23/05/2021
Correspondent Linda Lewis of Preston writes in television weekly Totally TV that she finds the new Coronation Street plot line involving goth character Nina to have been written and acted sensitively and powerfully. Nina and her partner Seb are assaulted by a gang of young “normal” youths in an underpass. This plotline reflects the very real case of Sophie Lancaster, a young goth woman kicked to death by a macho bunch of youths in August 2007. The Lancaster case deeply touched many LGBTQ people who have been the victims of violence or verbal prejudice. In addition, there is a long standing coalition between goth people and LGBTQIA folks. Goths overwhelmingly tend to be anti-authoritarian in their politics: they are usually liberals, socialists, anarchists, pagans, or new agers and celebrate individuality. As a result, it is very rare to find homophobic or transphobic gothic people. Goths take their name from several artistic movements that have their roots in European history. A modern gothic aesthetic developed through the rock and roll personas of performers such as Screaming Jay Hawkins and Alice Cooper. Some people suggest that the first bone fide goth bands were Joy Division and Bauhaus at the end of the seventies. Today, goth remains a lively subculture involving fashion, self published magazines, small record labels and internet radio stations. Sophie Lancaster's mother blogs about the importance of the Coronation Street plotline here: https://www.sophielancasterfoundation.com/2021/05/20/sylvia-lancaster-wh...
