The BBC have been hit by a wave of complaints after they described playwright and composer Noel Coward as “queer” while promoting a new documentary.

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The documentary Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story aired on Boxing Day and Coward was described in promotional material as being “queer” in a “very straight world.”

While there is no question that Coward was a homosexual, viewers took issue with the word queer being used, arguing it was a slur during Coward’s lifetime.

The BBC’s own Style Guide lists the word as one that may be offensive to some audience members.

“Originally a pejorative term… ‘queer’ has been reclaimed by some in the LGBTQ+ community. However, it is not universally accepted and has the potential to cause offence.”

Staff are advised not to use the word unless the person themselves has adopted its use in describing themselves. Noel Coward fans are up in arms saying the acclaimed writer would never have embraced the phrase.

Coward wrote dozens of songs and many plays which have stood the test of time. Hay Fever, Easy Virtue, Blithe Spirit, Present Laughter and Private Lives are among his most performed works.

He wrote many memorable songs including London Pride, There Are Bad Times Just Around the Corner, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, If Love We All, and Someday I’ll Find You.  Coward was also performer himself and he continued delivering cabaret shows throughout his life.

OIP Staff, Image: by Allan Warren – Own work / allanwarren.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 

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