Long running British soap Eastenders has found a positive way to include more LGBTIQ characters in their storylines. They’re going to have a gay bar open in Albert Square.

Showrunner Kate Oates revealed the plan to include a new drinking establishment at the heart of the show, giving character’s somewhere else to hang out alongside the Queen Vic pub that has been at the centre of the soap since it’s launched.

Speaking to Digital Spy Oakes said the new venue would be a “a super-cool precinct where gay and straight characters can all just hang out.”

Unlike Australian soap operas Eastenders has a long history of including LGBTIQ characters. It created controversy in 1987 when it included a same-sex kiss. In 2015 the show’s first transgender character was included. It has also been praised for including storylines that tackle the stigma surrounding living with HIV.

Australian soap opera Neighbours now has several same-sex attracted characters, and last year featured a wedding. Home and Away introduced a gay character last year but his storyline only lasted a few months.

OIP Staff