Big Brother house descends into chaos over LGBTQ+ ally chat
Omar and Twinks spoke about LGBTQ+ allyship on Big Brother (ITV)
The Big Brother house has been left divided yet again, this time after new housemate Lucinda “Twinks” Burnett spoke of what it meant to be an LGBTQ+ ally.
On Sunday’s episode (4 October), gay housemate Philip Regan started a conversation in which he lamented at an apparent lack of “freedom of speech” in the UK, saying: “You’ve got to think what you say now,” and: “Now, if you want to be classed as a fridge, you’re classed as a fridge.”
Twinks spoke of the important of allowing people to be who they are, adding: “My mum’s become a really amazing trans ally, because I have a friend who’s like a sibling to me.”
Omar El Mayer asked what she meant by “ally”, asking if it meant “supporter”. Harry Symonds, who is also gay, suggested: “You’re now a massive gay ally because of me.”
Omar then asked for Twinks’ opinion on trans people using bathrooms, with Rochelle Rackham chiming in: “I wouldn’t be happy with a transgender in the toilet with me.”
Twinks said “it’s ridiculous” how much the government is “obsessed with genitals”, saying: “It isn’t a dog eat dog, it isn’t me, myself and I,” reinforcing the idea of community.
Omar then pushed the conversation to whether or not trans people should be allowed to compete in sports that align with their lived gender, with Twinks saying she believed they should.
Soon, Philip relieved himself from the conversation and went into the bedroom, telling Lynx Noumey and Rhianna Collins that Twinks was “here to cause trouble”. Rhianna told Lynx to “get Omar out of that conversation”, adding: “I know what she’s doing.”
Back on the sofa, Omar said: “What do you mean, ally? Now you’re putting these mad labels on things.
“Me, personally, I don’t care what anyone does, like at all. It has nothing to do with me in any way, shape, or form. Me, I’m an ally of humanity. I don’t think anyone should be mistreated or treated badly or disrespected or hurt for their beliefs, at the end of the day, so it’s wrong to say that I’m a gay ally like I’m just walking around with gay guys and that, that’s just a mad ting.”
Twinks conceded that she wouldn’t “force allyship” on him, to which he said: “Yeah, please don’t.”
Lynx then came in to take Omar out of the conversation.
Big Brother fans divided
After the conversation, viewers flocked to X to share their thoughts, with some showing support for Omar, and others firmly not.
One said: “Only be an ally to nice people, that’s it. F*** labels, we are all humans! Omar was right! This ally nonsense is still something that will cause divide!”
Another said: “Omar is so uneducated he thinks because called a ‘gay ally’ must mean he’s gay himself. People out here trying to claim he ‘just doesn’t like the label’… the label of what? Supporting gay people? Wake up. Read the very obvious message.”
Someone else said: “Omar if you’re not a gay enemy then WHY are you so offended for being called a gay ally?”
Another said: “Omar getting mad at being called a gay ally because ‘he supports everyone’????”
Others questioned why Omar was the only one getting heat on X, given Philip and Rochelle’s contributions to the conversation.
What does it actually mean to be an ally?
Being an LGBTQ+ ally doesn’t make you gay, a lesbian, bi, trans or queer, and it is not part of the wider LGBTQIA+ acronym (the A stands for asexual, aromantic or agender) – it means you support the rights of the community, despite not identifying as part of it.
It can be as simple as educating yourself about the correct language to use, or the historical (and ongoing) struggles facing queer people. Or it can be as visible as publicly standing with the community, speaking out against homophobia or transphobia, for example, and voicing support for the community’s rights.
Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
