It's like they missed a big point of the show being about progress and kindness and seeing the humanity in all. I mean fuck, the Daleks - the biggest enemy to The Doctor - are literally Space Nazis. It doesn't get more clear than that that the show is about acceptance
Thanks RTD. More of this speaking up for people who often can’t do that for themselves. I’d rather watch a single episode of Dr Who than a second of Harry Bloody Potter by that transphobe woman.
I feel bad hating on rtd like the dudes writing has flaws but I think he at least was closer to what I wanted out of dr.who than the guy whoncame after
It’s funny but I finally realized 2 key things I loved about classic Who that new Who doesn’t have. Lots of time waiting and wandering around in the wilderness lost in thought, and blurry camera work.
But then, what about Dhawan's incarnation? Trans people don't usually transition back. I think it's safer to say timelords just change gender sometimes, and it's not particularly something previous lives wanted or expected, it just happens.
If timelords count as trans, I'd argue multiple incarnations of timelords changing genders are very bad representations of trans issues and point of view
So then I guess the answer to this question lives inside the question "are nonbinary, gender-queer, bigender, or gender-nonconforming people included in the trans umbrella?"
I don't even think that's the question. I think timelords experience sex and gender in ways that are so different from humans that it doesn't even make sense to compare them. We've never seen (at least I don't remember seeing) a timelord with dysphoria, for example.
The ones I can remember off the top of my head are:
Cassandra (the evil trampoline)
Susan (the horse)
and in the latest Season, a former companion's daughter [name redacted because spoilers] and current companion's best friend in one episode.
I don't think timelords can be trans in the way we understand that for humans. Would the Doctor be transmasc or transfem? Both can be argued, I don't remember there being a reason to prefer one over the other
I would put The Doctor (and all the Time Lords/Ladies) as genderfluid - which, although under the trans umbrella, isn't what most laypeople think when they hear the word "transgender" (although, as with all things, it's always probably more wibbley-wobbley than we tend to think)
I had almost completely forgotten about Trudy being transgender! (Which is honestly a good sign, writing-wise. Being trans wasn't the pivotal thing about her.)
I watched from Eccleston to Whittaker's second season, then dropped the series but got spoiled a few things. Do I need to catch up on her last seasons?
Which is why it pisses me off, with his whole reasoning that when jodie regenerated into david, the clothes regenerated also. It should have been like this... And david would have worn these clothes...
I'm Trans but one of my biggest problems with RTD's new run was Rose. She felt completely underutilized, was a glorified McGuffin, and linking her Transgender identity to her alien heritage was just awful optics. "We're binary and she's not because the Doctor's male and female and neither and more"
Basically it reeks of "Cis White Male writing a Trans character without ever bringing a Trans writer into the writing room". To me it feels like the Doctor Who equivalent of the god awful "What If Mile Morales became Thor?" comic. Attempt at representation that feels more insulting than anything.
I still wear my 18' scarf (two of them in the closet) with pride. Society progresses. SciFi in particular is sensitive to how societies are developing and tries to run a bit ahead to see where things are going. Doctor Who does this admirably. And I continue to be a fan.
Im saying that cannon has been messed with since the beginning. Hell, the timelords retconned pretty much all we knew about Doctor Who as it was hinted that he was human
I don't understand the hate lately over Doctor Who supposedly going "woke" just because the last 2 doctors weren't white men. Anyone who has watched Doctor Who or any show in the Doctor Who universe knows the show has always been inclusive as most science fiction shows are. Including transgender
Doctor Who has always been woke (according to the correct dictionary definition) since the early days of Hartnell. The Doctor is always fighting injustice, whether that be on Earth or beyond. It annoys me when people have a go at DW because it is "woke", as if that's a bad thing.
It's all part of the wider bad faith culture war narrative that everything is constantly getting worse and more "woke" all of the time. Got to keep the outrage train going. Ironically if the 2005 series came out now, it would receive an equal amount of hate and backlash
Honestly, Gatwa is probably the first Doctor since... Tom Baker I think... that "got" the role from the first appearance onscreen. Every other one I can think of felt like they were still adjusting for at least the first couple appearnaces.
But literally from the first scene when Gatwa split out of Tenant, Gatwa was the Doctor. It's been since Baker that the show felt that at home with a new actor.
I am baffeled by the fact people tend to judge people on how they dress what sex they prefer there skin color ect . But don't seem to care about peoples actions . What someone dose actions is what you should base if someone is good or not off of nothing elese .
The last season final had so much DEI the script suffered. If you're gonna cast a trans person or indeed someone with dwarfism - give them a bloody decent role! Then we can appreciate the talent rather than the box ticking it clearly was.
It doesn’t, but we both are minorities who wish to see far better representation that clusterfuck Doctor Who final who had a disabled and trans doing next to fuck all. You do you, you’re clearly unable to converse without childish attacks.
perhaps but soon Trump will set his sights on Disney and it won't last long. I have no problem with it just the lack of good writing for his characters and lost it's sense of humour too serious and dramatic. But I watch it anyhow.
I don't like RTD's writing choices however I like that he has this stance.
I also love that this same crowd up until the Christmas specials believed the man to write the first openly queer companion, the first non-white companion and humanized The Doctor would be on their side... It's funny.
I question that someone could call themselves a fan of Doctor Who & lose their crap over something like this. Did you just now turn on the tv or something? The Doctor's regeneration was put on shuffle [Romana proved they could be very specific if they wanted] - gender/sexuality never mattered.
I just hate the extremely negative light in which Doctor Who portrays trans people. Literally the first episode with Rose (the second one) ends with gender-based bigotry.
To all those who think that this whole theme, is something new and woke in Doctor Who, I would like to draw your attention to The curse of Peladon (Jon Pertwee) and the existence of Alpha Centauri diplomat to Peladon way back in 1972.
And some civil rights too, like when show and made sure they kept it in William Shatner played a crucial role in ensuring the iconic interracial kiss between Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura in the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren" remained in the final cut.
Check out David Gerald’s “The man who folded himself”. It uses time travel as a way to explore self love, homosexuality, transgenderism and asexuality all through the context of one character. It’s a brilliant book.
I couldn't careless who is in the show. But, when the scripts start waning, that's when I turn away. I'm still with it, but losing interest more and more since Capaldi really. Also, disgusted that RTD made Davros lose his wheels! Insult to us disabled folks, who NO ONE mentions!
No wonder the Pumpkinführer took the action he did. The US did not leave the World Health Organization. We left the Dr. Who Universe! What a nitwitted moron the orange sack of puss is who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in Washington DC. His wife, I hear, goes by the nickname First Lady Yam Tits.
Except you’re wrong. Time lords regenerated from men into women multiple times in the show before that. It was clearly established that Time Lords themselves have no set gender, and are just whatever gender their current regeneration is.
The Doctor literally is trans people, and literally people plural. And not even just gender, it’s ALL on the table. You’d think this would all be old hat for folks now.
I really don't get it, some of the nicest people that I've known in my 74 years have been Trans, what's the beef? I'm beginning to think the problem lies not with the Trans community but with those who object to them.
Doctor Who has always been firmly on the side of "the weird kids" and a lot of the people whinging about it being "woke" were VERY CLEARLY the beneficiaries of that policy in the past.
So happy to hear it helped you. I love to see that this daft old thing I have been a fan of pretty much forever is having an effect this positive, it warms this ol' fanboy's heart.
The second ever story in all of Doctor Who was the Doctor versus the space Nazis. It's been left-wing all along and was, for a time, written by a literal card-carrying Communist.
I think those who make an issue of any identity are not well. As long as the mention of any specific aspect of a person's reality contributes to the story by advancing it in a compelling manner, no one should raise an eyebrow. As long as the story is solid, it should ALL be good.
So what does someone's sexual preferences have to do with them helping to save the Universe? So as long as the character is written as a person and not just as a _____-person, who cares. Basing a character totally on they sexual orientation is really just lazy writing.
Doctor Who has seen a (temporary) return of one of its alums, been a white woman and a black man, who encountered "space babies." Pretty sure that it's changed an awful lot, esp recently.
I only care about the writing and so far it's been...I don't like it. Ive enjoyed Boom, time hoteI, yards, blue yonder, and Bubble. But the rest haven't been that great. I worry about the ratings.
Such slow-witted complainers! In DW, transitioning is older than Gallifrey, and we’ve seen it happen in episodes since the crystal gal/guy, at least, and that’s about 50 years ago.
Love that the show is inclusive. But that inclusivity interfering with good storytelling? No.
Bill and Heather was a fantastic intermingling of story and message. It wasn’t bolted on. Casting Gatwa? Brilliant. But the stories feel forced and hammer to head. And the ratings echo this.
We can be inclusive while telling great stories. Look back to the genius of STTOS and Let That Be Your Last Battlefield. Brilliant race relations story. Not screaming that it was a race relations story.
Acceptance is about accepting. Not compelling. It’s a subtle difference. But an important one.
Comments
RTD calling them out and making trans people more included is amazing.
This show jumped the shark 5 years ago.
Sorry. Would be great if Bluesky could have that feature
Cassandra (the evil trampoline)
Susan (the horse)
and in the latest Season, a former companion's daughter [name redacted because spoilers] and current companion's best friend in one episode.
I still think its funny that she couldn't remember her name and then called herself Doctor.
Try again, Professor lol
I do care however recent directors & writers of the last few years have trashed Dr who character, history & cannon
AND seem to have placed culture war bs above good writing. Sadly a common feature of not just Dr Who.
Perhaps have an actual argument before throwing around the bigot term.
Regenerating time lords? Why not.
Trans people? GFTO!! ITS UNBELIEVABLE AND PULLS ME OUT OF MY SUSPENSION OF REALITY! AARRGGG!!!
This does not correlate with increased diversity, which frankly should be table stakes. Agree that trans folks should be given good roles!
I also love that this same crowd up until the Christmas specials believed the man to write the first openly queer companion, the first non-white companion and humanized The Doctor would be on their side... It's funny.
https://youtu.be/QoKjSoLnR10?si=T1QzVoiiBuYuGpjE
Just a whole species of super intelligent time travelers, casually above the whole concept of gender.
I guess it checks out. I'm I'm asexual
https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/bishop_trump_attacks_loc/?copy
I don’t think the writing has been that great lately, but let’s at least stick to the facts.
So Doctor who is like 3 years older than Star Trek cuz the first episode of Star Trek aired in 66
I wonder why that is.
Take a Dalek and paint him orange, but Dr. Who has two hearts ❤️❤️
Bill and Heather was a fantastic intermingling of story and message. It wasn’t bolted on. Casting Gatwa? Brilliant. But the stories feel forced and hammer to head. And the ratings echo this.
Acceptance is about accepting. Not compelling. It’s a subtle difference. But an important one.