GLASGOW's embrace of LGBT rights has helped abandon its traditional "hard man" image, the city told Channel 4 bosses before being short listed as a potential home for a new national broadcasting headquarters.
The city's bid document, which has convinced the broadcaster to short list the city for both its prestigious new National HQ and its series of creative hubs, also says that an increasingly ethnically eclectic population, and proximity to Edinburgh's thriving art scene all work in Glasgow's favour.
Underlining the growth of a more modern, cosmopolitan and liberal city in the last 30 years, the bid document's says that "sexual diversity has changed Glasgow for the better.
"It has softened the hard, industrial maleness that was once casual shorthand for Glasgow in network television drama."
READ MORE: Glasgow is perfect place for Channel 4, say planning experts
It notes that for the opening of the Commonwealth Games in 2014, its ceremony featured "John Barrowman kissing a ‘husband-to-be’ live on-stage. It was a powerful way of saying – This is Glasgow – diverse and unbowed."
The bid paper, which has proved successful thus far, says that Glasgow and Channel 4 share a "passion for risk-taking".
It also states that "diversity is crucial to an understanding of modern Glasgow", noting how it has been shaped by successive eras of immigration, and the document notes: "Significantly, the first voice to be broadcast on Channel 4 on its first day of transmission was an Italian-Scot, Paul Coia."
It notes how the "asylum era" has brought change to almost every community in the city, noting the ethnic diversity in particular of Govanhill, mentioning the city's populations of Kurds, Iraqis, Syrians, north Africans and Sri Lankan Tamils.
It says: "Glasgow's new diversity had a nationwide impact when a group of teenagers from Drumchapel waged a high-profile campaign to stop a classmate being deported after a dawn raid.
"They changed people’s minds, they changed government policy and along the way inspired an award-winning documentary and a stage musical, ‘Glasgow Girls’."
Stuart Cosgrove, the chair of the Glasgow bid, which now has good odds of landing either the main HQ or a commissioning base, said Glasgow had promoted itself as a "young, educated, diverse city that is bursting with talent, attitude and potential."
READ MORE: Glasgow winning new Channel 4 HQ could bring 'thousands' of jobs, says Stuart Cosgrove
He said he was looking forward to hosting executives over the summer for a presentation and question and answer session: a final decision will be announced in October.
Glasgow's bid also underlines the city's strong TV production and creative sector, as well as its reputation for humour and irreverence, and strong transport links, saying that all the potential locations for the HQ are a 20 minute drive from Glasgow Airport.
The paper notes that "Glasgow and Edinburgh are only 45 minutes apart and in recent years have become partners and co-hosts as well as rivals."
Seven cities have been shortlisted for consideration as a National HQ or Creative Hub, including Glasgow, Bristol, Cardiff, Greater Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and the West Midlands.
Cosgrove added: "Glasgow meets all the criteria for the new National HQ; but that’s just where our pitch starts, not where it ends."
More than 30 submissions were received in the first round of Channel 4's search.
A further six have been shortlisted for consideration as a Creative Hub only: these are Belfast, Brighton, Newcastle/Gateshead, Nottingham, Sheffield and Stoke.
READ MORE: Glasgow is perfect place for Channel 4, say planning experts
Jonathan Allan, the station's chief commercial officer, said: "We’ve been incredibly impressed both by the number of pitches we received and by the high quality of the submissions – which has underlined the huge amount of creativity, innovation and talent right across the UK.
"We look forward to visiting all those on the shortlist as part of our second phase, but we will also be continuing to work with all cities and regions as part of our strategy to increase investment and support creative businesses, jobs and growth across the UK."
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