Russell T Davies reveals why Queer As Folk contains no mention of HIV and AIDS

Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Channel 4

Screenwriter Russell T Davies has revealed why his seminal TV drama Queer As Folk contained no mention of HIV and AIDS.

He opened up about the decision in an essay this week, ahead of the release of his new show It’s a Sin.

QAF followed three gay men living in the UK city of Manchester in the late 90s. It’s a Sin, which stars Years and Years singer Olly Alexander, will focus on the lives and loves of gay men in 1980s London at the height of the AIDS crisis. 

 “I excluded it on purpose”

Writing in The Observer, RTD explained: “In 1994, I created a 15-year-old HIV+ teenager for Children’s Ward at Granada Television. Then, after I’d invented a raft of gay characters for various soaps – a lesbian vicar, schoolboy lovers, a gay barman in 1920 – I came to invent Queer As Folk in 1999. Britain’s first gay drama. And the words HIV and Aids were said… not once.”

The 57-year-old continued: “That was quite a press launch. The rage, the shouting! Two hundred journalists in full pomp. The straight press were as hostile as you’d expect, but the gay press were especially furious because we had no condoms, no warnings, no messages on screen. Well, yes, tough. Because by that stage, in 1999, I refused to let our lives be defined by disease. So I excluded it on purpose. The omission of Aids was a statement in itself, and it was the right thing to do.”

QAF starred Coronation Street‘s Craig Kelly as Vince, Sons of Anarchy‘s Charlie Hunnam as Nathan and Games of Thrones‘ Aidan Gillen as Stuart.

It’s a Sin airs on Channel 4 in January 2021.

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