Complaints from parents concerned about the lesbian storyline in Coronation Street have been branded as “ridiculous” by one of the actresses involved.
Sacha Parkinson told G3 magazine: “Even if children were watching, they need to know about this stuff.”
But the actress’s remarks are unlikely to dispel parents’ concerns about the soap’s homosexual agenda.
Excited
Miss Parkinson, who plays the character Sian Powers, also spoke about how she felt when she found out about the lesbian storyline.
She told the magazine: “When they first told us we were just excited and nervous to be honest.
“It was just an honour that they trusted us with it, and that it was going to be such a huge thing.”
“So many people”, her co-star Brooke Vincent added, “would really be relying on us to do it well.”
Born again
Miss Vincent’s character, Sophie Webster, had been portrayed as a born again Christian, but was then seen to fall in love with Sian – from her Bible study group.
The storyline is the latest in a series of plots that promote homosexuality and mock the Christian faith.
In Easter 2009, dozens of viewers complained about a series of outbursts against Christianity made by the soap’s longest running character Ken Barlow, played by actor Bill Roach.
Indoctrinated
The veteran character claimed his grandson was being “indoctrinated” with Christianity at his church and primary school and said children should be told “the truth”. He said scientists think that “we don’t need God or heaven and hell.”
Another homosexual storyline features characters Sean Tully and Marcus Dent, who according to one source may enter a civil partnership later this year.
And one of the show’s producers, Phil Collinson, has said that he uses the show to push homosexual issues.
Platform
Mr Collinson, himself a homosexual, told The Sun in December last year that it was “an amazing platform” that really makes “a difference to the way people think.”
“What’s transmitted on Monday night people talk about in pubs, clubs and at work next day”, the producer said.
“You can really make a difference to the way people think – and this show has always had a gay sensibility.”
Campaign
In November last year, Antony Cotton, who plays the character of Sean Tully in the soap, said: “Education is key” to promoting the message of the homosexual lobby.
He, along with Brooke Vincent and Sacha Parkinson, were visiting schools in Manchester in a campaign which was said to be aimed at tackling homophobic bullying.
And Hollywood star Sir Ian McKellen is set to visit dozens of schools across the country to promote the agenda of homosexual campaign group Stonewall.
Schools DVD
On a visit to a school in Kent during a similar tour in 2008, Sir Ian claimed that faith schools which teach that homosexuality is morally wrong are providing children with an inferior education.
Last year, Stonewall sent every secondary school in Britain a controversial interactive DVD aimed at 11 to 14 year olds.
The DVD features a one hour 45 minute film entitled FIT, which the campaign group claimed would challenge homophobic bullying.
Roots
The concept of promoting homosexuality in schools has its roots in the 1971 manifesto of the Gay Liberation Front, which set out an extreme agenda to eradicate the family.
“We must aim at the abolition of the family”, the document said, because it “works against homosexuality”.
The document urged activists to target law, education and the media as part of a cultural revolution to demolish the family.