CHANCES are you might not have been watching as you think it's the epitome of trash TV. Surely, Big Brother has nothing relevant to say about the big issues of the day - about gender, feminism, and sexual harassment. Well, you couldn't be more wrong. If you want intelligent debate about the role of women in the work-place, wolf-whistling, the complexity of modern sexuality and what it means to be a man in a world where male privilege is being confronted head on, then ironically a reality TV show better known for contestants having sex in public, racial slurs and random bullying is where to look these days.

Endemol, the makers of the show, hit on the idea of making the current series all about women, and into the house came transgender broadcaster India Willoughby, drag queen Courtney Act, and national treasure Amanda Barrie who is now in her 80s and happy in a same-sex marriage. On the men’s side, there was ballet dancer Wayne Sleep, who never spoke openly about his sexuality until he was middle-aged. At times the programme has felt more like a talk show, with contestants debating whether a trans woman like Willoughby would, or should, be dated by a straight man, and what defined a 'real' woman. The celebrities have also tried to get to grips with pansexuality, polyamory, the history of the LGBT movement and the Weinstein scandal. So, rest assured it is not like any previous series you have ever seen.

On Friday, Willoughby was kicked out of the house - primarily for being seen to make too big an issue of her gender, and perhaps her less than enthusiastic comments about drag artists. Ironically, one of the break-out stars of the show, who has won over viewers with wisdom and kindness, is the Ru Paul's Drag Race finalists Courtney Act, aka Shane Jenek from Australia.

Here, we turned to Scotland's rainbow nation of gay, straight, bi, trans, lesbian folk to give us their thoughts on the show and what it says about sexuality and gender in the 21st century.

Kate Adair, 32, transgender woman

Adair, a film maker and activist, says she was pleased to see a fellow trans woman featured in the show’s original line-up, but concerned that issues around India Willoughby's sexual identity dominated the show.

“As a woman who happens to be trans, my opinion of India going into the Big Brother house was mixed. It shouldn't really be a massive talking point that a trans woman is in the house as part of an all-female line-up as she is a woman, the trans part is just a small part of her history.”

Howver, Adair also disagrees with some of the messages put out by Willoughby during the show.

“The concept of there being a ‘true trans’ person and that to be valid you need to have had some sort of surgery - there are many reasons that people don’t have procedures done. It could be due to the massive waiting times, health reasons, lack of funding or that they don’t feel that it’s what they need for themselves. She hasn't shown all trans people the same level of respect that she expects from people. You can't fight for acceptance and equality while at the same time putting other people down.”

Lawrence Chaney, 21, drag queen

Glasgow drag artist Chaney is a cisgender gay man - cisgender just means that a person identifies as the gender they were born with, or assigned at birth, in Chaney's case that's male. He hopes Courtney Act’s presence on CBB will change some of the misconceptions of drag.

“I’m happy that the UK is getting to see and hear things from the perspective of a very feminine looking drag queen, who models, sings, and is a fully realised human being.

“Before, all people thought of when they heard the word ‘drag’ was icons such as Lily Savage or Danny La Rue, who both used drag as a comedic device rather than a means to model or walk a catwalk.

“A lot of people have misconceptions about what a drag queen’s real gender needs to be. Truth is, gender is a very personal thing that’s different for everyone. I personally identify as a male. Even when I'm in drag. I'm so glad that Courtney Act is bringing up topics like gender and what being a drag queen is, but why is this just happening? It should've happened a long time ago.”

Fawna Love, 20, bisexual transgender man

Fawna Love, real name Roe Fraser-High, is a Glasgow based drag performer. He was particularly incensed by a part of the show which saw India Willoughby claim the ‘T’ in LGBT shouldn't be there - the 'T' standing for trans.

“India's complaint about the 'T' in LGBT is not uncommon but I find it very misguided. The Stonewall Riots [in New York in 1969] which sparked the modern gay rights movement were started by transgender women like Marsha P Johnson and they should not be forgotten.

“India is straight but there are many transgender people who are not. She is understandably frustrated that some confuse 'trans woman' with 'gay man' but her frustration should be put towards those uneducated people and not the LGBT community.”

Love hopes CBB will help educate people about trans life. “The general public, many of whom may not have met a trans person before, have a great chance to educate themselves when these issues are talked about. Unfortunately, I see a massive lack of trans men in the media.”

Thomas Carter, 20, non-binary

Non-binary means that a person neither identifies as male or female. Carter prefers people to use gender-neutral pronouns like ‘they’ and ‘them’ when being talked about.

“I am gender-queer, or non-binary as it’s commonly known. This basically means that I am not exclusively male or female. As Courtney Act in the Big Brother house described, it’s like a scale of one to 10 - those nearer the one are exclusively female and those at the 10 are exclusively male. Using this scale I’d describe myself as a six on the male side.

“There is a common misconception about non-binary people - that we’re something of a new phenomenon manufactured by the left - however we’ve been accepted throughout history. In many cultures around the world, not only have more than two genders existed, but they’ve also been celebrated and accepted. Native American tribes and the Maori people of New Zealand are just a few examples.

“On the show [Courtney] has tackled issues from gender identity to Donald Trump. I feel it is important these conversions are being had in the straight media, since for a long time, trans people had next to no voice in any public platform.”

Jamie Morrison, 41, gay

Morrison thinks the show is a sign that the discussion around sexuality and gender is changing.

“The fact she could have an open discussion with three cisgender straight men about gender, drag, gay rights, in a pink wig? Fabulous. You wouldn’t get that on the BBC, 20 years ago, thank you.”

He was particularly affected by Wayne Sleeps’ powerful speech on his experience as a gay man living through the AIDS epidemic.

“It was very sobering. A reminder that the older generation really had to fight, to be free, to love and to just live. People were dropping like flies. It was seen as some sort of ‘gay disease’. I lost many friends. It’s easy to forget and we as a community should never forget.

“It’s extremely important that all types of gay people are represented in the media. From the queens to the butch builder, to the two mums with a kid. We’re just as boring as everyone else - except me.”

Molly Ferguson, 19, lesbian

It's Amanda Barrie's story which has most taken Ferguson.

“I think Amanda being open about her marriage will help society to realise that the relationship she has with her wife is just the same as any other, and hopefully contribute to ending some of the stigma surrounding same-gender marriage. In the past the topic would’ve been taboo, so the fact she can talk about it openly shows that there’s definitely been some progress made, though that isn't to say there’s not still more to be made.

“Currently I think that lesbians aren't always well portrayed in the media. I think too much focus is put on the person’s sexuality and at times it can be made to seem like the only interesting or noteworthy thing about a person. I think that there could be increased representation or more varied LGBT experiences as every member of the LGBT community has had different experiences.

“Media representation is really important to me as it makes me feel included and I also think it can help when coming out and discovering your sexuality.”

Max Tulloch, 20, straight

CBB has been an eye-opening watch for Tulloch and his family. “I’ve never been a Big Brother fan, but my parents stuck it on the TV when I was sitting and having dinner with them. I was staring at my phone until the conversations about drag queens and the difference between them and trans folk started. It surprised me because I assumed that these topics wouldn’t be brought up on such a mainstream platform.

“It showed me how much my dad didn’t know anything about it all. He’s your stereotypical man’s man who keeps to himself, drinks beer and does all the DIY around the house so these topics haven’t come up on his social radar before. He didn’t know the existence of gender non-conforming people at all so when Courtney Act explained the difference between drag culture and trans people, I thought she did really well getting her point across. It was a much simpler explanation than I ever could give. If [CBB] can get guys like my dad interested in these talking points, then it must be working with others across the UK.”

Kayleigh Hunter, 23, pansexual

Pansexuality isn’t as commonly known as some of the other identities that fall under the LGBT umbrella, but with celebrities like Miley Cyrus openly defining themselves as pansexual - someone attracted to people regardless of gender - more are learning about its existence.

“Mainstream media representation leads to conversation which leads to normalisation and acceptance. Seeing somebody within mainstream media who represents your identity gives a huge sense of validation. I think Courtney Act is massively contributing towards this with her eloquent, respectful, and patient explanations in response to the multitude of LGBT-related questions coming from the other housemates. However, on the other hand, I feel like the whole ‘boys versus girls’ set-up of the house so far is reinforcing the gender boundaries that people within the LGBT community are trying hard to break away from.”

Lauren Aitchison, 29, bisexual

Courtney Act has talked about sex with men, women, and men and women together. Aitchison thinks such openness might be a bit of a breakthrough when it comes to attitudes towards bisexuality.

“Act has been so articulate at explaining the full spectrum of gender and sexual attraction and it's incredible to see it on such a mainstream television show. Bisexuality doesn't mean we're all completely split down the middle and attracted to men and women 50-50 - everyone is different and the term is quite a large umbrella. Perhaps people won't quite make the connection between his words and the term 'bisexual' but it's a step in the right direction.

“I feel bisexuality is still seen as ‘the lay-over on the way to Gay Town’, to borrow the Sex and the City quote, and we need all the help we can get showing people that this is a valid sexual orientation - not just us being greedy or indecisive. Feeling like I had to tick either the 'gay' box or 'straight' box was what took me a long time to come to terms with my bisexuality.”