EastEnders bosses are planning the mother of all parties in Walford.
For the first time in its 30 year history, the BBC soap will air its own LGBTQ+ march to coincide with London’s gay Pride event.
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The celebration off all things lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and others will take place during the first week of July.
After criticisms that the show doesn’t have enough gay characters, senior executive producer Kate Oates is planning a colourful event in Albert Square that will reflect the diversity of London – and no doubt include some drama, too!
A source told The Sun: “It’s going to be a huge event on the square filled with joy.”
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The continued: “Kate thought that with Walford’s London identity, it was a natural fit to tie in the two. But, as with any event on Albert Square, there is certain to be plenty of drama happening alongside the celebration.”
Kate announced her plans to reflect “multi-cultural London” in the soap after taking over at the end of last year.
In January, the BBC soap announced plans for Walford’s first gay bar.
More than three decades after the show became the first to feature a homosexual kiss on primetime telly, Kate revealed: “I am really interested in bringing some more LGBTQ characters in, and maybe we will have a new precinct for them as well.
“We are looking at opening a gay bar on the Square, which will be a super-cool precinct where gay and straight characters can all just hang out and loads of stories can cross and should just be something really exciting, really fun, really visual and feel really true to multicultural London.”
The gay bar will be open in time for the parade.
A spokesman for Stonewall, the acceptance without exception charity, has praised the show for the announcement.
They said: “It’s been more than 30 years since EastEnders featured the UK’s first on-screen same-sex kiss. So it’s great to hear Walford will be celebrating Pride.”
Lifelong fans of the BBC soap will remember graphic designer Colin Russell – played by Michael Cashman – who made history as the first homosexual character in Walford.
He found love with Barry Clark (Gary Hailes), and they were the first gay couple to ever kiss on British TV.
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