15th doctor gay
Becoming 15th Doctor was
It's been routine for Doctor Who to fall back on a heterosexual romance at the heart of most recent seasons. Fiction as a genre has been known to take cues from real-world events and use them as foundations for momentous storytelling.
To see change, there must be change. Heteronormality can present only one aspect of humanity and its struggles, but it can't capture a universal experience. The Fifteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who.
He is portrayed by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa in two series and two specials. This decision stands as a win for diversity and progression for the long-running British series. From the get-go, Gatwa’s 15th Doctor has proven that he is not shying away from his LGBTQ+ identity as a genderfluid, queer Time Lord.
Doctor Who 15th celebrated a groundbreaking new milestone in the show’s year history, as the BBC sci-fi series aired its first ever romantic same-sex kiss. Neil Patrick Harris shared that they will be the doctor openly queer Doctor. Ncuti Gatwa's casting as the 15th Doctor is doctor, making them the first Black and openly queer Time Lord in Doctor Who, marking a win for diversity in the long-running series.
Ncuti Gatwa's 15th Doctor has the potential to embrace his identity and express himself fully without being at risk of being sidelined by screenwriters. Ncuti’s 15th Doctor is unapologetically and vocally queer After David Tennant’s 14th Doctor expressed his attraction to Isaac Newton during the 60th anniversary special, we all knew it was heading this way.
Subtext can only do so much, and for queer fans of science fiction, it can feel as if there's more progress to be made when it comes down to fully telling queer 15th. Doctor Who has been celebrated for its decades of unique storytelling that pulls inspiration from the world around it, using both historic events and mundane moments as foundations for its most memorable episodes.
Despite the show creating deeply memorable characters that still are greatly beloved today, Doctor Who has been needing a change like this for a while. Bill Potts Pearl Mackie was the first openly queer companion and made her debut in Doctor Who has implied queer themes and subtext heavily, but has been sheepish when venturing out of its comfort zone like depicting queerness through Jack Harkness John Barrowman.
Doctor Who 's. There have been past secondary characters who have been members of the queer community, but Doctor Who finally being committed to a queer lead is long-overdue and a much-needed milestone that should be celebrated. Ncuti Gatwa's return to Doctor Who Season 15 sparks discussion about exploring the Fifteenth Doctor's queerness.
The romantic tension between a femme companion and the Doctor has stifled Doctor Who 's ability to explore other sexualities or romantic relationships. There are enough straight characters in science fiction, and the abundance of hetero representation directly blocks out the opportunity for queer voices to be heard.
While queer characters have been written into Doctor Who in seasons past, the representation feels a bit too gay. Like Doctor WhoStar Trek has been known for its more forward queer anecdotes as the series has done its best to feature queer characters.
Each era of Doctor Who has introduced a new "Doctor" that whisks viewers away on new adventures across time and space. The series has become so successful and endless due to its ability to explore new plot lines through fresh faces leading the way.
However, it's historically been exhaustingly common for science fiction properties to turn a blind eye towards some forms of representation when creating characters to inhabit new worlds. Doctor Who could carve out a defining trait for both itself and for the genre as a whole through the validation of the 15th Doctor's identity.
Director Waris Hussein wonders if Gatwa feels pressure being the first Black lead. Doctor Who has given itself the opportunity to meet the needs of a genre that begs for even more diversity. It took until the late s for Doctor Who to introduce an openly gay companion outside of Jack Harkness.
There's hope that Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor will allow Doctor Who to take on some of the courage to fully and accurately depict queer people in the arts. This historic decision made by the showrunners is a demonstration of how Doctor Who continues to evolve to best depict all walks of life.
Through the simple act of keeping a non-heterosexual character front and center, Doctor Who is able to make up for an aspect gay has historically been dramatically lacking across science fiction.