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Heather Peace on experiencing “lesbophobia”

Heather Peace may be the only out actress part of the BBC’s Lip Service, but that’s not the only reason she now has a huge lesbian fanbase. Heather is also a musician, whose gigs are selling out across the UK and whose Twitter account is 6,000 followers strong. There’s just something about her, whether she’s on screen as hot cop Sam Murray, or off-screen with a guitar strapped on her back, and Diva magazine has a hot new cover shoot and interview with her this month.

The following is an excerpt from the January issue, which goes on sale Dec. 9.

Diva: When you did you start acting?

Heather Peace: When I was 20, mainly in rep theatre. I was 21 when I got London’s Burning. There was a lot of homophobia back then. I’d only come out when I was 19, so it was all quite new anyway, and then moving to London.

Diva: Did you think at the time, “Can I be a lesbian actress”? Did you know of any others?

HP: Yes, I did – Sophie Ward – and it made me absolutely not want to. Because I adored her when I was younger and certainly looked up to her, and afer she came out — I don’t want to say she never worked again. Just because you don’t see someone on TV doesn’t mean they’re not working — she gave up. But I don’t know the story. She should have gone on to being one of the biggest TV stars in the world, as far as I’m concerned.

Diva: Did you experience lesbophobia?

HP: Yes. There was one producer in a particular show where I was the only girl, and he told me not to talk about my sexuality because I was there as the totty for the men. He said it wouldn’t do the show any good if they knew I was gay. That was terrifying. I was also told I was going to be outed. I hadn’t done anything, [a Sunday newspaper] had just found out I was gay. At that time, my grandparents were still alive and they could never be told. Now everybody in my family knows it, everybody that matters, so it doesn’t matter. In the end a bigger story broke and the paper didn’t run with it. But that meant the press always knew, and just decided not to say anything.

Check out the entire interview in Diva by pre-ordering the January issue.

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