While TV soaps have never had much connection with the real world, let alone been the most sensitive to viewer sensibilities, one of the latest Coronation Street storylines has managed to enrage viewers, with many branding it homophobic.

In a recent episode, the character of Kate Connor was devastated to learn Robert didn’t want to father her baby, and was also upset when her fiancé Rana Habeeb said she wasn’t sure whether she even wanted a baby. In an extreme move, Kate decided the only way to have her baby was to seduce straight male character Adam Barlow. Midway through the seduction, Adam changes his mind and ends it.

Viewers tweeted saying Coronation Street had really slipped up with the storyline, with one saying: “Kate is not only betraying Rana, she’s betraying herself and the whole LGBT community.”

Kate is not only betraying Rana, she's betraying herself and the whole LGBT community. #Corrie really went wrong here.
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— Mike Gage (@MikeGage20) December 17, 2018

Another viewer said the show was backing up the idea “that all a lesbian needs is plying with alcohol and she’s up for it with men”.

Not to forget a few years ago there was a mass thing going around the Manchester gay village that straight men could turn lesbians!! Great!! Back that idea up that all a lesbian needs is plying with alcohol and she’s up for it with men! absolutely offended by this! #Corrie

— Kimmy ? (@_ComedyOfErrors) December 17, 2018

A similar Tweet said: “Having a lesbian character who has never once shown attraction to men suddenly seduce and kiss a man is incredibly irresponsible. It enforces a homophobic rhetoric that lesbians can be ‘fixed’ and become heterosexual in the ‘right’ circumstances.”

https://twitter.com/kanaswarrior/status/1074758631252467718

i will never forgive #corrie for doing this to a gay character. you're having her violate herself, that's fucking disgusting.

— maria (@nevermoreill) December 17, 2018

While some said it was the character’s determination to have a baby which made her try to seduce Adam, others replied there were other ways she could go about it rather than suddenly ignoring her own sexuality. One commented “It reinforces what people tell us everyday, that our sexuality isn’t valid.”

Yes that was clear after when she says why she was doing what she was. But to a gay/lesbian person it reinforces what people tell us everyday, that our sexuality isn’t valid.

— Lou?️‍? (@__louc) December 17, 2018

If you are gay you don't suddenly want to have sex with the opposite sex , whether it be a guy or a woman :/ it's portrayed so bad :/ wanting a baby or not..there are many ways without suddenly having it off with your neighbour? ???

— Sophie_90 (@Sophie_1990b) December 18, 2018

A Coronation Street spokesperson described the storyline by saying “Kate was out of her mind with grief for Aidan and thinks she’s lost Rana. She came to her senses before going through with it – she’s gay, and loves Rana, and can’t believe she nearly let her grief-fuelled obsession for a baby almost lead her into betraying who she is and making the biggest mistake of her life.”

We want people to accept our sexualities and not constantly tell us that they are not valid or that “it’s just a phase”. Kate has been openly gay since her first episode on the show and Corrie showing her almost sleeping with another man is then invalidating her sexuality.

— Lou?️‍? (@__louc) December 18, 2018

When a straight male viewer Tweeted that LGBT+ viewers should be happy with any representation and that those complaining only wanted “equality/acceptance when it suits your own beliefs”, it basically proved any problem viewers had with a television heavyweight showing ignorance with their portrayals of LGBT+ characters.