Every Same Sex Kiss In Doctor Who

The series’ attitude toward LGBTQ+ characters was changing by the time of its 1989 cancelation, and when Russell T. Davies took the reins for the 2005 reboot he was determined to make Doctor Who more inclusive. Davies added openly queer characters such as Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and pro-LGBTQ+ content. The series’ early attempts at inclusivity were not perfect; it too often employed the Bury Your Gays trope where gay characters suffered unnecessary deaths, and in one early episode Rose Tyler used “gay” as an insult. However, the series also included several same-sex relationships, which included kisses.

The recent Doctor Who Rogue romance subplot was the series’ first romantic kiss between the Doctor and someone of the same sex as their current incarnation, leading to the mistaken impression that this was the first same-sex kiss in the series’ 60-year history. This is not correct, however, as there have been several other such kisses since 2005. Here is a list of every same-sex kiss that has happened in the series since its 2005 reboot.

6Jack Kisses The Doctor

Parting of the Ways (2005)

The earliest same-sex kiss was also between the Doctor and a man, although it was not a romantic kiss. During “Parting of the Ways,” The Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Jack Harkness all faced certain death at the hands of a Dalek squadron, with the only apparent solution being for the Doctor to create a delta wave generator that would destroy life on Earth. While saying his final goodbyes before what was sure to be a deadly mission, Jack kissed Rose and told her she was worth fighting for before turning to the Doctor and briefly kissing him.

Jack and the Doctor’s kiss is important because it is the first same-sex kiss in Doctor Who‘s history; additionally, Jack was played by a gay actor, which made his interactions more authentic. The kiss also subverted the usual tropes by having Jack first kiss Rose, then turn around and demonstrate that action heroes do not have to be heterosexual or only fight for the opposite sex. However, this first kiss was very different than some of the other kisses depicted on Doctor Who because it was not a romantic kiss and didn’t feature a same-sex relationship.

5The Doctor And Rory

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship & The Power of Three (both 2012)

During season 3’s lighthearted “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship,” the Doctor and Rory worked together to try to stop a Sirulian spaceship from crashing into the Earth. When Rory suggested that perhaps the ship had defense systems installed, the Doctor kissed him on the lips before getting to work. This brief kiss was not anything romantic; the Doctor was simply overcome with excitement at the thought that Rory had found a solution to the seemingly impossible circumstances they found themselves in.

Unlike some of the other kisses, the one between the Doctor and Rory did not break any notable Doctor Who barriers. It was not the first same-sex kiss nor the first time the Doctor had kissed someone without a relationship attached. However, it did occur naturally as an outpouring of excitement and affection, which reinforced the idea that men can be affectionate and spontaneous. Additionally, Rory has no real reaction to the kiss and it’s never discussed, which is a welcome antidote to the trope of straight men panicking if a gay man expresses interest in them.

Technically, Rory also kisses the Doctor during the Power of Three, although he only does so on the cheek. However, this incident further demonstrates that Rory and the Doctor’s friendship is one that includes physical affection. Men being comfortable with this type of affection is something that is not often shown on television and contributes to the pro-LGBTQ+ direction that Doctor Who has gone in since 2005.

4Jenny and Vastra

Deep Breath (2014)

2014’s Deep Breath featured Doctor Who’s first lesbian kiss, although it was criticized for not being romantic. Madame Vastra was a Silurian who entered a romantic relationship with her maid, Jenny Flint. The two were featured in several episodes, starting with “A Good Man Goes to War,” and their relationship evolved over time. The couple was especially important to the Doctor and appeared in several episodes other than Deep Breath; they were especially invested in helping him understand who Doctor Who‘s River Song was and comforting him after the loss of Amy and Rory.

Despite this buildup, Jenny and Vastra’s kiss was not romantic and occurred out of necessity. Vastra, Jenny, and Clara were in a dangerous situation in which they needed to hold their breaths to conserve oxygen, but Jenny was not able to tolerate doing so for a long period of time, and Vastra kissed her to share her own supply. It could be argued that Vastra’s kiss was an expression of love since she rescued her wife from certain death. Still, the kiss was far less than Jenny and Vestra’s relationship deserved after being carefully built up over several episodes.

3Bill and Heather

The Doctor Falls (2017)

Bill Potts was a groundbreaking Doctor Who companion because she was openly gay. She is the first openly gay full-time companion, and she began traveling with the Doctor when her girlfriend, Heather, was turned into a water creature. At times, Bill and Heather’s love story came close to being a tragedy, as they were separated by being transformed into different forms, especially as Bill was changed into a Cyberman after being shot through the heart and taken to an area of a ship where time passes more rapidly.

However, this story had a happy ending, making Bill and Heather’s kiss one of the most satisfying in Doctor Who history. Bill was able to partially resist the Cybermen’s programming, but was despondent when the Doctor appeared to die trying to rescue her. Heather came out of the water when Bil was at her lowest point and kissed her before offering her the choice of traveling with her as a fellow water creature or resuming her normal human life. Bill chose to travel with Heather, giving her the happily ever after she’d been searching for since she met the Doctor.

Bill and Heather’s kiss represented the first time a non-heterosexual relationship had gotten a happy ending on Doctor Who. Unlike the kiss between Jenny and Vastra, this kiss was a romantic affirmation of Bill and Heather’s love. The scene included Bill’s flashbacks of meeting Heather as well as the reunion she’d longed for, adding to the perfection of this ending for Bill.

2Adam and Jake

Praxeus (2020)

Jodie Wittaker’s run moved unquestionably toward more LGBTQ+ inclusion. The first female Doctor was also the first to admit same-sex attraction and there was romantic tension between her and Yaz that unfortunately never came to fruition. There also was a kiss between another same-sex couple, Adam and Jake, in 2020’s “Praxeus.” During this episode, the Doctor and her companions investigated a mysterious bacterium that was infecting and killing people, and Jake discovered that his husband, astronaut Adam Lang, was one of the people who had gotten sick.

This story could easily have become another Bury Your Gays plot, as Adam and Jake both nearly die at different times. The Doctor and her companions are able to develop and administer an experimental antidote to Adam. However, after Adam is cured, the Doctor needs to send a ship full of the antidote into the world and evacuate the ship so that no one is killed, and Jake sacrifices himself, staying on board to disperse the antidote when the autopilot fails.

These close calls make Adam and Jake’s kiss that much more satisfying. The Doctor is able to rescue Jake at the last minute, materializing the TARDIS around him just in time, and a relieved Adam kisses Jake. The two have a second chance at a happy life together, echoing the happy ending that Bill and Heather had the season before and demonstrating that Doctor Who was ready to take strides toward including real LGBTQ+ romances.

RELATED

Doctor Who’s RTD Lists 5 Episodes To Watch Before The Season 14 Finale

Russell T Davies reveals which episodes of Doctor Who viewers should revisit to prepare themselves for the upcoming season 14’s two-part finale.

1The Doctor and Rogue

Rogue (2024)

The most recent same-sex kiss was groundbreaking because it was the first time the Doctor had a romantic relationship with a same-sex partner. Since the 2005 reboot, the Doctor has had several heterosexual romantic relationships, most notably with Rose Tyler. The Tenth Doctor loved Rose so much that he was devastated when she was trapped in a parallel universe, and Martha Jones also had a one-sided crush on him. However, the Doctor had been exclusively with women up until Rogue’s appearance.

Ncuti Gatwa is the first openly gay actor to play the Doctor, so it’s fitting that the Doctor’s first same-sex relationship occurred during his run. While visiting a pseudo-royal ball in 1813 Bath, the Doctor met Rogue (Jonathan Groff), a bounty hunter searching for a race of shapeshifting aliens that had infiltrated the ball. The Doctor’s flirtations with Rogue initially got him in trouble, as Rogue thought he was one of the shapeshifters, but eventually, the Doctor gained Rogue’s trust and the two bonded over their shared experience of having lost someone they loved.

Unlike the previous two same-sex relationships, Rogue and the Doctor have not had a happy ending. After the Doctor accidentally trapped Ruby (Millie Gibson) in a device meant to immobilize the Chuldur and send them to an alternate dimension, he couldn’t bring himself to engage the trap’s transporter. Rogue kissed the Doctor before pushing Ruby out of the way and taking her place in the trap, leaving the Doctor heartbroken.

RELATED

Doctor Who’s Rogue Explained: Everything We Know About Jonathan Groff’s Character

Doctor Who season 14, episode 6 introduced a new character. Here is the complete guide to who Rogue is and how he fits into the Whoniverse.

Rogue returning in Doctor Who is possible but could be problematic, as the Chuldur could kill Rogue and take his form now that they’ve been exiled with him. However, there is no doubt that Doctor Who made the right choice by allowing the Doctor to have a brief romantic relationship with Rogue despite its heartbreaking end. This storyline is the logical next step in the series’ quest for better LGBTQ+ representation, and in some ways makes up for the failure of Thirteen and Yaz’s potential romance.