Russell T Davies says he has gender critical friends - drama ensues

No problem at all.
I'll be watching my fave Pertwee and Baker stories instead.

Rusty has departed the TARDIS and the Xmas special is not happening

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2026/update-doctor-who-future

Fandom underwhelmed rather than gutted. So far.

"TransGender Critical movement" is a new description. GCs use gender critical or sex realist which obviously is too triggering for TRA's to use. Why didn't windy simply say "transphobic" as per the metro chap to demonstrate how Simply Awful and unspeakable they are?

I have a very low opinion of self righteous idiots who think that sending people to Coventry for disagreeing makes you a better person.
As a historian I find it fascinating though, since it’s always been a feature of extreme religious belief.

Metro gonna metro. Are they still owned by the Daily Mail?

Because I firmly believe that although we can agree to disagree as friends, there are fundamental principles I would not put up with – and I think this would ring true for Leo and his staff.

I appreciate Stephanie is central to Davies’ message about a world being torn apart by division, but in an otherwise almost perfect television show, the character is where I struggle, and the creator’s context doesn’t make that any better.

I can abide by different opinions; I’m happy to debate politics and disagree with others, but I draw the line at homophobia, racism and transphobia.

Prejudice isn’t an opinion, it is malicious.

No one tell him about the green party campaigning alongside 5pillars who've just produced a guide for how to "Navigate" pride month.

Oh dear, that critic isn’t happy that the GC character isn’t nasty enough. Oh mate, haven’t you got the memo? Understanding that sex is not changeable in humans and that in some circumstances matters is not being prejudiced. However deliberately painting GC views as inherently bad and harmful tells me all I need to know about this bloke.

Sorry not been following this thread as i dont RTD is quite as wonderful as some make out.

But did see this review (if already posted sorry - again!)

https://metro.co.uk/2026/06/03/tip-toes-gender-critical-character-misses-mark-28631365/

If you experinced AIDs denial in UK why did use first use Russia as an example?

I've pointed out these views are not a common feature of working class UK culture I know and live and work in. This program and writing is showing a pattern of shoving underiable thinking onto working class communties and making out it current behavior.

If you've actually encounted AIDS denial in working class communiteis in UK - they I'm very sorry and frankly astounded that that happened. Science denial IME tends to more a middle class phenomenon thouigh I'm sure there are exceptions.

One issue I have is the hierarchy of victimhood that underlies so much modern writing - so women and working class communities are at bottom and their issues do not matter and if they are made worse by shoving views and behaviors on to them that do not hold on mass ( there are always exceptions) that fine if people at top or hierarchy of victimhood issues get highlighted - I think that wrong and lazy writing.

I think this was another example of RTD poor writing - he world view seems increasingly very limited and outdated. It's shame as he used to be one of the best writers out there.

I might be misunderstanding what you are saying, however the issues mentioned in the series are what I have experienced in the UK, those experienced of people I support and others I've spoken to.
Given that these are I feel being dismissed, I'll leave it there and not respond further.

It's more about raising awareness of issues happening in the UK today and is recognised that socio-economic factors can play a part in challenges that people face.

Denying AIDS is not really a thing in UK communities working class or otherwise.

Shoving views not held by a section of the population who do face more social and economic barriers and sometime even prejducie in certain careers to raise issues happening elsewhere and not in UK - well that not a great look TBH and doing it under guise of "raising awareness" is very disingenuous.

It matter little if you personally don't see it increasing numbers of people are starting to see it and question it and not just with RTD writing - it's a wider issue.

I don't see it as demonisation of the working class and that all the working class are thick and bigoted. All the characters are all working class on both sides, probably due to the setting. It's more about raising awareness of issues happening in the UK today and is recognised that socio-economic factors can play a part in challenges that people face.

I don't think anyone surprised that AIDS denial exists in other counrties - Russia - countries in Africa and very possibly America or pockets of whoo thinking or individuals even in normally sane countries.

What it is not is a main stream or common view in UK even in working class communities.

There is a constant demonisation of working class by middle class TV writers and increasingly middle class industry - the assumption working class are all thick and racists and bigoted. At many points in the past the Britsh working class was much more welcoming to immigrants and ethic minorities that middle or upper class who were at times more focued on breeding or outright eugenics yet if you watch historcial dramas that is rarely show what more common in working class being demonised and then edcuated by their betters to correct thinking.

I can't work out of this was done due to poltcial motiavations as PP think or if it's an old has been harking back to days of his youth unware how much society has moved on and is indulged because of past writing successes.

A lot of what was shown absolutely still happens today. AIDS denialists as they are called do exist (though more prevalent in Russia and some so-called natural medicine Drs saying something like poppy seeds will help). I've had conversations with them including on MN where they ended up by telling me I was bonkers to take my medication for it. Through my volunteer work | also come across stigma and negative attitudes that marginalised groups experience.

I actually had to keep checking the clothing to make sure it wasn’t set in previous decades. It’s the dangerous results of using exaggerated stereotypes that you’d never find IRL behaving horrifically in a bid to illustrate the dangers to LGB and T that don’t exist. What a shame he didn’t enlist one of his GC mates to write the GC character as a more heroic voice of realism.

… and some of the worst…

All the best people do 😃

She's been reading this

Some of the snarkiest reactions could be found on Mumsnet, where one user observed that “no doubt he’ll make a statement soon suggesting he was ‘misquoted/taken out of context’ and will swear fealty to the Purity Police”.

Julie Burchill on RTD

https://archive.ph/qWpz5

https://unherd.com/2026/06/russell-t-davies-is-stuck-in-a-purity-spiral/?edition=us

'Dr Whobris' 🤣

I've just watched all episodes of Tiptoe tonight and I have to say, it was a fantastic drama but I'm absolutely livid at how firstly, the working class are portrayed as disgusting bigots, it's not the 1980s FFS. And how the LGBT community are under constant, and increased threat. This show has done so much damage IMO and is really irresponsible. There's even a working class man who says that he doesn't believe HIV is real. Does ANYONE really believe that these days?

So .. is he saying if all the actors in The room were dreaded nobody would notice?

Popbitch today:

Same theme keeps recurring in Stephen Fry's novels. In neither case has it stopped them being a national treasure.

I certainly wouldn't want to draw any parallels about the number of novels John Le Carre wrote about terribly decent chaps whose wives just didn't appreciate their genius, thereby forcing them to cop off with much younger women.

ISTR she’s pissed them off before for some minor reason.