In an interview with LGBT glossy The
Advocate, Dan Levy, the out co-creator, executive director and
writer of Schitt's Creek, said that he won't show homophobia
on his show.
In Pop TV's Schitt's Creek, now
in its fifth season, Levy's character, David Rose, is pansexual and
in a relationship with Patrick (played by Noah Reid). David and his
family are forced to live in a rundown motel in small town Schitt's
Creek after the family is left penniless.
Levy said that the decision not to show
a backlash from townsfolk to David's sexuality was a “silent form
of protest.”
“A lot of queer relationships on
television and in films are met with extreme tragedy,” Levy said.
“The amount of response I got from the third season of our show
where we first introduced the character of Patrick was like, ‘I
really hope nothing bad happens to them.’ It was a very conscious
effort on my part to not have that happen. In fact, it’s been a
conscious effort to not ever show the other side on our television
program. I have made a very strong point to not ever show bigotry,
homophobia, or intolerance on our show because to me, it’s a
celebration of love. At the root of it, [Schitt’s Creek] is
a celebration of love between the family and between the
relationships that we build.”
Levy added that by making his
character's sexuality a non-issue, Schitt's Creek is helping
change hearts and minds.
“People in the queer community have
always sort of existed in a rather fluid world,” he said. “To
not have to define yourself or categorize yourself, I think, is
beneficial to everyone. I think the more we can understand that
people just exist and that as long as we’re doing good in this
world, we don’t need to bother or worry about defining or
classifying people, the sooner we’ll be in a better place.”