The Backlash is coming?

Russell T. Davies has a new drama called Tip Toe that is currently showing on Channel 4 in the UK. It charts the rise and consequences of a feud between two next-door neighbours: the gay owner of a gay bar on Manchester’s Canal Street and an electrician who has a wife and family.

The feud is powered by what’s happening at large in today’s social media-driven society. Here’s an early scene where Melba spells out to Leo, the bar owner, just what is going on.

I can sympathise with Leo when he says, in effect, now that he’s 60, he wants to take it easy – he went on the marches in his younger days – let the bright young things take over. I’m older, but I did the same when I was young. But Melba’s message is that things are going backwards for us LGBTQ folks – perhaps we will need to man (and woman) the barricades once more.

This drama is geofenced by Channel 4 to the UK, so I can’t watch it. I hope that it will be picked up by a Dutch TV channel or, better still, come out on DVD/Bluray. It deserves to be seen.