Drag Race legend Jinkx Monsoon talks ‘taking up space’ in the new season of Doctor Who
Bigots, beware: RuPaul’s Drag Race double winner Jinkx Monsoon has confirmed that the gay agenda is in full swing, and that she couldn’t be happier about queer talent “taking up space”.
If you haven’t already noticed, RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar Jinkx Monsoon is having a pretty good year.
After being crowned the Queen of All Queens in All Stars 7 last year, the franchise’s first two-time winner has since debuted as Mama Morton in Chicago on Broadway, joined the wave of drag queens combatting anti-LGBTQ+ hatred in the US, and landed a role as a major villain in Russell T Davies’ upcoming return to the Doctor Who franchise.
It’s that last exciting project that Monsoon has opened up about upon in a new interview with Variety, as she confirmed that the upcoming season of Doctor Who is set to be the sci-fi show’s queerest yet.
“I’ve been having lots of meetings, costume fittings and talking with the director and the producer about the script,” Monsoon said about her preparation for the show. “I’ve always loved Doctor Who. It was the one show that my husband and I could agree on.”
Monsoon also said that the positive overflow of queer (and queer adjacent) talent in the beloved British sci-fi staple was a huge step forward for representation.
“We’re celebrating queer people in the media and that’s possibly what’s riling up the GOP so much.
“They can’t stand that we are finally getting our room and our position in the world. We’re finally taking up our space and it’s pissing a lot of people off. And I love it.”
Jinkx Monsoon is set to head into the TARDIS in the next season of Doctor Who. (Alec White)
Ncuti Gatwa, who has found himself as something of a queer icon following a turn as Eric Effiong in Netflix’s Sex Education, will play the 15th iteration of the titular Time Lord opposite Monsoon’s villain. Jonathon Groff and trans actor Pete MacHale have also joined the cast and – of course – the inimitable Russell T Davies has returned as showrunner.
Before that, Doctor Who is set to return in November 2023, featuring three special episodes with David Tennant returning as the 14th Doctor, which will coincide with the 60th anniversary of the sci-fi series.
Alongside Tennant, Catherine Tate will return as companion Donna and Neil Patrick Harris will play a nefarious villain. Heartstopper‘s Yasmin Finney will star as Donna’s daughter.
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Elsewhere in the interview, Monsoon discussed the wave of anti-trans and anti-drag bills sweeping across the US.
“I’m feeling very frustrated that our community is being scapegoated,” she reflected. “They’re scapegoating our community. They are using this crusade against the queer community, and that is blatant homophobia.
“Every justification they give you to try to say it’s not homophobia is a lie. It’s hypocritical.
“It frustrates me that I live in a country that boasts freedom and equality for all of its citizens, and that’s never once been true, because women, people of colour and queer people have been oppressed since the dawn of America.
‘The system is set up to only favour one type of person, and if you are not that type of person, be damned”.
Doctor Who seasons one to 13 are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.