Top 10 LGBTQ+ Characters & Couples: Part 1
Guest contributor Graham Ergot begins the countdown.
Unless you live under a rock, or at least rented one for the day, you are probably aware that yesterday, on June 26th, 2015, history was made; the Supreme Court of the United States declared same-sex marriage to be legal in all 50 states. With this, I have decided to concoct a list of my favorite 10 LGBTQ+ characters and couples who have appeared on the quite progressive show (at least, when compared to other programs on TV) known as Doctor Who. There’s no time to waste; let’s get to it!
10. Oswin Oswald
Oswin: Lovely name, Rory. First boy I ever fancied was called Rory. Actually, she was called Nina. I was going through a phase.
Of course, there is a slight problem with that line, and that problem is in the form of the word ‘phase,’ which is a term often used by homophobes who try and convince LGBTQ+ people of, well, not being LGBTQ+. As I talk about a little bit later, in regards to a character of former showrunner Russell T. Davies, I am sure Moffat’s intention was not to imply that Oswin was once queer and ‘became’ straight, especially considering the significant presence of his own characters on this list, though intention isn’t always what matters. Of course, she simply could’ve been experimenting, which is a normal and healthy thing for people to do in order to find a deeper understanding of who they are, though the use of the word “fancied” seems to imply that Oswin did have true feelings for this mysterious Nina (who will be returning in Series 9 as The Rani); feelings that went past experimentation.
9. The Thin One and The Fat One
“The Thin One”: Hello! I’m the thin one. This is my husband; he’s the fat one.
Lorna Bucket: Don’t you have names?
“The Fat One”: We’re the thin/fat gay married Anglican marines. Why would we need names as well?
An exchange meant mostly to get a few laughs out of the viewer, but it is great to see a same-sex couple serving openly in the military, clearly mocking the ludicrous nature of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Additionally, it seems that their entire existence is poking fun at the lack of representation of the LGBTQ+ community, or at least the lack of recurring queer characters.
8. Roger Curbishley and Davenport
This couple’s existence as a couple is not a main point of the episode in which they appear, in part due to the fact that The Unicorn and the Wasp takes place in the late 1920’s, thus forcing them to remain closeted. This is later explored in the episode as Davenport is unable to publicly mourn his partner’s death because of this the bigoted times in which they lived, a situation which echoes the frustrations of members of the LGBTQ+ community who are in same-sex relationships and are, in many places, denied the right, among many others, to be legally recognized as a family member and subsequently weren’t allowed to visit a hospitalized partner.
7. Cassini Sisters
Like Curbishley and Davenport above, the ‘Sisters’ have relatively small parts in the episode in which they appear, namely Series 3’s Gridlock. The two together play a simple ordinary married couple, and even correct Brannigan when he refers to them as sisters in the following brilliant exchange:
BRANNIGAN: Oh, come on, now, sisters. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?
ALICE: You know full well we’re not sisters. We’re married.
Even in small amounts, representation is representation, and Brannigan’s later comment that he is an “old-fashioned cat” seems to be poking fun at today’s opponents of same-sex marriage, who will likely be referred to as old-fashioned in textbooks of the future.
6. Ianto Jones
I haven’t watched Torchwood in a while (shame on me), so I can’t quite remember much about Ianto (CHILDREN OF EARTH SPOILERS: I genuinely remembered while typing the previous sentence that he’s dead), but I do remember that his sexuality, and similarly his relationship with Jack is very well handled, especially during Children of Earth when his sister confronts him with some rumors that have been going around, which echoes the struggles of LGBTQ+ people trying to figure out who they are and are trying to come to terms with their sexuality and/or gender identity:
IANTO: “It’s weird. It’s just different. It’s not…men. It’s… it’s just him. It’s only him. And I don’t even know what it is, really. So… So I’m not broadcasting it.”
Discuss!
Not the strongest list of LGBTQ+ characters (obviously, I’ve saved the strongest for Part 2), but still important nonetheless. Next time we get to the good stuff, with my top 5 favorite LGBTQ+ characters/couples, along with some honorable mentions who didn’t quite make the cut. Until then, be sure to discuss and to do so respectfully! If you don’t have anything nice to say – forget it, you know the rest.
