This time, he thinks: "He remembered the boy and remembered thinking that he couldn’t fancy anybody from Olleril. Laude mistakes merely as a general wish of celibacy, to which Forgwyn remarks: "something like that." Some later, whilst in the club Globule, he is approached by a blonde boy about whom he thinks: "He was pretty but knew he could never fancy anybody from Olleril.", and by the conclusion of the story, he has a chance re-encounter with the boy, who speaks with him. Initially within the story, Forgwyn sheepishly evades Laude's bold remarks about enjoying young women. From that character's 'off-screen' demise Gareth Roberts was spurred to create, in his 1994 novel Tragedy Day, the character of Forgwyn. Though Virgin Publishing's New Adventures' first representation was that of a character who was killed 'off-screen' in a book, it would then see the first unambiguous gay representation. Given Alfred Lynch's partnership with James Culliford, if this had been realised onscreen, then Lynch would have been the first LGBT+ performer to portray a character intended to be LGBT+, but it ultimately had not been. The resulting damage fractured Judson's spine and left him paralysed. As a result of this jealousy, Millington tackled Judson during the match brutally, driving his arm into his shoulder. Through a flashback to twenty years prior, it is indicated that Millington became jealous of Judson's affection for another boy in their class during a sports match. In 1990, the novelisation of The Curse of Fenric alluded to the notion of both Dr Judson and Commander Millington having feelings for men. Fan literature has also acknowledged this aspect of the Cheetah People, stating that "they exhibit many of the physical and thematic attributes of the werewolf, including a sexual element, the 'lesbian subtext' identified by author Rona Munro". ( DOC: Cat-Flap) Munro would further acknowledge this in interviews, indicating that the costume for Karra impeded the conveying of the affection between the two characters. This raises the possibility of Ace being the first LGBTQ+ companion on screen. ( DCOM: The Curse of Fenric)Īccording to Rona Munro, the writer of Survival, there was a lesbian subtext intended in the relationship between Ace and Karra.
Briggs instead reworked his writing plans such that Turing's frustration at being unable to express his true sexual identity was converted into Judson's frustrations about his disability. Writer Ian Briggs revealed many years after the production of The Curse of Fenric that the story's Dr Judson was intended to be - like the man he was based on, Alan Turing - struggling with his homosexuality, but this was ultimately cut as in 1988, it was still not generally considered appropriate to discuss such topics in a family programme. ( DOC: LGBTQ In The Worlds Of Doctor Who) Indeed, the show began before homosexuality was decriminalised in England & Wales in 1967, and Scotland in 1980.
When interviewed for an episode of The Fan Show on LGBTQ+ issues and Doctor Who, Waris Hussein stated that Doctor Who in its original form - being a 1960s BBC programme aimed at children - queer topics were not something that could readily be examined.
Representation within material 1963-1989