“It Started with a Kiss” EastEnders and Subversion from within: Domestic ‘Queer’ Star Persona and British Social Realism

This paper explores the performativity of the domestic queer star persona in soap opera, foregrounding the historical presence of Michael Cashman, the LGBTQ+ rights activist, who appeared as the first queer character in Eastenders, in 1986. Cashman’s later cameo roles in 2016 and 2022 are also explored, alongside evaluating the appearance of other openly gay actors taking on queer roles in EastEnders, demonstrating the potential for “subversion from within” to produce social realism and consciousness raising. EastEnders’ wider development of LGBTQ+ rights narratives is also explored, considering stories of coming out, hate crimes and same sex marriage. At the same time, the foundation of queer social realist film and the cultural setting of London is considered, while theorising changing models of public service as influencing TV soap opera form.