Moana Hope defends girlfriend Maria Thattil over steamy same sex Neighbours pash
Former AFLW trailblazer Moana Hope has defended girlfriend Maria Thattil over a steamy same sex Neighbours pash as the show is branded ‘woke’ and ‘pandering’ by online haters.
Fiona Byrne
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AFLW trailblazer Moana Hope has leapt to the defence of her partner former Miss Universe Australia, Maria Thattil, after trolls hit out at Thattil’s same sex kissing scene on Neighbours, and branded the show ‘woke’.
Thattil is playing Amira Devkar, the character is a queer South Asian woman, in a six week guest role on the soap opera and last week shared an on screen kiss with Nicolette, played by Hannah Monson.
The storyline had the pair spending the night together with the intimate moment sending intolerant online trolls off the deep end.
“Man, for a 4pm show this is a bit much. Is everyone in Neighbours gay now?,” posted one .
Another wrote: “they have ruined Neighbours, it’s just become too tacky. I used to love watching it, but it’s just gone downhill since it became ‘woke’.”
Added another: “Neighbours is so woke and pandering. There’s a reason why it was taken off air.. I watched from the very 1st episode and now it does nothing but push the alphabet agenda.”
“Bit steamy considering this is a daytime soap,” offered another viewer.
Hope robustly challenged the negative commentary.
“I wonder if the homophobia (sic) comments on this post would be happening if she had the same kiss but with a man… I don’t need to wonder, I know the answer. No. No, they wouldn’t. But coz it’s 2 women it’s ‘way too much’ for daytime TV .. I think its right where it needs to be, if you don’t like it, don’t watch it,” she posted.
Hope added her admiration of Thattil’s performance.
“I think it’s bloody amazing, hot and perfect,” she wrote.
“Maria is so bloody talented, they both are, and I wish as a gay woman there was more of this kind of stuff on TV to normalise it for me growing up.
“But I’m glad things are changing.”
While there was a steady stream of negative comments, pleasingly far more fans applauded the storyline.
It is also far from the first time that Neighbours has featured a same sex couple.
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