BBC soap EastEnders is to screen a controversial homosexual surrogacy plotline this year, according to a programme source.
The story, which is reportedly the first same-sex surrogacy plot on a British soap, is said to involve homosexual characters Christian Clarke and Syed Masood.
The unnamed source told The Daily Mirror the storyline will be “one of the most controversial in the programme’s history”.
Mocked
The source added: “Producers think it will be a ratings hit and prove a massive talking point among viewers”.
Mr Clarke’s gay relationship sparked protests in 2008 when a ‘Christian’ character was mocked for objecting to him kissing his boyfriend of the time.
In July last year the BBC was forced to defend an EastEnders storyline portraying a Christian Pentecostal pastor as a deranged killer who attacked his wife. Viewers had accused the corporation of anti-Christian bias.
In 2008 it was disclosed that popular TV programmes like EastEnders and Coronation Street were being actively lobbied to push a politically-correct view of modern Britain.
Activists
And in 2010 evidence emerged of ITV’s Coronation Street using a storyline which mimicked the language and aims of homosexual lobby groups.
In the soap a teenage character, who began following Christianity in 2009, embarked upon a lesbian relationship the following year.
Speaking about the character in a TV interview, the actress who plays her said the lesbian relationship was not a ‘phase’.
Her language echoes that of homosexual activists who are keen to downplay stories of people leaving the homosexual lifestyle.
Uncomfortable
In October last year a BBC report said homosexuals and bisexuals should be portrayed more frequently and more authentically on its broadcasts.
However, the report also revealed that almost one in five viewers was either “uncomfortable” or “very uncomfortable” with homosexual scenes.
The report showed that two thirds of viewers would be uncomfortable with watching a sex scene between two men before the 9pm watershed, and almost half said that they would rather not see two men kiss.
Concerned
Even after the watershed more than one in five viewers, some 21 per cent, said they were uncomfortable with seeing two men holding hands.
The report also revealed that many of the people who were “uncomfortable” with homosexual scenes were concerned about the impact which they could have on their children.
Last year official statistics released by the Government showed that just one per cent of the population were homosexuals, and just 0.5 per cent of the population were bisexuals.