Merseyside-based LGBTQ+ comedians have spoken out on the power of using humour as a coping mechanism.
Adam Rohan, Eddie Fortune and Alex Stringer are three Scouse comedians who have been taking the comedy scene by storm. In what is already competitive industry, they offer a different perspective on life through a queer lens - and it’s fair to say their shows aren’t for those who are easily offended.
Adam uses his experience of being a “token gay best friend”, whilst Alex uses her memory of being “the funny one” in a girl friendship circle, and Eddie delves right into his past relationships.
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Eddie, originally from Toxteth and now living on Penny Lane, told the ECHO: “After I was dumped by a string of fellas and one who was a Tory and dumped me on my birthday, I thought I could make my misery into a job. Being brassy and exploding into ten minute rants about my exes just worked out for me.”
The 38-year-old acknowledges he puts on a brave face and does so to deal “with a lot of pain” from his past. He added: “My sets are brutal, there’s a lot of love but there’s also a lot of self-depreciation. My material comes from tragic parts of my life but I try to self-cancel by saying the ugly parts of my life on stage.”
The former barista first got involved with comedy through the Everyman Youth Theatre and despite being in the industry for over two decades now, Eddie has had to “swim a little harder” in comparison to his heterosexual counterparts.
He added: “Being gay in the industry, you are judged differently. If you’ve got an opinion, you’re seen as a b****, but if you’re straight with the same opinion no one is bothered. Demographically, it is hard to get your voice hard.”
One comedian who isn’t too bothered about what audience members think of him is Adam Rohan. Similar to Eddie, he first got into comedy through a youth theatre - The Royal Court Youth Theatre.
Wanting to be an actor for a number of years, Adam quickly realised it was making people laugh that made him tick. He was offered a stand-up course through the comedy trust and it all snowballed from there for the 22-year-old.
The Cosy Club bartender told the ECHO: “My sets are inspired by things that have happened to me in real life, from being someone's token gay best friend to horrifying drug experiences and sexual escapades. I hope people get a look inside the life of a gay man and be able to laugh along whilst I try to tackle the obstacles in my life. Even though I am young I have a wild life.”
Humour is more than just making others laugh for the drama and creative writing graduate as he uses it as a coping mechanism and has done his entire life. He believes his sense of humour gave him a “free pass” to bullying in high school.
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The former Liverpool John Moores student, who lives in the city centre, said: “During school, I used to try and hide being gay but the closet was transparent, and I looked fabulous. Now, using a stage, I can turn these things that have happened to me in life and share them with an audience.
"I find that sharing life experiences and making them funny is a healthy way to deal with the past. Obviously being in a mainly straight-dominated industry comes with its challenges but I like having to work even harder to prove that queer comedy is bloody brilliant.
“I have heard someone say I was ‘too gay’ which I think is ironic considering straight comedians always mention their sexuality when they talk about their girlfriend or wife. There only seems to be a problem with it when it comes to LGBTQ+ people and I don’t think that is fair.”
Alex Stringer also uses her platform to shed light on discrimination - this time in the form of bi-phobia.
Having faced it first hand, the 29-year-old said whilst others can understand how sexual attraction to one gender - including being gay and lesbian - works, in her experience, many “can’t fathom” how you could be attracted to more than one.
Alex, who is originally from Aigburth, hopes by comparing her bisexuality to a gender reveal and highlighting how she doesn’t know which gender she will date makes the experience more universal and one heterosexuals can relate to.
She said: “It seems to be people are more accepting of gay men and women compared to those who are bisexual. It is important to talk about because bisexuality is very common. My boyfriend has a gender-neutral name and so when people ask what gender he is, like many parents would say, I say ‘as long as they are healthy’.”
When Alex initially got into the field of writing she set her eyes on writing a play. It was “by chance” the 29-year-old fell into comedy and said once she started, she couldn’t stop “as it is very much like a drug really”.
Alex, who lives in Hunts Cross now, said: "I really try to put my own truth into my work because most jokes have done at this point but coming it from an angle of a personal perspective - a queer perspective - it is rare others will have something similar.
"Straight from the offset, it made sense for me, I didn’t realise I could make others laugh and now I do, I feel like I always wanted to do it, I just didn’t know.”
Although all three comedians are at different stages in their careers, one thing they agree on is more representation for minority groups in the comedy sector is needed moving forward.
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