Alan Cumming supports HIV charities with Tip Toe-inspired initiative
Cumming promoted the cause via his social media, urging supporters to help build a “lasting legacy” for Tip Toe
By Aaron Sugg
Alan Cumming has urged support for HIV charities Terrence Higgins Trust and George House Trust for their new Tip Toe-inspired initiative.
The two charities have launched a new fundraiser inspired by Spit and Polish, the gay bar run by Cumming’s character Leo in the Channel 4 drama.
By creating a T-shirt with Spit and Polish branding, the cause is tied to Leo, who has lived with HIV since 1994.
Alan Cumming says the T-shirt will help build a “lasting legacy” for Tip Toe
Cumming promoted the cause via his social media last week, urging supporters to help build a “lasting legacy” for Tip Toe and the important themes it represents.
“Thankfully, successful treatments have been found and now people like Leo just take one pill a day which keeps their HIV in check and means they cannot pass HIV on to anyone else,” said Cumming.
“Leo runs a bar called Spit and Polish in Manchester’s gay village. Spit and Polish is more than just a bar. It’s a sanctuary where everyone feels safe, celebrated and free.”
Cumming says “the stigma around HIV still remains”
Cumming said: “Now you can buy your own Spit and Polish T-shirt to support people like Leo living with HIV because while treatment has changed beyond our wildest dreams, the stigma around HIV still remains, with too many people still met with stigma, judgement and isolation.”
“By wearing your T-shirt you’re helping to build a lasting legacy for Tip Toe and making sure that no one faces HIV alone,” he added.
Tip Toe creator and George House Trust patron Russell T Davies said Cumming’s character “feels like the natural legacy of It’s a Sin”, Davies’ BAFTA-nominated series which chronicled the lives of young gay men and their friends during the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.
“There wasn’t the time in that show to tell the long-term story, that medications were found which saved so many lives. So this feels like a right and proper continuation,” Davies continued.
Tip Toe creator Russell T Davies says Cumming’s character leads the fight against HIV stigma
“In my role as patron of George House Trust, and a supporter of Terrence Higgins Trust, I’ve often been asked by people in both organisations to show modern-day characters who are HIV+ and living straightforward, happy lives, so it’s an honour to do so in Tip Toe. And there’s some contentious stuff in there too, as the age-old problem of stigma raises its head, as well as the problems of HIV denial. The fight never ends, but Leo’s ready on the front line.”
The Terrence Higgins Trust praised It’s a Sin for its impact in raising awareness of HIV, saying: “No TV series has done more to engage and re-engage the public in the fight against HIV than It’s A Sin,” and highlighting how it reflects “how fortunate we are to live at a time when there are highly effective ways to prevent, test for and treat HIV.”
Terrence Higgins Trust and George House Trust praise Leo’s HIV storyline
They also thanked Davies for Leo’s HIV storyline in Tip Toe, showing “Leo taking one pill a day and living well with HIV three decades on from his diagnosis.”
George House Trust emphasised the importance of education and representation in tackling stigma, stating: “Only when people know the facts about HIV will we truly tackle the stigma and discrimination that still persists.”
The limited edition Spit and Polish t-shirts are available to buy via the official Terrence Higgins Trust website with all funds raised shared equally between to both charities.