Juno Dawson, Doctor Who’s first trans writer, has said the science fiction show and Eurovision help to promote queer tolerance. The bestselling author, whose books include the global bestsellers, This Book is Gay and Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, wrote in this week’s Radio Times that a childhood love o
Juno Dawson, Doctor Who’s first trans writer, has said the science fiction show and Eurovision help to promote queer tolerance.
The bestselling author, whose books include the global bestsellers, This Book is Gay and Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, wrote in this week’s Radio Times that a childhood love of the two shows “was my way of saying I was queer before I knew what it was to be queer”.
Dawson, who created the first official Doctor Who scripted podcast, Doctor Who: Redacted. wrote it was unsurprising that the two shows were “so beloved by LGBTQ+ people”.
“Both shows occasionally address queer themes – last year’s Eurovision winner, Nemo, was the first non-binary performer,” Dawson said. “But more generally, the DNA of Doctor Who and Eurovision is fairness, tolerance, peace and the triumph of joy over hatred.
“It’s not hard to see why queer people feel so seen and so safe in both worlds.”
In Juno’s episode, The Interstellar Song Contest, the Doctor’s quest to get Belinda back home to Earth leads to a space station hosting the famous song contest.
Speaking to BBC, Juno said: “Russell [T Davies] initially pitched the bare bones concept of Eurovision meets Die Hard, which were two things I knew really well. Then, I went away and pitched a plot, and it hasn’t really changed all that much. Obviously, there was a lot of discussion between myself, the producers and Russell. But it’s still those two things. What would happen if an enemy faction planned an attack on the Eurovision Song Contest in space?
“That has remained true throughout. It’s been very collaborative, I’ve so enjoyed working with all the producers and script editors. It’s been a real joy. I kept waiting for it to get hard, but it’s never been, it’s never been disappointing. It’s really just been the funnest project.”
Juno’s episode of Doctor Who, The Interstellar Song Contest, will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer from 8am on Saturday morning and on BBC One at 7.10pm, just before the Eurovision final!
