LGBTQ+ on screen: We've come a long way but there's more work to do
news.sky.comAs the event marks 50 years in the UK, Sky's arts and entertainment correspondent Katie Spencer and arts and entertainment producer Jayson Mansaray take a look at the representation of the LGBTQ+ community on screen.In the 1970s comedy greats like Larry Grayson graced the country's television screens, but the camp presenter never officially came out, likely due to attitudes towards homosexuality at the time.
Fast-forward to the present, and popular television has come a long way when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation.From the wildly successful Russell T Davies series It's A Sin, through to Bake Off winner John Whaite and dance partner Johannes Radebe becoming the first male same-sex couple on Strictly Come Dancing, it is hard to deny we are in far more progressive times.But when it comes to dating on the reality show Love Island, ITV producers have cited "logistical difficulties" in diversifying the format to include LGBTQ+.
And when asked if they had plans to change the format in the future to allow for same sex coupling, the channel wasn't definitive.It told Sky News: "Across our portfolio of dating shows we are committed to increasing the representation of LGBTQ+ relationships, including through recent shows Romeo & Duet, The Cabins, Secret Crush and Ready To Mingle.
There is always more to be done and this is a continued focus for us as part of our Diversity Acceleration Plan."For Daniel Welsh, entertainment editor at HuffPost UK, committing to representation of LGBTQ+ relationships would help the show's ratings.
