Doctor Who: Race And Sexuality Representation In The Show
In the past on Doctor Who, race or sexuality has barely been brought up, and when it has, it’s all been glossed over. When Martha asked about her skin color in Shakespearean times, the Doctor responded with a glib answer about being from this time — so why should it matter? Jack Harkness? It’s the 52nd century.
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Which would be fine, if we weren’t dealing with the social issues that are plaguing society right now. If marches weren’t happening across America, and across the world. Just last week, Peter Capaldi appeared in a march for Science in London. Questions are beginning to be raised, and answers that try to make the viewer laugh and the term ‘suspension of disbelief’ aren’t good enough now.
Now, it’s time for some answers, even if it’s from a television show.
I’m definitely not saying anything should happen at Bill’s expense, but being the first openly gay companion who’s black isn’t something that should be ignored. We are learning time and time again that being ‘color blind’ is the exact opposite of what people should be doing. We shouldn’t be ignoring the differences of people, we should be celebrating them.
I hope that Steven Moffat chooses to celebrate Bill’s sexuality, and who knows, maybe even give her a girlfriend or at least a flirtatious scene with an alien. Why does Jack get to have all the fun with aliens? Because he’s hot? Why did River get to have all the fun with the sexual innuendos? Was it because she was straight?
Even though we haven’t seen much of Bill, I can see her standing up for herself as Martha did in Human Nature, where she’s trying to blend in as a maid and is getting constant remarks about her skin color as she slips up about being a doctor. This is, until she stands up and identifies the bones in the hand, showing these people from the past that she did have a mind.
Unfortunately, these problems aren’t happening in the past. They’re happening now. Gay rights are being fought for now. Racism is flooding social discussion again. Would it be enough to show Bill standing up for herself on an alien planet or in the distant past?
Or do we need to see her do it right here, in 2017? Will it have the same effect if it’s in an if/when place? Or has Doctor Who done so well to make any time or place feel like London/New York, 2017?
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