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Gay docos on BBC Knowledge

Cold Fear: Gay Life in Russia & The World's Worst Place to be Gay are both Australian premieres.

2015-02-22_0108Next month BBC Knowledge will screen a series of gay-themed documentaries.

Cold Fear: Gay Life in Russia and The World’s Worst Place to be Gay are both Australian premiere specials.

Cold Fear: Gay Life in Russia
Wednesday at 9.30pm on March 4
This brutally honest film exposes what it’s really like to be gay in Russia. It is thought only one per cent of gay people dare to live completely openly in Russia. This film gained unique access to the vigilante gangs that target gay men and women.

In one disturbing scene anti-gay activists gather together on a Sunday and go on ‘safari’. Their prey: homosexuals. The abusers are proud of what they do and fear no reprisals from the state. Gay men and women in Russia say new legislation and intolerance in Russia has led to a ‘hunting season’ and they are the hunted. The film contains shocking scenes yet it treats all contributors with dignity and refuses to offer a simplistic solution to complex social tensions.

The World’s Worst Place to be Gay
Wednesday at 9.30pm on March 11

With gay characters so prevalent on television, it’s difficult to imagine that in some parts of the world homosexuality is still illegal and seen as sinful.

In this film, presenter Scott Mills (who is gay) travels to Uganda, a country that has recently proposed an anti-homosexuality bill that would introduce the death penalty for some homosexual acts. Witnessing firsthand how these laws are a reflection of the attitudes of many people in Africa, he asks how likely it is that the situation in Uganda will continue, and whether there is hope for equal treatment of gay men and women in Africa.

Stephen Fry: Out There
Wednesdays at 8.30pm from March 4

In this powerful and immersive documentary series, Stephen Fry explores what it means to be gay around the world, looking at how different countries and cultures regard homosexuality in the 21st century.

Contemplating his own experience as a gay man in the spotlight, Stephen sets out to discover what lies beneath people’s prejudices and why some people feel so threatened by homosexuality.

6 Responses

  1. I’m not Anti-gay I’m all for equal rights, but what’s with all these shows focusing on gay relationships. Is it to try to get those that are against these relationships to become accepting? Just a thought I had, thought I’d share

    1. I considered whether or not to approve this comment but in the end decided a little education would be helpful. Both SBS and BBC have timed some gay titles with Mardi Gras. Visibility is incredibly important, especially given the suicide rate amongst young gay people is very high. If you look at the overall hours per week, or even per year, the proportion of those with gay characters / issues is negligible compare to those with heterosexual.

      1. I understand Josh’s apprehension as people who are not familiar or exposed to gay people or their issues may well wonder what the bloody fuss is about. But Josh, I hope you care to look at one of these shows as it may well open your eyes to what is still today an incredibly real human rights issue. Here is Australia, whilst we have more work to do to fix the unfair legislative binds that keep non heterosexual relationships on an unequal playing field, we are so lucky to not have active persecution by thugs completely sanctioned and encouraged by the state.

    2. In addition to the other comments posted, one might see the appearance of shows focussing on gay relationships as redressing the monopoly that shows focussing on non-gay relationships have had since such shows have been going to air.

      Hopefully before long having shows that include or focus on same-sex and other types of relationships will be unexceptional in their existence, much like the lives of the people they focus on. We are after people like everyone else, in every way.

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