Some of the most iconic queer film and TV moments including the kiss that changed Aussie TV forever

The dawn of the streaming age means the “one-size-fits-all” approach to TV has given way to more inclusive storytelling.

When Lana and Sky (Bridget Neval and Stephanie Mcintosh) locked lips on Neighbours in 2004, it was a groundbreaking moment for Australian TV.

It also created controversy, with talkback radio flooded with calls from more conservative viewers arguing the kiss was “inappropriate” for a 6.30pm timeslot.

Thankfully, times have changed. So much so that when Mcintosh reprised her role for the show’s 35th anniversary in 2020 (this time her character marrying Lana), she noted: “It’s refreshing that a same-sex relationship is no longer something out of the ordinary and there is no fuss around it.”

Since that 2004 kiss, we have seen dramas such as Wentworth, Bump and Offspring showcase female love stories.

Brooke Blurton has romanced men and women as the first bisexual Bachelorette and Dannii Minogue has played matchmaker to same-sex couples on British dating show I Kissed A Girl. Minogue, a longtime LGBTQIA+ ally, believes that representation matters just as much in fictional storytelling and reality TV, previously telling The Binge Guide, “My friends and our casts tell me the same thing after watching [I Kissed A Girl]: ‘My life would have been so different if I had a TV show like this when I was growing up.’”

Lana and Sky's kiss on Neighbours was hugely controversial at the time. Picture: Supplied.

Given the demand, she is hopeful that one day Australia will have its own version of the series. For Lilydale Films head of content Ric Forster, the dawn of the streaming age means the “one-size-fits-all” approach to TV has given way to an era of more inclusive storytelling. “There’s been a shift in society in the last 10 years, thanks to the so-called ‘woke movement’, which unfortunately has some negative connotations but has actually been hugely positive,” Forster tells The Binge Guide.

“You see a lot more conservative shows exploring this space now, which is fantastic. But when you look back, when they used to introduce a gay character – usually as a guest – the story seemed to be geared around acceptance. “Audiences have seen that 100 times now, frankly. And so, what we’ve done is skip that part of the story. And we’ve certainly seen a better response from our audience, who really just want to see the romance.”

Having grown up watching the original Heartbreak High on TV, Forster created the YouTube series Flunk in 2018 to capture teenage angst for a new generation. After receiving hundreds of letters from fans about the romance between two girls on the show, Forster realised audiences were hungry for authentic queer romances on screen, and created a string of spin-off films to meet that demand. Making this sort of content isn’t without its challenges, and Forster notes that some countries still censor programs that feature same sex-couples and advertisers “don’t tend to support it, either”.

“I remember that we put LGBTQI in the title of a video and it instantly got demonetised,” he reveals. Nonetheless, Forster’s films are finding audiences around the world. Likening the Victoria-based film series to the blockbuster Marvel cinematic universe, Forster says films such as The Sleepover and My First Girl Crush have an ardent fan base and network of interlocking stories and characters.

Natasha Lyonne stars in the cult classic I'm A Cheerleader. Picture: Supplied.

“They’re quite small scale, but they’ve clicked,” he says. “Historically, in queer content the characters either had to either break up in the end or there were typically downbeat endings. “So something we’ve done, off the audience feedback, is to inject a little bit of that Hallmark feeling with some positive, happy endings. I think that means so much to the audience.” But I’m A Cheerleader: Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face, Orange Is The New Black) plays a cheerleader who is sent to a gay conversion therapy camp to “cure” her but instead comes to embrace her sexuality.

My First Girl Crush: Part of a trilogy, the film sees shy schoolgirl Ingrid (Jessica Li) juggling the pressures of her Chinese-Australian family and her growing feelings for her best friend. The Sleepover: Heidi and Tabby (Madelyn Sheahan and Georgia Crisfield-Smith) attend a friend’s sleepover for the first time since their break-up. Will sparks fly or will these exes decide to move on as friends?

Now streaming on Tubi

Originally published as Some of the most iconic queer film and TV moments including the kiss that changed Aussie TV forever