Love Island star’s reaction to same-sex kiss shows importance of LGBTQ+ representation
Love Island contestants surprised Twitter with their steamy kiss on Monday Night. (Credit: ITV2)
LGBTQ+ Love Island fans are in a tizzy after Amber and Tasha shared a quick kiss during the first episode’s game of truth of dare.
The latest crop of islanders found themselves playing the obligatory ice-breaker game of truth or dare filled with raunchy commands and NSFW questions.
During the game, 24-year-old Amber Beckford picked out a dare card and read out: “Give the best chat-up line to the girl you fancy the most.”
Fellow islander Luca Bish, a 23-year-old fishmonger from Brighton, seemed to forgot for a minute that people can kiss whomever they want, saying: “You can’t do that.”
To which Beckford replied: “Why can’t I?”
Beckford then said: “I have a good one. Tash, fancy giving us a tash?” She then stood up and kissed 23-year-old Tasha Ghouri much to the other islanders’ surprise.
Safe to say fans were divided.
GIRLS KISSING ON LGBT MONTH #loveisland pic.twitter.com/m0MZXyNllO
— faith 🇳🇬 (@faithsickoo) June 6, 2022
Man said you can’t do that??? He doesn’t know we are going to LGBT??? #Loveisland— 🧊 (@Chinnwee) June 6, 2022
https://twitter.com/cherrygrrI/status/1533923260131381249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1533923260131381249%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmetro.co.uk%2F2022%2F06%2F07%2Flove-island-2022-fans-hope-amber-and-tasha-kiss-isnt-the-only-lgbt-rep-16782530%2F
Love island said this is the closest you’ll get to lgbt+ inclusivity— laura✨ (@laugracemartin) June 6, 2022
Taking to Twitter, some were happy with the tiniest slither of LGBTQ+ representation, with one celebratory tweet reading: “GIRLS KISSING ON LGBT+ MONTH.”
Another fan commented on Bish’s reaction and wrote: “Man said you can’t do that?? He doesn’t know we are going LGBT???”
“YES AMBER AND TASH #LoveIsland give us more queer rep,” another excited viewer exclaimed.
Meanwhile, others were less impressed that Love Island refuses to go further and fully celebrate queerness.
One fan wrote: “Love Island do not tease bisexual representation like that it is Pride Month. GIVE IT TO US PROPERLY.”
In the same vein, another wrote: “Love Island said this is the closest you get to LGBTQ+ inclusivity.”
Love Island has been constantly critiqued over the last few years about its lack of LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the show.
In June, 2021 ITV commissioner Amanda Starvi told RadioTimes that including LGBTQ+ contestants would be a “logistical difficulty”. Starvi claimed the “format of Love Island” didn’t allow for such inclusivity.
She said: “There’s a sort of logistical difficulty, because although islanders don’t have to be 100 per cent straight, the format must sort of give [the] islanders an equal choice when coupling up.”
This comment was met with a lot of backlash as viewers feel that Love Island should reflect reality and society more.
However, in August 2021, ITV managing director Kevin Lygo doubled down on this during and said: “Love Island is a particular thing. It’s about boys and girls coupling up, so if you want to do it as a gay version or you want to widen it, it is discussed and we haven’t yet found a way that would make it suitable for that show.”
Sharon Gaffka, who appeared on the 2021 original line-up of the show and revealed she was bisexual while on the show, said in a Metro article: “The influence of the show extends far beyond the duration of its time on TV. For many, it is more than just a form of entertainment – it is an integral part of society.
“As the self-proclaimed owners of love, please can we remember that all love is love, and not just heterosexual love?”
