One Coronation Street Character Who Forever Changed Soap's Outlook On LGBTQ
And why she would’ve been deemed problematic today.
Back in the ‘90s, it was hard enough to find a non-straight TV character who would not be just a comic relief, based on a bunch of stereotypes. For different gender identities, the situation was even worse, as there was little to no representation at all, and all transgender people were easy targets for bullying.
U.K.’s Coronation Street was the first daytime soap to welcome a transgender character on the screens by introducing Hayley Cropper back in 1998.
Not only did the writers ensure the character doesn’t become a poor caricature of a person, but they also planned a very realistic storyline of forced outing, rejection, and complicated love life.
As you can imagine, life on Coronation Street wasn’t all that easy for Hayley, as she was forcefully outed by a bureaucracy issue, and many people surrounding her reacted negatively.
Without any sugarcoating, Coronation Street has introduced its viewers to everyday struggles that transgender people face: from being rejected on dates to being fired from work for their identity.
Although heartbreaking at times, the story of Hayley Cropper was extremely important to show. For all the soap enjoyers all across the country, it was a sign to find a place of acceptance in their hearts. And for other soap producers, it was an example of handling LGBTQ+ characters with grace and not suffering a huge drop in viewership because of that.
Hayley Cropper was portrayed by cisgender actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, who admits that it wouldn’t be right to do so today. However, in an interview with Lorraine Kelly, Hesmondhalgh still expressed her gratitude for Coronation Street and the important role she’s played for 16 years, up to 2014.
“As a cisgender person, I wouldn’t be able to play that part now so it’s kind of good that I left when I did. There are so many good trans actors now, but I’m proud that I played that part,” the actress said.
If you want to watch Coronation Street, you can do it by streaming the show on Hulu or BritBox.
Source: The Independent