hi what is softly softly in the context of tjlc?

in the broadest sense it means the approach of slowly developing romance between same sex couples so that a) sexuality is an incidental trait of a character in an otherwise differently themed show, for example drama about a female lawyer who also happens to be a lesbian with a wife etc; b) it draws heterosexual people in by the virtue of them being hooked on the plot and drama of the show, and getting attached to the characters, so that when sexuality and same sex couples come into it they’ve been eased into the idea so slowly they accept them. it’s so that lgb people get the varied representation they deserve, not just shows that revolve around gay sex or young people, and straight people are gently educated on lgb issues.

the term comes from lsit’s softly softy meta which is based on research into lgb portrayals commission by the bbc. i suggest you give it a read, it looks huge and daunting but nattie writes in a clear, concise and easily understandable way. here are the essentials to take away from it, in bbc’s own words:

The BBC is not funded like other broadcasters: it is not beholden to advertisers and thus can afford to have moral convictions and take risks. And it knows this.Specifically, the BBC does not directly aim to please an international audience, nor do Moffat and Gatiss.The BBC feels its Royal Charter not only requires that the BBC deliver LGB portrayals, but that the BBC celebrate them and work to fight homophobia.BBC research states that the majority of their audience is not only comfortable with LBG portrayal, but wants more and better LGB portrayals.The BBC was already perceived as fairly LGB-friendly even prior to 2009’s research commission.The BBC has officially dedicated itself to authentic LGB portrayals.The BBC has consciously chosen to portray LGB intimacy despite the reaction of uncomfortable heterosexuals. It intends to make comfortable those it can make comfortable, and acknowledges it cannot reach all of them.The BBC wants to air “landmark” or “watercooler” LGB content that becomes “culturally iconic.” They are pressed that Channel 4 is perceived as more LGB-friendly than the BBC, and they want to out-gay them.BBC LGB research indicates that in their dramas specifically, LGB “watercooler moments” must be given “sufficient depth and time to unfold.”The BBC understands that LGB people are sick of tragic endings.The BBC understands that “landmark content” entails visuals of LGB intimacy.BBC LGB research lead it to resolve not to queerbait before Sherlock was ever accused of queerbaiting.The BBC is not messing around. They are taking steps to ensure they are progressing in terms of their LGB content.The BBC has explicitly stated its intent to work with LGB writers to ensure authentic LGB portrayals.Mark Gatiss has stated that the BBC has never kept him from doing something he wants to do.In his novels, Gatiss revealed a protagonist to be queer halfway through the story just so it wouldn’t be labeled a “gay” story from the outset.Gatiss and Moffat have stated they never disagree on Sherlock, and Moffat has written two other homosexual AU versions of Holmes and Watson.Ben Stephenson, the man who commissioned Sherlock, would absolutely have commissioned TJLC along with it. In fact, TJLC would have been a huge positive factor in his decision.

and to seal the deal here’s a quote from mark gatiss from 2012:

I always thought that what Russell [T. Davies] did in Doctor Who was extremely ground-breaking, in a slightly more subversive way than it looked like. It never occurred to me that [the representation of gay characters] was too on the nose; what he did brilliantly was introduce incidentally gay characters — obviously as well as some more in-your-face ones. One of my favourite stories is [the episode] Gridlock: there’s an elderly couple of ladies who are together, and it just sort of passes by, and that’s the way—softly, softly.

That’s how the revolution happens, as it were: you just become aware that people are incidentally gay.

I think when the day comes that you have a big detective show where the first half hour was this man at work, and he’s a maverick, and all the usual things… and then we went home and his boyfriend says, ‘Are you alright?’, [and] it was just a thing… then something would have genuinely changed. I think the problem still is, [being gay] becomes the issue. I think the thing with gay characters is that it has to be an issue, as opposed to being part of everyday life — which of course, as we all know, is what it is.

sound familiar? this meta is a great way to start your journey into tjlc because it’s not dependent on subtext or how you read the show, so it won’t change. for many of us this was a huge turning point after which we abandoned all doubt.