Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Doctor Who casts first transgender actor Bethany Black

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/doctor-who-casts-first-transgender-actor-bethany-black-10443832.html

The Independent/Thursday 06 August 2015

"Bethany Black is to become the first openly transgender actor to appear in Doctor Who.

The comedian, who has appeared in Channel 4's Tofu, Cucumber and Banana, confirmed the news on her Facebook fan page, writing: "Now to sit back and wait until The Mail realises the BBC have cast an open trans lesbian in a family show."

The news marks the first time a transgender actor has been cast in the BBC sci-fi drama since the series began in 1963.

Black's character is not transgender, and she was considered the best actor for the role."

This is great news and I'm delighted for her, but the show actually has had an excellent history with equal-ops. Many Gay & Lesbian people worked on it (for example both RTD and JNT) and at least one Transwoman - namely me! Prior to training as A doctor I worked on THE doctor, as one might say.

Specifically From 1992 to 1996 I was editor in charge of the technical services at the BBC Archive, in which capacity I oversaw the digital remastering of all the existing Dr Who holding. A lot of it simply wouldn't exist in usable form now without my dedicated preservation work, and involvement in the restoration work that was overseen by my colleague Steve Roberts.

Prior to that my first ever BBC job in 1978 while waiting for uni - (and still openly trans although at that point not actually actively pursuing any body modification) was sending out invoices for foreign sales of Dr who. Then in 1989 when I rejoined after a spell working as an engineer for, amongst other employers, NASA my first job as a trainee VT editor was on the last series of Sylvester Mccoys run as the 7th doctor.

By the way just in case anyone thinks I make these things up...

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VM7dqXlMN3JJwsVRbfrRvFMee1Fpx2quAQyl7xlFbrA=w667-h500-no)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/927MSXJ5nz2KWsw7PxpC6OBfC954yIpCkPLWwrup5WE=w402-h648-no)

sorry, but we need pictures of you actually in the Tardis on the farrthest most planet at the edge of the universe then we might believe you.

So that's why you're Re-Jennyrated. It's beginning to make sense.

Can't wait to watch the episode with my wife and ask her if she could tell she was born male.
Yee-oow.

Quote from: traci_k on August 06, 2015, 01:31:06 PM
So that's why you're Re-Jennyrated. It's beginning to make sense.

Can't wait to watch the episode with my wife and ask her if she could tell she was born male.
Yee-oow.

Indeed Traci - and I really did Re-Jenny-Rate several times. In gender terms aged 5 (F), 17 (M) and 24 (F) - and life-career terms aged 22, 25, 29, 37, 40, 48, and 53 - at all of these points my life took off in different and surprising directions.

The modern world thinks a childhood transitioning transwomen in high-profile or sensitive positions is a new thing. I'm living proof it isn't at all. The only difference from now, is that back then I valued privacy. In the UK I had several significant firsts but history will not record them because until recently I have largely chosen to fly under the radar.

Lol@ people complaining the show supports a gay agenda?

I dont think sexualitty comes up and is definatally not going to have been a defining factor in her employment.
Add to that, that any number of people in any number of shows could be gay without anybody making a fuss simply because they dont care to know, means agument invalid. sorry just had to vent that.

Besides i cant tell they are trans or gay by looking at them, so simply put, unless the character is gay their argument is completelly phobic in origion.

And OMG more DOCTOR :) I cant wait to be honest

Cool. I hope the fact that she is trans doesn't overshadow the episode. The Tories and Murdoch press are probably frothing at the mouth.

I am glad to finally have a trans actress on the show regardless of whether or not she is playing a trans character or not. Having said that, having a trans character on doctor who if done right can be quite good.


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Am i a bad transgender if that whole article blurred into new doctor who in september and everything else just faded away. :-)