Radio 4 11am; The Untold follows a lesbian couple as one of them transitions

[niceberg]

This will be interesting as a comparison with the cases of heterosexual couples when the man transitions, which have been receiving much attention from the media recently.

I listened to this on catch up - I felt for both of them. Ollie was quite straightforward about homophobic pressure meaning that he wanted to blend in more easily. I have never heard it framed so starkly as a butch lesbian feeling fearful to be themselves and so transitioning to make it easier. Their happiness at the end seemed to come from "passing" not a sense of self expression. How terrible to feel that surgery and hormones are preferable to homophobia. I felt this programme really challenged society - I want people to be accepted as who they are rather that feel that elective surgery is necessary to fit in.

Do you honestly think it would have been aired by the BBC if they hadn't?

Good question. I get the feeling grace dent pulls no punches and I actually think it would have been aired if they were happy for it to be so, It felt like Ellie was wavering in the middle and could have easily been different.

(I should have put my 'they end up happy' in quotes btw. I didn't feel Ellie was hugely happy in reality and had accommodated Ollie a lot and pushed her own feelings hugely aside.)