It’s A Sin creator Russell T Davies has said growing hostility towards LGBTQ+ people and the return of homophobic tropes in mainstream politics inspired his television drama Tip Toe.
The acclaimed writer, whose work has helped shape LGBTQ+ representation on British television for more than three decades, said he never expected to be writing a series set in 2026 that explored a worsening climate for queer people.
Speaking ahead of the US release of the Channel 4 drama, Davies reflected on how attitudes have changed since the breakthrough success of Queer as Folk in 1999.
"I'm kind of sad that having done Queer as Folk in 1999, that then you would have imagined 2026 would be a lot happier with equal gay rights everywhere, instead of seeing it going wrong," he said. "There is such hatred. There is such fear. There is such venom being whipped up by very powerful voices and very knowing voices."
The five-part drama stars Alan Cumming as Leo, a gay bar owner in Manchester whose increasingly hostile relationship with a neighbour becomes fuelled by online misinformation and fears about LGBTQ+ people.
Davies said he was driven to write the series after witnessing the renewed popularity of claims that queer people pose a threat to children, a trope historically used to undermine LGBTQ+ rights movements.
"The impossibility of this is advancing on us rapidly, tumultuously," he said. "My God, I had to write about it."
The drama examines themes including online radicalisation, misinformation, political rhetoric and the impact they can have on LGBTQ+ communities. One character remarks that language directed at queer people today echoes the hostility many experienced during the 1990s.
Davies suggested that anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric has increasingly moved from online spaces into real-world consequences. He cited abuse he received after casting transgender actor Yasmin Finney in Doctor Who, saying critics had accused him of being a "groomer" and a "paedophile".
"It reaches the point where you think, 'How much am I in danger from this?'" Davies said. "For 10 years, I've sat there not caring about it, but now I think we are seeing a world in which online anger is stepping out into the real world."
The writer also pointed to wider political developments, including policies affecting transgender people in the United States, arguing that public figures can legitimise hostility towards minority groups.
In Tip Toe, Davies explores whether increased LGBTQ+ visibility in popular culture has produced an unintended backlash. The drama raises questions about whether representation alone is enough to change attitudes among those already resistant to social change.
At one point, Leo wonders: "What if they see us, and they still don't like us?"
Despite the bleak themes, Davies said he sees television as a way of documenting the experiences of LGBTQ+ people at key moments in history. From Queer as Folk and A Very English Scandal to It's A Sin, his work has chronicled both progress and setbacks for queer communities.
Reflecting on conversations with trans people concerned about the current climate, Davies said he remained shocked by how quickly attitudes appeared to have shifted.
"And that's Britain in 2026," he said. "What the f*** is going on?"
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