television shows especially soap operas, I mean we wouldn’t complain if there were two many black or Asian people on Coronation Street would we?

Aside from gay people needing to be seen on television to show people that we are part of society, it also needs to show that we are just like everyone else, dealing with the mundane 9 – 5 working hours or having troubled relationship problems. Yes there have been stereotypes in the past such as Tom from Gimme Gimme Gimme or Mr Humphries in Are You Being Served? But in the last 10 years television has helped show that the gay community is just as diverse as every other community and that we aren’t all running around shouting “I’m free.”

The most important reason for us being visible on screen is to show today’s youth that it’s ok to be gay so they aren’t scared to come out, and to show others that gay people aren’t to be viewed as something different or to be scared of. Eventually with enough positive portrayal on television we may be able to almost stamp out homophobic issues, but until then we’re just going to have to keep showing everyone that we are just normal people.

Review: Doctor Who - Day of the Daleks

Originally posted on www.moviemuser.co.uk

The third Doctor is back with the 1970s story arc, Day of the Daleks, which is brought to DVD for all to remember. In classic Doctor Who style, this serial finds world peace once again hanging in the balance, and the only person standing between mankind and the possibility of a third and final world war is diplomat Reginald Styles. However the diplomat’s fate is also in jeopardy, as a 22nd century guerrilla force believes that Styles helped shape their horrific world, and therefore he needs to die.

After being thrown into the world being policed by the guerrillas, the Doctor and his assistant Jo soon discover that this force are the least of their problems, as they come face to face with the Doctors arch enemies, the Daleks.

Soon, with the Daleks invading Earth and enslaving the population, the Doctor is left in a difficult position, where he must decide whether to stick to what he believes in or betray his beliefs and condone the murder of Styles, thereby changing the course of history forever.

This particular serial does sound like a very appealing and compelling watch, however the episodes do tend to drag a bit, while at the same it still manages to feel like there’s too much going on for the four episodes that the story arc runs. I personally think there are much better episodes from the original run of Doctor Who with this feeling like a bit of a missed opportunity.

The one potentially good thing about this serial is the fact that they have updated the special effects for the episodes on disc two. However this does appear to be a bit of a mistake as the special effects of the new paired with the old doesn’t really work and they stick out like a sore thumb.

Overall Verdict: The overall appeal of this DVD and story arc is pretty limited. If you are a huge fan of the original run then you should be happy enough, but for anyone who loves the new series and wants to discover more about the original run, then there are much better episodes out there for you to start with.

Review: Doctor Who - Colony in Space

Originally posted on www.moviemuser.co.uk

In a blast from the past John Pertwee stars as the third incarnation of the Doctor all the way from 1972, accompanied by Jo Grant in this adventure into space. Containing all six episodes from the 1970s serial, the Doctor is summoned from his exile on Earth and sent five centuries into the future to confront the Master, whom the time lords have discovered has located the dreaded doomsday weapon.


Upon their arrival the Doctor and Jo encounter a colony of humans who are under threat from the Interplanetary Mining Corporation, which is disputing the colonists’ claim to the planet where they have set up home. Their only hope lies with an adjudicator from Earth. The Doctor on the other hand pursues his mission of finding the Master and stopping him, whilst also combating the IMC, helping the colony and battling with killer robots, giant lizards and primitive tribesmen who aren’t quite what they seem.


This Doctor Who serial is definitely worth while watching. Although the graphics and the monsters don’t look as good as they do in the newer series (which is obvious considering this was made almost 40 year ago), the basic story is still there and any fan of the series old and new will understand what’s going on. It keeps you enthralled from the start when the Doctor ends up on this distant far away planet, right through to the obvious resolution that happens at end. We all know what the Doctor is about, don’t we?


In all fairness it does drag a bit in parts when you watch all the episodes back to back, and at times it does feel like there are two completely separate story lines going on. To be honest there is, but it all links up in the end when you discover what is happening, and I must say the writing for Doctor Who was just as good then as it is now – or should I have put that the other way round.


Overall Verdict: It is nice to see the old episodes of Doctor Who coming to DVD so that old fans can once again relive the memories of the Doctors past, and it’s brilliant for the fans of the new series to see where the Doctor began and what he was up to all those years ago. Even though they can’t expect much from the imagery in comparison to what it is now, the story is still there and it’s a fun watch for anyone.


Special Features:
Commentary
IMC Need You – Making of the story
From the cutting room floor
Photo Gallery
Radio Times Listing
Programme Subtitles
Coming soon trailer

What's Wrong With Gay Sex?

Originally posted on www.gailymail.co.uk

So yet again there are people complaining about the display of man-on-man sex on television. In the firing line this time, Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood.

It was announced recently that the BBC had received around 500 complaints in relation to a sex scene between the television show’s main character Captain Jack Harkness (played by openly gay actor John Barrowman) and another man.

A number of the complaints were saying that the scenes were unsuitable for children. Now the last time I checked, the show is broadcast after the 9pm watershed (which was introduced so children wouldn’t be exposed to scenes of a sexual nature), therefore allowing the display of such things as sex on screen. So the real question is why are these children watching the programme? Surely the parents should know what to expect and therefore prevent their children from watching – it’s as simple as that.

What is truly annoying about this whole situation is that during a previous episode of Torchwood there was a sex scene shown between one of the lead characters Rex and a woman – were there any complaints about that? As far as I am aware there were not. So why do people find it acceptable to allow their children access to straight sex on screen but as soon as it’s two men all hell breaks loose and it is deemed as ‘disgusting’ and ‘irrelevant’?

A number of people have deemed these scenes ‘pointless’ and as I mentioned earlier ‘irrelevant to the plot.’ But why is a gay sex scene between the lead character and a male love interest, who later goes on to become a key part in the storyline, irrelevant and a sex scene between a man and woman, which could have been left out in all fairness, be deemed acceptable? It makes absolutely no sense what so ever.

As a big fan of Torchwood I can understand why the sex scene was included in the show – it not only further develops the character of Jack, but also develops the plot line, but people don’t seem to see this as they are too blinded by the fact that two men have just kissed. Believe me it does happen. Which makes me wonder, if Jack were having sex with a woman, would there have been a commotion? Probably not as these fans have already proved they have no issue with two straight people having sex on screen.

The BBC has come forward and defended its actions for showing the scene, explaining to the narrow-minded fans that allow their children to watch TV after 9pm, that the show was on after the watershed, so therefore such scenes should be expected. The BBC has also stated that it aims to depict sexual relationships in an honest, realistic way, which they have done, and good on them for defending their actions. However they did edit down a sex scene earlier on in the series as they deemed it too explicit for UK audiences, which I find absolutely ridiculous considering the scene was aired in full on American television, and we all know their rules on what can and can’t be be seen on TV compared to over here. So if it’s good enough for America, why isn’t it good enough for the UK?

This is only the latest example in an ongoing apparent attack on gays on screen. Recently there was a huge debate in the media about there being too many gay characters in UK soaps, so obviously Eastenders and Coronation Street were in the firing line then. But now it looks as though some UK television viewers are just out to attack everything gay on TV, I mean 12 years ago Queer as Folk aired in the UK and was shocking but I honestly thought audiences had come a long way since then and now accepted gay people, but apparently not.

The perceived acceptance of us gays by some in society is a case of “I don’t care if they are gay, but I just don’t want to see it.” Well this is what I gather from the attack on television anyway. But guess what, gay people do exist and we deserve just as much exposure in the society we live in as straights. I mean if someone complained about a black person on television there would be uproar, but it seems that it’s still ‘open season’ where gay people are concerned.

It looks as though we still have a long way to go before people accept us on television, but I’m giving a big thumbs-up to both Torchwood and the BBC for sticking to their guns and defending something that deserves a place on TV and in society.