More than 100 complaints were raised against BBC for portraying a same-sex kiss scene in ‘The Next Step’, a teen drama.
The Next Step is a Canadian drama that is featured on CBBC. In a recent episode that was aired on the TV, Molly Sanders and Dano Verago who respectively play the characters of Jude and Cleo are to perform a duet together and it is made clear that they have feelings for each other.
The characters were shown having a discussion and flirting which leads to a kiss. Before they kissed, in a monologue with audience on the show:
Jude said, “When I dance with Cleo, I forget about everything. It’s just her. We are dancing together and all I see is her.”
Cleo said, “When I dance with Jude, I feel safe and free at the same time. When we dance together, it’s like magic.”
Though this scene received a lot of support on Twitter stating it was awesome as they represented LGBTQ inclusiveness, a lot of people labelled it as inappropriate and raised complaints. Replying to these allegations, CBBC wrote:
“The decision to include this moment, as part of a longer storyline throughout series seven which has been tracking the development of a romantic relationship between two of the characters, Jude and Cleo, was taken very carefully and with much consideration, and came about after CBBC and Boatrocker (the production company who make the show) acknowledged that the series could and should do more to reflect the lives of LGBTQ+ young people. This is an important part of our mission to make sure that every child feels like they belong, that they are safe, and that they can be who they want to be. We believe that the storyline, and the kiss, was handled with sensitivity and without sensationalism, following as it did the portrayal of Jude and Cleo’s developing relationship and I’m afraid we do not agree that it was inappropriate for the audience age.”
