Footballer Georgia Robert on making LGBTQIA+ history with ‘I Kissed A Girl’

BBC Three’s lesbian dating show, I Kissed A Girl, made headlines by being the first show of its kind in British TV history. The Boar spoke to one of the show’s contestants, Georgia Robert, about the series, her footballing career, and what it means to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

On the programme, Robert said that she fits into the “football lesbian” stereotype – she has played football since she was eight years old and is now a professional player for Rugby Borough WFC, a Coventry team which is partners with the University of Warwick Women’s Football Club.

The term ‘lesbian’ became a focus in Episode 2, when Robert asked the girls how they felt about the label. Following a discussion about the group’s thoughts on the word, Robert went on to explain why ‘L’ is the first letter in the acronym LGBTQIA+, stemming from how lesbians helped gay men during the HIV and AIDS epidemic. This conversation became an emotional and educational discussion about what it means to be a lesbian, which highlights the variety of opinions within the queer community.

Robert says that if she had seen the series when she was younger, she thinks that it would have helped her to “come out a lot sooner”

While much of the reality television series focuses on drama and kiss offs, this conversation in episode 2 is one of the many raw discussions which are at the core of the programme. I Kissed A Girl provides vital representation for lesbians, but it also allows for its cast to be vulnerable so that they can express their own experiences and educate the audience.

Robert says that if she had seen the series when she was younger, she thinks that it would have helped her to “come out a lot sooner”. Growing up, the footballer had no examples of lesbians, and those that she did see on television “were a lot older”, meaning that she could not see herself “in their shoes”.

Robert’s own experiences highlight the necessity of I Kissed A Girl, a series with a cast which she describes as a “range of girls in their 20s from different backgrounds, at different stages in their own queer journey.”

The cast’s diversity allowed for conversations regarding intersectionality to occur. Cast member Priya Sohanpal opened up about the reality of being a South Asian queer woman in one of the show’s episodes, and has since told the BBC that she has received “messages from South Asian queer women” thanking her for representing them.

“Even if you don’t necessarily see yourself exactly in someone you can probably relate to at least one of the girls in one way or another or look up to one of them”

Georgia Robert on the cast of I Kissed A Girl

Robert told The Boar that: “Even if you don’t necessarily see yourself exactly in someone, you can probably relate to at least one of the girls in one way or another or look up to one of them.”

The importance of having queer role models came up again when conversing with Robert, this time when discussing being gay in the footballing world.

96 of the footballers who competed at the 2023 Women’s World Cup were openly queer, compared to the 2022 Men’s World Cup where none of the players were.

These statistics, alongside the fact that 1.5 million people in England and Wales identified as LGBTQIA+ in the 2021 census, lead individuals to ask what Robert describes as “the million-dollar question”: what needs to be done so that more male footballers feel comfortable enough to be openly queer?

In Robert’s opinion, if more male footballers are to come out then fans will realise that they are not any different from straight men, leading their opinions to change. Although, for players to feel safe enough to come out, fan education is vital so that a better environment can be built. Robert questions which of these “needs to come first”. Additionally, she highlights how players must have the “support of all teammates and the club”.

“If clubs support you off the pitch, then you perform better on it”

Georgia Robert

Having an inclusive club is “massively important”. Robert describes how clubs have to look “after you as a human being, as opposed to some sort of product that plays football.” She adds: “If they support you off the pitch, then you perform better on it.”

Prior to her appearance on I Kissed A Girl, Robert already had a presence on TikTok where she regularly posted about the behind-the-scenes life at Rugby Borough WFC.

Due to Rugby Borough’s participation in the Birmingham FA County Challenge Cup, Robert missed the I Kissed A Girl reunion. Speaking on this match, she told The Boar that: “It wasn’t the end of the world missing the reunion, but I think it would’ve been more annoying had we not won.”

The Cup final was a tense game which saw both sides score three goals each, sending the match to penalties. Robert described it as “nervy to say the least”, but added that it “made the win sweeter”.

Robert encouraged University of Warwick students to attend the Rugby Borough WFC’s games next season saying: “Get your friends together and come watch”

Robert said that the reactions to I Kissed A Girl from her teammates at Rugby Borough have been good, adding that she had gotten “mixed” reactions from previous teammates about her potential participation in the series. The positive reactions from her Rugby Borough teammates are a reflection of the club’s “inclusive provision”.

Robert encouraged University of Warwick students to attend the club’s games next season, saying: “Get your friends together and come watch.” Laughing, she added: “If you want to bring some tinnies, that’s absolutely fine.”

Before Robert became a full-time footballer, which she says has been the highlight of her career, she played college football in America. Robert said that this was “an incredible experience”, which consisted of “a lot of football and then a lot a lot of school”. Her message to students playing football while studying at university is to “enjoy it” and “compete to a high standard”, whether they plan on playing beyond university or not.

Robert also gave a message to students who are coming to terms with their own sexuality. She wanted to remind young people that “it’s very normal to struggle to come to terms with it, even though it’s incredibly okay”, and emphasised that she thinks “everyone’s gone through that stage of questioning”. Her advice is “to find people that accept you, as there’s definitely people out there”. She said: “Try to find people that are like us, then you feel more accepted and safer.”

Robert hopes that after watching the show, people will “maybe just think: ‘Oh, it’s okay to be gay, and actually it’s quite cool’”

Following the success of I Kissed A Girl across the UK, US TV network Hulu has acquired the rights to both I Kissed A Girl and previous series I Kissed A Boy. This extension of accessibility to the series provides evidence for how many people have been waiting for queer dating shows.

I Kissed A Girl has not only provided entertainment, but it has also made those in the LGBTQIA+ community feel seen and recognised. Robert hopes that after watching the show, people will “maybe just think: ‘Oh, it’s okay to be gay, and actually it’s quite cool’.”