TV series «Tip Toe»: a grim warning
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
The new miniseries by gay British author Russell T. Davies ("Queer as Folk") is a depressing commentary on the political backlash of recent years. Davies fears that anger and violence will increase – and shows in "Tip Toe" where that could lead.
Text: Ralf Kaminski
There are countries where homosexuality is punishable by death. In Saudi Arabia and Iran, executions for this offense have actually taken place in recent years. From other countries – mostly in Africa or the Middle East – there are recurring reports of murders by violent gangs or mobs.
In Europe, such barbaric conditions are largely a thing of the past, but hate crimes are also on the rise here. "More and more LGBTIQ people are open about their identity – at the same time, they are more frequently subjected to violence, harassment, and bullying than before," writes the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. A new Ipsos study illustrates that acceptance of queer people is generally declining globally. Nearly 20,000 people in 26 countries were surveyed: 49 percent felt that queer people should be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity (6 percent less than in 2021), and 66 percent support legal recognition of same-sex couples (8 percent less than in 2021).
Physical attacks and political instrumentalization
Meanwhile, figures from the Swiss LGBTIQ helpline show that hate crimes are also on the rise in Switzerland. Reported incidents increased from 134 in 2022 to 309 in 2024 and then leveled off slightly at 281 in 2025. Two-thirds of the incidents took place in public spaces – mostly verbal and harassment. However, there were also 45 reports of physical attacks. And the number of unreported cases is likely to be high.
Amnesty International also warns that hatred against queer people is being deliberately misused as a political tool worldwide. Governments, political parties, and religious-conservative groups are exploiting this discrimination to distract from domestic crises, create scapegoats, and consolidate conservative power structures. Attacks on queer rights are particularly fierce in the USA – and the seeds are bearing fruit: After decades of increasing acceptance of same-sex relationships, recent polls now show a stagnation. The main reason for this is the growing rejection among supporters of the Republican Party, whose politicians have targeted queer rights in recent years.
Against the backdrop of all these developments, Russell T. Davies wrote his new TV miniseries "Tip Toe" for Channel 4. The first minute of the first episode sets the tone: it begins with a scream and a camera pan across the rooftops of a residential area, shows people staring in horror at something, and ends with a close-up of a man hanging from a lamppost with a noose around his neck – dead, indeed, practically executed.
The actual plot then begins with the title card "10 days earlier," and we first meet the executed man: Leo (Alan Cumming) runs a queer bar on the legendary Canal Street in Manchester (where the gay protagonists of "Queer as Folk" also liked to hang out). His death is the work of his neighbor, the self-employed electrician Clive (David Morrissey) – married with two handsome sons, teenager George (Jackson Connor) and twenty-something Saul (Joseph Evans).
From unease to tension to violence
We soon learn that Saul earns some extra money with erotic live sessions on OnlyFans, George is secretly gay, and her father Clive is not only having marital problems but also a rough patch at work. Perhaps that's why he asks his neighbor Leo if he could use his services. Leo hires him for a repair at his bar; together with Saul, Clive soon gets to work.
Inevitably, they also get to know Leo's employees, a diverse mix of young queer people. While Saul takes it all in stride, his father observes the queer activities with visible unease. The interactions between Leo and Clive are also consistently fraught with tension. It only takes one wrong remark for both sides to feel their prejudices confirmed. The five episodes illustrate the gradual escalation between them – culminating in the final episode with that unbearable act of mob violence, the consequences of which we witness at the very beginning.
"Not at all far-fetched"
How realistic is it that something like this could actually happen in Western Europe? The author and his two lead actors have a clear opinion on this: "It could certainly happen," Alan Cumming told the Radio Times, "I don't consider it far-fetched at all." Co-star David Morrissey points out in the same interview that mass violence already occurs repeatedly today.
Russell T. Davies, meanwhile, told the British newspaper The Guardian that he had never written anything as angrily as this series. "We are currently experiencing a regression to a situation that is worse than ever before, because now people know exactly what they are doing. If someone punched you in the face or ostracized you before, you could still accept the excuse that they simply didn't know any better. That's no longer the case. Now they've seen us, and they don't like what they see. I believe that anger and violence will increase." He added that this is not an exclusively queer problem. "But we are an easy target."
Davies felt it was important to also show the other side's motives. "We're treating Clive very, very fairly. He's not just the monster next door. Even if you don't necessarily feel sympathy for him, you can understand the circumstances that led him to these views."
The hope of 1999 has vanished
The contrast to "Queer as Folk," Davies' iconic 27-year-old classic, could hardly be sharper. Although the legal situation for queer people in 1999 left much to be desired in large parts of the Western world, the series represented a climate of tolerance, a new beginning, and the hope for a better, freer future. And the progress since then has indeed been enormous. But the backlash of the last few years is undeniable. And regardless of whether one shares Davies' critical view of the situation, "Tip Toe" is a gripping drama that will stay with you long after you've finished watching it.
«Tip Toe» can be streamed on Channel 4:
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