London Pride Caters For Gay Who Fans

[Pip Madeley]

As reported by PinkNews, the final episode of Series Three of Doctor Who, The Last of the Time Lords, is being broadcast on the same day as the London Pride Festival, held in Trafalgar Square.

Organizers of the event, in an effort to not make gay Who fans choose between the annual celebration and the season finale of their favourite show, have come up with an interesting compromise: they plan to carry the live BBC broadcast of the episode at 7:10 p.m. on a big screen at the event's main stage in Trafalgar Square. And if that's not enough to get gay fans out to the event, they've also arranged to have John Barrowman co-host the event with Graham Norton. Barrowman will be speaking earlier in the afternoon about his role as Captain Jack on Doctor Who and Torchwood.

The event kicks off at 3:00 following the Pride parade through town and concludes with the broadcast of The Last of the Time Lords.

So we know it's at 7.10pm anyway.

[Milky Tears]

There are gay Doctor Who fans?

It'll hurt the overnight ratings.

[Dirk Gently]

I'd like to see how they handle the time shift for that!

[Captain Tancredi]

I have to say that as a more or less straight single fan, this bothers me a bit- not that it's happening but the way it's being publicised. Once the association of Who with "the gay community" sticks, it makes it very difficult for somebody in my position to share one of my long-term enthusiasms with colleagues, friends etc. because I've had too many people over the years assuming that because I was single and into Who, I was gay or leaning that way. Two of them being my cousin and her soon-to-be-ex-husband, who used to upset my grandma by speculating in front of her.

Although I understand it's nothing new- I'm sure I've read somewhere of a gay club in London where everything used to stop on a Friday night for 'The Golden Girls'- to turn it around a bit, I suppose it's the equivalent of screening something like 'Wilde' at a Who convention- some people will enjoy it and be appreciative of it, but it's not going to be to everybody's taste and there are enough people who will enjoy one or the other but not both.

[Carol Baynes]

I have to say that as a more or less straight single fan, this bothers me a bit-

More or less??! It's all coming out now, eh viewers! Nah...Only teasing!

I have to admit the ratio of gay to straight on PS is quite high. Not sure if this is reflective of fandom in general. The same with female to male.

[Dirk Gently]

I'd guess that it is very reflective of Fandom in general to be honest.

[Captain Tancredi]

I think what you're saying is that the ratio of gay to straight in PS and fandom in general is roughly even and therefore higher than society in general...and the ratio of male to female is high, which is probably as much down to preconceptions of what constitutes boys' and girls' programmes, as well as social pressures which aren't really conducive to grown married women following pastimes which aren't domestic in some way.

[Dirk Gently]

Er, yeah that's it...I think.
Although I will add a caveat to my previous statement by saying that tis ratio is no longer valid if you add the new fans of the new series. But I'd guess that it is still accurate for the original series, IMHO.