South African soap opera broadcasts first gay kiss after 17 years on air
A groundbreaking moment for television
By Will Stroude
A South African soap opera has marked another important step for LGBT visibility after broadcasting its first same-sex kiss after 17 years on air.
Popular TV drama 7de Laan, which is set to hit the 4000 episode mark in coming days, ushered in a brand new era when two of its male character shared a surprise kiss.
The episode broadcast last Wednesday (March 2) saw waitresses Amorey (Kristen Raath) and Petro (Carla van der Merwe) discover that the object of their affection, Logan (Simon Tuit) was actually gay when he kissed his husband, Divan (Arnu de Villiers), in front of them.
The revelation also came a surprise to audiences, and though the the kiss wasn’t the first to be aired by a South African soap, it remains a landmark moment for LGBT representation on screen.
Speaking to Jacaranda FM following the episode’s transmission, de Villiers said: “I’m proud to be part of this achievement of 7de Laan. It’s a step in the right direction.”
He added: “I knew it was going to make waves for the right reason and wanted to be part of that.”
Watch the historic moment below (14.22 onwards):