Gay doctor who

2023-present[[edit] | [edit source]]

2023 saw the return of Russell T Davies to the position of showrunner, and with him, even more overt examples of on-screen representation, beginning with the introduction of main character Rose Noble, the transgender and non-binary daughter of Donna Noble and Shaun Temple, in The Star Beast.

As much as one doesn’t wish to bad mouth the original Doctor and the man who played him, Hartnell’s real-life granddaughter has spoken about how sometimes, Hartnell’s attitudes weren’t well received by his cast mates. The heroes of many shows were up against fascists and Nazis — one can’t get a more perfect example of a villain.

He is quite asexual.”

Fan interpretations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Within early decades of Doctor Who, some fans consideredthe Doctor to be asexual, using the Fourth Doctor's line in City of Death that Countess Scarlioni was "probably" beautiful as proof. We need more of that," she said.

"It wasn't always easy to be a teen, it certainly wasn't easy to be a neurodivergent, LGBT teen, back at the turn of the century.

Additionally, the Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor comic story series would introduce the character of Cindy Wu. First appearing in Revolutions of Terror during this year, Cindy would initially stay behind whilst her friend Gabby Gonzalez ventured off with the Tenth Doctor as a companion. Established via Cwej happily having sex with David Daniels in Damaged Goods, Cwej's non-heterosexuality was then reinforced in Bad Therapy later that year—showing an empath notice that Cwej is interested in both men and women—and then in 1997 with The Room With No Doors having an implied sexual relationship between Cwej and Joel Mintz, both of whom share a bed during the course of the story.^[13] Joel additionally refers to Cwej outright as a "gorgeous blond".^[14]

Meanwhile, the ongoing Doctor Who Magazine comics introduced Izzy Sinclair as a companion for the Eighth Doctor.

From having little to no representation through the classic era, to allegories of Section 28 and HIV/AIDS, to a Pride event pausing for an hour in 2008… Doctor Who has always had something for everyone, no matter what sexuality you identify as, and whatever your creed, colour, or walk of life. Adrian was an openly gay man who had been arrested in 1940 for the crime of ‘importuning’, a charge at the time used to target gay men.

pp. The series would also feature a trans lead character, Cleo Proctor.^[21]

The opening episode, SOS, established that Cleo had been thrown out of her home by her mother for being transgender. ISBN 978-1317449188. Bill met and fell for a woman called Heather who had a star in her eye. (REF: The Television Companion)

The opening of Arc of Infinity has been referenced by fans as being evocative in feel to the opening of gay adult entertainment videos, with Robin Stuart's questioning of Colin Frazer opting to sleep with all of his clothes on in the pump house being often interpreted as an indication of a sexual relationship between the two (with some drawing attention to the fact that the duo have a hostel room booked for all the other days of their holiday trip).^[55][56] The homoerotic subtext has also been noted by reviewers.^[57]

Elizabeth Sandifer has expressed the belief that based on his introductory trilogy of stories, Turlough is actually a queer character.^[58]

The Caves of Androzani has also been noted as a point of potential subtext in relation to Salateen and Sharaz Jek - given Salateen's notable jealousy of Peri upon her arrival, and Jek's care for keeping beauty close at hand - with Jek dying in the arms of his android duplicate of Salateen.^[55][59]

Metaphorical interpretations[[edit] | [edit source]]

In DWM 591's The Runaway Pride article, writer Molly Marsh expressed her reading of the Twelfth Doctor's early character arc as being an extended metaphor for the transgender experience, citing the scene in his first full episode, Deep Breath, where he asks Clara to "please, just see [him]":

The Doctor wants his best friend to see him the way he sees himself, and she's struggling with that.

Allyship[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor Who franchise as a whole has been commended on numerous occasions for its support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Though unable to be openly together, the two characters were indicated to have been together for some number of years when Bernice discovered their relationship. While the Centenary Special will be the swan song of the first queer Doctor and companion, Russel T. Davies is promising with the upcoming 14th Doctor and Rose that the future of Doctor Who is still queer with more exciting adventures to come.