A Fan's Response to Trolling Proves Why Swarla are so Important

As Swarla (AKA the relationship between Carla Connor and DS Lisa Swain) gains popularity, fans have been quick to heap praise on Coronation Street for the natural and authentic love story between the two women — the important of this representation is something one of our contributors talked about already here.

Unfortunately, in the age of social media, anonymity allows trolls to spew vitriol and negativity, and while we certainly wouldn't want to draw attention to the homophobic trolling in of itself, one fan response to such a thing has been gaining traction on social media for all the right reasons!

X (formerly Twitter) user tashatier_ quoted the troll, explaining how her six year old daughter loves the couple, as she's the only child in her class with two mummies, and loves seeing someone else with two mums on TV.

Fellow fans of the couple were quick to comment, with one stating 'The comment just proves that representation on main stream TV is so important' and another stating we 'need more of this on TV'.

Vicky Myers, who plays Lisa on the soap, quickly jumped in herself, thanking Tasha for sharing how the story had impacted her family. Sydney Martin, who plays daughter Betsy, replied: 'Oh this makes me so happy!💛'

Representation is far more important than many give it credit for. Seeing familiar and relatable stories on screen allows people to feel seen, heard and understood.

Lisa and Carla's relationship is a hit with fans (credit: ITV)

Relationships such as Swarla being normalised on our screens gives people the strength and courage to come out, allows parents to have better understanding of their LGBT children, and allows those who perhaps live a more sheltered life to see a range of world experiences they may never been exposed to otherwise.

Seeing a character such as Carla Connor, a woman who has been on our screens since 2006, fall in love with a woman is, quite frankly, beautiful. A character like DS Lisa Swain, an out and proud lesbian, who was married to and had a child with another woman, is also an absolutely refreshing change to see on our screens. The chemistry between the pair is palpable, and the storyline is proving a hit with fans.

As the residents of Coronation Street start to find out about their relationship, it's heartwarming to see the inherently positive responses from all.

In the diverse society we live in today, everyone deserves to see themselves represented on screen.

LGBT love stories have never been more important — and for every homophobic troll, there are 100s of people ready to defend the beauty of this love story.

We can't wait to watch it all unfold.