This article was originally published in The Dundee Courier on 29 August 2015.
Muslim
Drag Queens: Monday, Channel
4
Educating
Cardiff: Tuesday, Channel 4
Paul
Whitelaw
Asif
Quraishi is Britain's first out and proud Muslim drag queen. An
inspirational figure, he uses his politically charged performances as
part of his campaign for gay Asian – or “Gaysian” - rights. He
frequently receives death threats, yet remains defiant.
Asif
shone at the centre of Muslim Drag Queens, a sensitive
documentary narrated by actor and gay rights activist Sir Ian
McKellen.
Born
to a conservative Asian family, Asif came out to his parents several
years ago. His father still refuses to acknowledge his son's
sexuality. However, the programme's spirit of cautious optimism was
capped by the touching moment when Asif's mother joined him as he
received recognition at Attitude magazine's Pride Awards bash.
“He looks beautiful,” she smiled.
Inevitably,
this positive spirit was diluted by tragic accounts of people
committing suicide after coming out to their fiercely disapproving
families. Despite the efforts of heroes like Asif, most Gaysian men
continue to live in fear of ostracism and homophobic violence.
Then
there was the pathos of lonely Imran. He's been using social media in
the hope of finding love. So far he's discovered that many Gaysian
men, some of them married, are only interested in meeting him in his
female guise. That, reckons Imran, helps them to justify their
deceit. He's also disappointed that most of them are only interested
in casual sex. They're too scared to commit to a visible
relationship.
Imran
and Asif were, to say the least, incredibly brave to expose
themselves in this way. Appearing on television is a defiant act in
itself. Ideally, this valuable report will, at the very least, have
given some hope to those gay Muslims who continue to suffer in
silence.
Reader,
a confession: I don't think I've ever watched an episode of
Educating... without finding “something in my eye” at one
point. It's pathetic. Sure enough, I had a mild ocular intrusion
during episode one of its latest edition, Educating Cardiff.
The
formula never fails: filmed using several fixed cameras, we follow
the highs and lows of life in one of Britain's secondary schools. By
examining this world of heroically dedicated teachers and
potential-filled pupils, it's a riposte to those who argue that the
education system is failing. It's essentially a love letter to the
state school system; a covertly political project, in other words.
The
new series takes place at Willows High School, which up until a few
years ago was one of the worst-performing schools in Cardiff. But
thanks to the efforts of head teacher Joy Ballard and her staff, its
fortunes have gradually improved.
Our
first visit was typically touching. It focused on two teenage girls
with low self-esteem, who at first glance seemed to have little in
common. One had a terrible attendance record, the other was a star
pupil. But they were united by fear, of failure and fitting in; all
they needed was a boost in confidence.
The
star of the show was bright, bespectacled Jessica, affectionately
described by one of her teachers as “a little bit quirky”. She
knew she could never be one of the cool kids, but her stewardship of
the school newspaper seemed to improve her social skills. “I'm
scared,” she admitted, “But feigning confidence is the best way
of gaining confidence.”
As
usual, it was a quietly uplifting hour. One of the most commendable
shows on television? Hell yeah.
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