Alan Cumming says trans creatives are ‘scared’ to tell queer stories as he talks Russell T Davies’ Tip Toe (EXCLUSIVE)
“This is definitely grave, this story,” Cumming said in his Attitude Uncut cover feature
By Callum Wells
Alan Cumming has said trans creatives are “scared” to tell queer stories because they fear being “punished” amid growing backlash against the LGBTQ+ community.
The Emmy-winning actor made the comments while speaking about Tip Toe, a dark new five-part thriller from Russell T Davies set around Manchester’s Canal Street. The series explores rising anti-LGBTQ+ hostility and political radicalisation in the near future.
“This is definitely grave, this story,” Cumming said in his Attitude Uncut cover feature.
“Trans people are scared to actually make those stories and to tell them because they’re going to get punished for doing it” – Alan Cumming
“I feel, for me, the worrying thing is that [in the real world] we stop hearing stories. We stop hearing stories about queer people. In real life, [especially in America], trans people are scared to actually make those stories and to tell them because they’re going to get punished for doing it.”
Cumming stars as Leo, the owner of a gay bar called Spit & Polish, opposite David Morrissey as his increasingly hostile neighbour Clive. According to Channel 4, the series examines “the most corrosive forces facing the LGBTQ+ community today” as “words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies.”
The actor also praised Davies’ writing, calling Tip Toe “one of the greatest scripts” he has ever worked on.
“I really think this is one of the greatest scripts I’ve ever done,” he added. “It’s an honour to be a part of something that is so important.”
“There’s a complacency, isn’t there? You think that when you win rights, that’s it, you’ve got them” – Cumming
Davies, whose previous LGBTQ+ dramas include Queer as Folk and It’s a Sin, has previously described the project as a response to the increasingly hostile climate facing queer people.
“This is a show I had to write because the world is getting stranger, tougher and darker, and frankly, the fight is on,” Davies said when the series was announced.
Elsewhere in the interview, Cumming warned against complacency around LGBTQ+ rights.
“There’s a complacency, isn’t there? You think that when you win rights, that’s it, you’ve got them,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of queer creatives telling their own stories.
“There isn’t an equal playing field, and that’s why I think it’s very important for queer people to tell queer stories,” Cumming added.
Tip Toe premieres on Channel 4 on Sunday 31 May.
Read the full Attitude Uncut feature on Apple News+ and via the Attitude app.
