Tv is experiencing a growth of queer illustration, and Australian collection are not any exception. Our new examine reveals how traits in lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, transgender and nonbinary (gender and sexually various) scripted tales have developed onscreen over the 2000s and 2010s.
Within the Nineteen Seventies and ‘80s, Australia was thought-about comparatively radical in its representations of gender and sexually various individuals. We’re credited with the primary optimistic portrayal of a homosexual man, Don Finlayson (Joe Hasham), within the cleaning soap opera Quantity 96 (1972–77).
We additionally portrayed the primary lesbian kiss, between Vicki Stafford (Judy Nunn) and Felicity Baker (Helen Hemingway) within the pilot episode of The Field (1974–77), two weeks earlier than the UK’s first televised lesbian kiss.
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By the Nineties, queer character appearances shifted to predominantly once-off tales in medical and crime dramas. However issues have modified considerably since then.
Homosexual and bisexual males
Between 2000 and 2019, Australian-scripted tv represented homosexual males extra commonly than bisexual males. Particularly, our analysis discovered 44 collection that includes homosexual males and solely three that includes bisexual males.
Just like traits in US tv all through the 2000s, many of those examples targeted on characters “popping out” as homosexual – a well-liked storytelling gadget.
Whereas bisexual coming-out narratives had been uncommon, one notable exception was the character Sammy Lieberman (Thom Inexperienced) in Dance Academy (2010–13), who rejects labels others attempt to placed on him.
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Though we discovered a prominence of coming-out narratives, we additionally noticed a rise in already out characters. Beforehand, homosexual and bisexual males had been generally written into one-off storylines during which popping out appeared like the one out there narrative. Now they’re typically proven with advanced lives and different sources of drama.
The avoidance of homosexual intimacy onscreen stays distinguished; we famous an inclination to make use of digital camera actions and cuts to keep away from displaying homosexual intercourse scenes. However some collection are pushing these boundaries. As an example, season three of Please Like Me included a significant and critically acclaimed intercourse scene between Josh (Josh Thomas) and Arnold (Keegan Joyce).
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Lesbian and bisexual ladies
Whereas there’s a important variety of lesbian and bisexual ladies in Australian scripted tv, they seem in fewer collection general in contrast with homosexual and bisexual males. Of a complete 38 collection, we discovered 32 with lesbians and 15 with bisexual ladies. 9 of the collection included each.
Traits for lesbian and bisexual ladies typically concentrate on characters who’re assured of their sexuality, or who interact in momentary exploration as a “passing part”. Coming-out narratives are uncommon for these ladies.
For instance, Charlie Buckton (Esther Anderson) in House and Away (1988–) briefly explores attraction to out lesbian Joey Collins (Kate Bell). The connection isn’t talked about once more after Joey is written out and Charlie returns to relationship males.
Alongside this theme of momentary attraction is a troubling development of unnamed bisexuality, whereby we recognized bisexual ladies, however the bisexuality wasn’t clearly named.
That stated, we do be aware situations the place this is because of a resistance to labels. As Bridget (Libby Tanner) tells Bea (Danielle Cormack) in Wentworth (2013–21): “Fuck the labels.”
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There are additionally a number of examples of lesbian and bisexual ladies elevating households. In 2003, a two-part episode of Blue Heelers (1994–2006) focuses on a custody dispute between a lesbian couple and their sperm donor. These tales typically incorporate themes of same-sex IVF and adoption, reflecting authorized modifications in Australia all through the many years.
Nevertheless, in All Saints (1998–2009), Charlotte Beaumont (Tammy Macintosh) – who’s initially written as a lesbian and later rewritten as bisexual – turns into pregnant after sleeping with a person.
Transgender and non-binary individuals
Till not too long ago, and with uncommon exceptions, out gender-diverse characters have been largely invisible in Australian scripted tv.
We discovered eight collection with transgender ladies, three with transgender males, and one with a non-binary particular person. Inside our examine, solely considered one of these characters appeared earlier than 2010.
Most transgender storylines included some concentrate on self-identity, with the character both popping out or asserting their id with others. Some tales additionally included romantic attraction, though nearly all had been in a heterosexual framing. One exception was Chris (Harvey Zielinski) in Beginning From… Now (2014–16) – a trans man who’s pansexual.
From 2018 onwards, all gender-diverse characters had been portrayed by out actors who aligned with their id. Earlier than this, solely Robyn Ross (Carlotta) in Quantity 96 and Chris in Beginning From… Now had been performed by out transgender actors.
The emergence of queer story worlds
Australian scripted tv has moved away from representing solitary homosexual or lesbian figures, and in direction of extra inclusive representations that painting queer characters belonging to a shared group. We discovered rising situations of those characters showing in common, recurring and one-off tales in the identical collection.
We additionally discovered a rise in collection which might be set in queer story worlds. Outland (2012) was the primary Australian collection to characteristic a wholly homosexual and lesbian ensemble of characters.
Equally, Beginning From… Now’s an online collection that follows a bunch of lesbian ladies residing in Sydney’s Newtown. The ultimate two seasons had been picked up by SBS in 2016 and, together with Wentworth, contribute considerably to the variety of lesbian and bisexual ladies showing onscreen.
The queer story world has been that includes much more from 2020 onward, specifically by means of digital-first and pilot initiatives for expertise from underrepresented communities. These initiatives are giving extra alternatives to queer creatives, leading to collection akin to Iggy & Ace 5eva (2021) and All My Associates Are Racist (2021).
The appearances of gender and sexually various tales in Australian tv proceed to vary. We hope our analysis can present a place to begin for additional evaluation of those many years and people to return.