One of the contestants in Wednesday night’s episode of First Dates is a celebrity psychic. But as completely awesome as that is, that’s not the big story. Believe it or not, Harry T will be one half of the first same-sex couple to have ever featured on an Aussie dating show.
The 26-year-old Nostradamus will be paired up with Iain, a 49-year-old remedial massage therapist from Tasmania. Umm, a masseur and a psychic – how can we be friends, please?
The show follows two complete strangers a first date, where they must navigate all the glorious awkwardness that such an event involves for our voyeuristic viewing pleasure. It’s a British concept originally and, perhaps unsurprisingly, that version has featured several same-sex couples over the years.
Still, tonight’s episode will be a big deal for us Down Under and our soon-to-be-favourite medium knows it. Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Harry said he was excited about the prospect of finding that special someone, but also about what it means for where Australia is heading as a nation. “It could be real platform for other people out there who don’t have the opportunity to witness same-sex love on TV,” he said. “I’ve never seen it.”
Very proud to be the first same sex date on a national Australian TV reality show ❤️???????? #FirstDatesAU @FirstDatesAU pic.twitter.com/G0m7NMsuv6
— Harry T (@HarryTMedium) 14 March 2016
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Hi, I’m British, 27 and gay. I found myself searching for a little more info on the future of the first series of First Dates Australia. Now I find there is a gay couple but is it enough? I sent this complaint to Channel 4 because of their showing of First Dates Australia, which has a lack of LGBT couples:
I'm a big fan of First Dates on Channel 4. I love the variety of people and seeing anyone feeling that special spark most of us look for. I found myself disappointed in the Australian version. There seems to be no LGBT or disabled daters. Why does E4 choose to show the program if it (so far) excludes certain sexualities amongst other minorities?
E4 has a lot of well integrated LGBT story lines in many programs. First Dates Australia doesn't fit into that idea of (what I hesitantly call a) new normalcy, fair representation or progression.
Australia has given us so many wonderful Queer Cinema icons to be proud of, so I'm left scratching my head. Over the first five episodes where usually about a fifth of couples might identify as ‘not straight’ I find no LGBT daters at all.
I’ve waited for a fair few episodes and held my tongue hoping and waiting. I predict that a gay couple or two might come along later in the series. This isn’t enough. While that might be progressive for Australian television it’s a backward step when considering the attitudes of the British version. Equal representation is paramount to what I believe Channel 4 is about, in this case it’s not censored but it is left out. Another word for left out is excluded.
The right idea might be to allow First Dates Australia to progress at its own rate in its own providence, a positive impact at its own comfortable rate however I don’t think it should be able to appear to drag us backwards.
A couple of friends of mine wrote these:
Go for it, brother! Call them out - it'll be interesting to see their response if nothing else!...
… Definitely call them out. Even if a Q couple comes along to date later in the series, it's just as offensive to insinuate that it is somehow token. Misrepresentation and lack of representation are intolerance fodder…
…The LGBT couples are usually the most heartwarming and very well represented here.
It’s difficult to know how I’d like you to respond. How inarticulate I am about a resolution doesn’t stop this ill feeling of believing something is wrong. Love is love and I accept and relate to all the daters no matter who they are. I wouldn’t want the programme to be removed because love in any form is important but it seems somehow exclusive in your broadcasted program, which isn’t what I and so many others fought themselves to accept.
In this letter I’ve found myself focusing on daters of an LGBT nature however upon wider thinking there has also been a lack of identifiably disabled daters. Who else are they not giving visibility to?
Please don’t accept unacceptance because I also love so many of your programmes and I feel betrayed by what seems to have been a very poor choice.
Channel 4 replied with:
Dear Mr Maguire,
Thank you for contacting Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries regarding FIRST DATES ABROAD.
We appreciate you taking the time to get in touch and we understand you feel the programme has failed to include those from the LGBT and disabled community.
The show can only feature those that apply to be on, but your views have been noted and logged and made available to those responsible for our programming.
Nevertheless we apologise for any frustration caused.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact us. We appreciate all feedback from our viewers; complimentary or otherwise.
Regards,
Bob Evans
Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries
Disappointing that it took until episode 7. Same-sex couples appear in just about every episode of the UK and Ireland versions of the show. Welcome to 2002, AU TV!