British soap ‘Hollyoaks’ explores a dark conversion therapy storyline

Long-running British soap opera Hollyoaks has given screentime to many queer characters, from John Paul and Craig to Ripley and Brooke. For many of us across the pond, watching pixelated Youtube cuts of those characters’ scenes made up for dry spells in LGBTQ+ content. And while those storylines were always full of drama, Hollyoaks’ newest arc is showing viewers the dangers of conversion therapy.

In response to the UK government’s continued stalling on a long-promised conversion therapy ban, Hollyoaks is depicting how the discredited practice ruins lives. The storyline began last year with the introduction of Carter Shepherd (David Ames), a religious headmaster seeking to recruit vulnerable locals into a so-called “support group.” His main focus has been on longtime gay character John Paul (James Sutton).

Meanwhile, young student Lucas (Oscar Curtis) has been struggling with a crush on his best friend Dillion (Nathaniel Dass). A pair of bullying classmates take advantage of his vulnerability to get him to open up about his sexuality. Immediately after, they bombard him with religious guilt, telling him that he is a disgrace to God.

After the encounter, Lucas arrives home to find that Dillon has left him a watch as a gift. Lucas smashes the watch and proceeds to self-harm with the shards. And that ominous note is where the storyline has left off thus far.

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Although the storyline is now reaching a crucial point, the cast have been speaking on the intention behind the dark subject matter since last year. “Off the back of our current Government decision not to ban conversion therapy and to allow that abhorrent practise to continue, it’s topical in that sense,” Sutton told Digital Spy.

“It still goes on and as long as that continues, storylines like this have a place. It’s something that we take very seriously and we do feel a sense of responsibility to the truth of it and to the people that are going through it or have been through it.

“Since I’ve started doing my research I had no idea quite how big it is and how often it takes place, it’s shocking. If we can just shine a little bit of light, make people even more aware, they might turn on E4 or their children might be watching and they might think, ‘Oh my goodness, I can’t believe this still takes place’ and it gets that conversation going – that’s really important.”

Hollyoaks is available on Channel 4 in the UK and Hulu in the US.

Related:

New report shows conversion therapy is still alive and well in the U.S.

A new report from the Trevor Project shows that there are more than 1,320 conversion therapy practitioners operating across America.

28 medical organizations issue unprecedented statement against conversion therapy

The joint statement was eight years in the making, and it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.