Commie Pervert Geek Girl, July 2005
Originally published in Express

New Zealand finally decriminalised homosexuality in 1986. The Australian states did the same between 1972 and 1997, and England in 1967. Yet Russia, a poor, undeveloped, and backwards country, legalised homosexuality half a century earlier following the Bolshevik Revolution.

Human rights in general took a great leap forwards after the overthrow of the Tsar and the establishment of workers' control of the country. It was not a paradise, of course, as more than legal changes are needed to end discrimination, but it was heading in the right direction. Practical measures were taken, for example, to support equality for women - vital in combating homophobia as well, as rigid gender roles and a grossly inferior status for women undoubtedly promote hostility towards those who violate social norms.

Socialist Russia was indeed attempting to destroy the family - as an economic unit for worker production and maintenance. Without modern labour-saving devices, women were essentially slaves to cook and clean for their husbands, and raise the next generation of workers. By making available community schools, laundries, and food halls, women could be freed to fully participate in society, and relationships would become matters of choice rather than economic and social necessity. The ideal of families based on love that we have in the west today is a relatively new concept, pioneered in Russia.

Tragically, the rise of Stalin reversed the great gains that had been made for human rights in socialist Russia. Homosexuality was recriminalised in 1933, along with the rolling back of women's rights. Instead of abortion on demand, Stalin's Russia provided medals to women who had many children. The totalitarian dictatorship that Russia became, and in whose image other "communist" states were established, was diametrically opposed to the liberation of true socialism.

But at least according to Doctor Who, the future holds plenty to look forward to. In one of the highlights of the new series, an episode still a few weeks away on Prime in New Zealand, a major character is revealed to be bisexual. This is still ground-breaking for popular culture, and science fiction in particular; positive portrayals of queer characters in prominent roles in mainstream productions are rare.

Furthermore, this character comes from a future in which sexual orientation is apparently no longer an issue. Imagine a world where alternative sexualities aren't merely tolerated by most people in some countries, but universally taken for granted. Where a preference for or lack of interest in a particular gender or alien species is as trivial as an obsession with chocolate or being unwilling to eat tomatoes.

The anything-that-moves characterisation is unfortunately something of a bisexual stereotype, but I'm willing to forgive them that. It suits the character, whose wild time travelling lifestyle is not exactly compatible with lengthy courtships and serious relationships. With any luck we'll get a to see a bit more variety in queer characters over the coming seasons.

Modern day companion Rose is initially less than thrilled to discover that in a universe full of unimaginably diverse alien life, humanity has given up some of its primitive inhibitions about who gets to sleep with who (no pun intended). "What, that's what we do when we get out there? That's our mission, we seek new life and... and -"

"Dance." The Doctor's cheerful response neatly derails the kneejerk "eww, anal sex!" aversion, putting a more wholesome spin on romantic relationships between people of whatever genders and species. Naturally, Rose has gotten over her early 21st century hangups by the end of the episode.

Hopefully we won't have to wait till the 51st century for the real world to catch up with television.