Channel 4 gay documentary

3 February

In this one off documentary Dr Christian Jessen will search the motives and practices behind therapies that present to change people’s sexuality.  He asks if it is possible to ‘cure’  homosexuality and will boldly undertake some of these ‘cures’ to see if he can change his sexual preference.

Undercover Doctor: Remedy Me, I’m Gay will follow Dr Jessen on his extraordinary  and sometimes shocking journey as he looks at past and present therapies in both the UK and USA that offer to ‘cure’ gay people who are desperate to be straight. 

During his career Dr Christian has encountered patients who are uncomfortable with their sexual orientation and desperate for change.   In an attempt to understand their needs he seeks to find out what’s on offer for these people  and discover whether or not these ‘cures’  are effective.

With his medical background and as an openly gay man, he’ll be boldly undertaking some of the ‘cures’ himself and will explore whether it really is possible to be ‘cured’ of homosexuality.  He will also be conside

21 May

Channel 4 have commissioned My Same-sex attracted Dog and Other Animals (w/t) (1 x 60 min) from Arrow Pictures, the film explores something that traditional evolutionary theory cannot explain -  queer behaviour in animals.  With more than 1, animal species displaying same-sex  behaviour, the programme highlights recent research from leading scientists in the field to find out more about this largely unexplained phenomenon.

Challenging many pre-conceptions about animals and procreation the documentary features a wide range of experts, who specialise in Evolutionary Anthropology, Sexuality, Sex-differences and Gender-differences, and scientists leading the pioneering study of the genetics of homosexual behaviour in animals. In addition, the documentary also hears from non-academic experts including zoologists, farmers and more. 

Siobhan Sinnerton, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4 News and Current Affairs, says: “This hugely enjoyable film explores the complex science and associated controversies around same sex behaviour in animals in a totally refreshing way."

N

Gay and Russian: &#;It&#;s hunting season, we are the hunted&#;

Crawling through the morning traffic in St Petersburg, I was greeted with a surprising sight in the car alongside: a young male was staring intently at images of naked women in a magazine propped up on his steering wheel. Had those been images of young men, he&#;d have been breaking the law.

The propaganda rule, passed unanimously last summer, has been widely condemned as isolating Russia&#;s homosexual, lesbian and gender diverse community. But one often-overlooked feature of it is that it is now illegal to produce even &#;neutral&#; references to under 18s about &#;non-traditional&#; relations. In other words, the only acceptable public comments are bound to be negative.

And the level of hostility towards gay people is eye-watering. In St Petersburg we met Timur Isaev, a married father of one. His organization, Parents of Russia, targets gay and lesbian teachers. He offers cash to anyone who gives him information: &#;This is Russia. This is hell for homosexuals,&#; he tells us laughingly. &#;&#;they should get used to it.&#;

The

5 May

Channel 4 is marking 50 years of Lgbtq+ fest in the UK with a special season of landmark programmes and specials. This bumper season of high profile content will reflect on  the incredible achievements and challenges of advancing Gay rights and visibility over the last half century, while also platforming the diversity of self and sexuality in the s.  

At the centre of the season will be a pair of new factual commissions. 50 Years of Pride (w/t) will be a landmark documentary on the history of the movement in the UK, made in collaboration with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stephen Daldry and playwright Joe film will be told through first-person testimony and archive footage, hearing from those who faced down intense hostility and discrimination at the start, as well as from a younger generation for whom Pride has always been part of their life and individuality. Focusing in on trans history, April Ashley (w/t) will be the first in-depth feature documentary on this trailblazer for transgender woman in the UK. Ashley, who died last year at the age of 86, was one of the