fictional character australian soap opera neighbours played actress casting announced june stated excited role serial lesbian character explained sexuality bother hoped story told way screen appearance episode broadcast august student bullying high school moving befriended cousin developed crush storyline sky billed relationship story close female friends compelling complexity feelings involved sky friendship eventually culminated neighbours lesbian kiss episode featuring kiss broadcast serial regular rated gave neighbours small increase ratings led conservative groups attack storyline characters writers sydney star observer branded storyline real television advance praised journey executive producer believed storyline reflected reality viewers said profound effect casting june week reported actress joined cast neighbours revealed set things street teenagers comes terms sexuality told colleague initially taken learned character asked play excited role calling fantastic character later explained initial reaction surprise neighbours gay character nature character bothered real concern story told way stereotypical character gay certainly interesting thing screen appearance episode broadcast august april said originally auditioned role joining cast development introduced neighbours lesbian character revealed fuel storyline established character journey representative explained storyline relationship story close female friendship compelling complexity feelings involved representative believed storyline strike chord teenage viewers relate sky feelings stated story multi saying level young girl coming terms sexuality bit boring brought play story strands added depth dimension pretty canadian high school student left old high school bullying result describing character stated comes touch mind wants soon clear carefully constructed façade purpose following arrival befriended learned taken advantage photographer simon cousin sky took instant dislike sky learned boyfriend leaving impressed game basketball sky began feuding started brawl court filming fight stated wanted look spontaneous gritty lot fun learning fight aware actor actually hurt placed detention sky came know better gradually formed bond developed feelings sky crush sky eventually culminated neighbours lesbian kiss episode featuring kiss broadcast usual rated timeslot executive producer neighbours said storyline reflected reality continued contemporary issues explained neighbours simply telling story tolerance producer added kiss far writers discouraged telling stories homosexuality future screen sky told interested boyfriend remained friends main storyline completed seen attending female admirer moving canada family script producer told reporter great tradition lesbian dead final scene aware writing wanted avoid costs storylines cousin born australia family moved canada young returned australia years later began attending bullied sexuality led transfer high finds employment alongside befriends convinced seen realises photos taken photographer admits taken chris cousin sky day fight school places detention urges work things sky start trust little organised discover like black white films bond later watches sky fall asleep sky realises hidden depths tells gets upset tells sky hiding sky calls friend attended high finds bullying caused change schools suddenly kisses sky runs house goes finds reveals gay admits want lose sky friend tries pass kiss joke sky tells marsh kiss later school attempts convince dating sky finds planning sex party sky tries stop tells sky leave decides tell sex likes girls receives anonymous notes locker praising brave targeted gang girls threaten cut hair susan decides school involved tolerance campaign parents protest sky begin drawing cartoon strip called freak girl editor gay magazine interested publishing later asks date comes realise right sky decide plant outside stay watch reactions excitement sky kisses delighted believes sky fallen sky explains friends accuses sky avoids sky days eventually finds note locker named george asking end year formal dance formal george introduces spend rest night decides return canada friends throw farewell party sky tells miss gives pen start writing novel says goodbye george friends watch taxi reception shortly episode featuring kiss aired characters attacked conservative groups thought high risk culture making homosexuality look cool chief executive christian group told age young people message relationships head arts education department described serial depiction lesbian real advance believed gay teenagers feeling insecure sexuality accepted devastated negative reaction surrounding storyline reaction kiss sky received stated backlash kiss generated australia think shown blown love scene newspapers angry letters editor gay storyline negative reaction australia press mirrors current storyline neighbours explores backlash experiences sexuality public knowledge high school colleague later said website readers said storyline profound effect teenagers writer noted episode featuring kiss broadcast provided neighbours modest ratings increase believed introduction storyline attempt increase ratings reporter praised cousin sympathetic reacting positive way came reporter praised sky reaction let talk away freak adding neighbours wanted sympathetic gay character upset christian groups storyline writer stated significance depiction occurred relatively conservative family oriented large child viewership major sympathetic characters presented supportive sexuality depicted villains book neighbours years street wrote ultra conservative groups celebrated gay press kiss helped neighbours entered decade july asked readers vote neighbours moments sky kiss came number reporter paper said rare neighbours attracts attention shock country happened played gave played kiss sky exploring sexuality scene talked press left sky gone unmarried
Lana Crawford