This Lesbian Visibility Week, the cast of IKAG reflects on why this axing is especially painful
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY RUPERT MCMINN @RUPERTMCMINN (CREATIVE DIRECTOR), DANNI JONES @DANNIIJOPHOTOGRAPHY (PHOTOGRAPHER), LÚA MARO @_LUAMARO_ (PHOTOGRAPHER ASSISTANT), JOSS PETER @JOSSDOTCOM (PRODUCER), ALYGN MEDIA @ALYGN.UK (PRODUCTION PARTNER), NAOMI ELLISON @NAOMI_ELLISON (VIDEOGRAPHER), CLARA MILNES @CLARAMILNESMAKEUP (MAKEUP ARTIST), DAN ADAMS @DANADAMS (HAIR STYLIST), FLASH STUDIOS @FLASH.STUDIOS.LONDON (STUDIO), LUCY SPALDING @LUCY.SPALDING, OSCAR GOLDBLATT @OSCARR_G
Just two years ago, Lesbian Visibility Week (LVW) was flooded with the sapphic dopamine rush of I Kissed A Girl (IKAG) season one’s cast announcement. Thousands of LGBTQIA+ people across the UK were on the edge of their seats, waiting to meet these 10 soon-to-be queer icons. Not long after, audiences got their first glimpse at the groundbreaking series that not only platformed sapphics but celebrated them beautifully. It was, in short, euphoric.
We enter LVW on a different note this year. Last month, it was announced that the BBC were cancelling IKAG, and its gay male counterpart I Kissed A Boy, due to “funding challenges”. Within days, nearly 15,000 people had signed the Change.org petition to keep the show going, demanding that LGBTQIA+ stories be kept on screen.
Now, the cast of the first series of IKAG is refusing to go quietly. Speaking exclusively on the topic for LVW, the cast have reflected together about why this cancellation is so cutting, and why visibility feels more urgent than ever.
Amy (@amy_spalding), series one cast and founder of SLT Studios, spoke candidly about her response to this cancellation. “This cancellation comes at such a bleak time when it comes to queer rights. Our trans siblings are literally having their rights stripped away from them. This is just another example of the kind of right-wing takeover that’s happening. It’s heartbreaking, but we have to keep going. We can’t accept it. We can’t settle for it.”
I Kissed A Girl is not the only victim of the #CancelYourGays trend recently. GLAAD found that the number of LGBTQIA+ characters on broadcast TV had fallen by 62% since 2021-22. With the rise of the right wing globally and subsequently the rollback of queer rights, keeping positive LGBTQIA+ representation on screen is crucial.
Singer-songwriter Thea (@theahallow), who was also on series one of IKAG, said: “It seems like a first-world problem. A show’s been cancelled. But it’s showing a bigger picture. Every minority is getting hit. Lesbians are being hit. Trans people have been hit. There are literally laws against trans women in the UK. This is just showing how society is regressing when we’re supposed to be progressing.”
Fiorenza (@fiorenzacocozza), who was on series one of IKAG, spoke openly about the frustration that this cancellation has brought to the community. “They’ve cancelled it before the second season is even out. It’s a kick in the teeth. They have so many seasons of other shows that probably no one watches, and they’ll run them forever. Something like this actually brought a community together.”
Upon its release, IKAG was heralded not just for its premise but for the substance of the show itself. Cast members engaged in powerful conversations about identity, community and growing up in different parts of the UK. Around the UK and globally, people were able to find new role models to identify with.
Speaking on this, series one cast member Naee (@laidbacknaee) said: “We’re still fighting to be seen. We’re still fighting to be heard. The Black lesbian community needs more representation. You don’t really see us a lot on TV. Even on I Kissed A Girl, I was the only one classified as a stud: a Black, masculine-presenting woman.”
Unfortunately, the cancellation of IKAG is a story that so many of us have heard before. It’s just another reminder that queer stories will always feel like an afterthought, even when they are so incredibly loved by our community. Cara (@carakinney_), who starred in series one of IKAG, spoke about why the show meant so much to her. “If I’d had something like this when I was growing up, I think I would’ve realised my sexuality at a way younger age. So many girls have sent us messages getting excited for more seasons. Having that taken away, when there’s so much money being put into shows like Love Island… It’s sending a message that we’re not important.”
While the sapphic community is still getting ready to fall in love with IKAG series two, the atmosphere of this LVW feels damper than before. There is less hope. Less excitement. You can sign the Change.org petition here.
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