Will jodie whittaker play gay or bisexual dr who

Rumours swirled this week that Jodie Whittaker will be leaving Doctor Who after next season. If true, it means the BBC may be on its last chance to confront the gay elephant in the room. For a show that has a history of being unafraid to push boundaries with its representation, this is getting embarrassing.

Later, she has a heartfelt conversation about it with Jack:. Yeah, definitely. You get the impression that the most any suitor can expect from her is a wide-eyed gaze and a brisk change of subject. There is no longer any heterosexual way forward. Jack was probably the first positive queer representation I ever saw on TV.

Aged 14, I watched in astonishment as he kissed Christopher Eccleston right on the lips and then everybody just carried on. It seemed unreal that his romance with Ianto on Torchwood was even allowed. It was actually, if I can say, one of the first positive iconic roles for the queer community.

Forgive me my rainbow-coloured glasses, but what I see is Jack Harkness, trailblazing elder queer, passing on his wisdom to a baby gay of a new generation. For all the revolutionary wonder of Jack and Ianto, Torchwood — for which Chris Chibnall was head writer and co-producer — had very little queer representation I could relate to: there were no ongoing, onscreen relationships between women.

It had trouble just passing the Bechdel test. Doctor Who has done better, with couples like Madame Vastra, the gay lizard woman from the dawn of time, and her wife Jenny Flint, as well as Bill Potts, the first lesbian companion and first regular queer character of colour, and her alien puddle girlfriend Heather.

It is, yes, a lot like travelling with the Doctor.

Face it, BBC: Doctor Who is queer now

In its boldest moments, Doctor Who is a mirror for the best things about us. It believes in its audience; it shows us things we might not have thought we were ready for. After all the boundaries this show has broken, to end the tenure of the first female Doctor with its newfound queerness unacknowledged would be a betrayal of its own principles.

Thanks to formative obsessions with both Lord of the Rings and Anne of Green Gables, I like my entertainment wholesome, gay and overly invested in trees. I am white, cis? You can see my work at thephasemag. View all posts by Ellie Wilson. Like Liked by 2 people.

Twitter Instagram. Mandip Gill: giving Jodie Whittaker that look since View this post on Instagram. The relationship had gained huge acceptance on both sides of the Atlantic. Like Loading Leave a comment Cancel reply. Search for: Search. Comment Reblog Subscribe Subscribed.