V.

Different from the Others (Anders Als Die Andern) was the first film to portray queer people positively and explicitly and was released in 1919. Made by queer activists in Berlin, it remains an artifact of queer resistance.

Support Making Queer History on Patreon

The Elephant and Castle Tavern, Southwark, London circa 1895.

-Cut to two years later-

This. Ask yourself “what did the Doctor do for River to prove his love?”

Nothing. He left her to the weeping angels.

But Rose. He BURNED UP A SUN JUST TO SAY GOODBYE. Did he have to do that? Absolutely not. She was in the parallel universe; he could have just moved on. But he couldn’t. He HAD to see her, even if one last time.

(And let’s not forget that he literally gave her a piece of himself too)

And had Rose asked him to get her; had she admitted SHE was the pregnant one, he would have stopped at nothing to get her back.

The Doctor and River went on a “date” for 24 years. The Doctor would never have been able to stay with Rose in one place for such a long time. He would have become bored after two weeks with her.

River is the person the Doctor spends the most time with—she is the love of the Doctor’s life. But they could never live together in a normal way, so after the Doctor hears River’s speech in The Husbands of River Song, he decides to spend time with her properly. He is not burning a random sun for River, but giving 24 years of his life for her.

The Doctor never stayed for anybody; he didn’t even stay for Donna. The Fifteenth Doctor only stayed because he knew that the Sixteenth was going on adventures.

He loves Rose the way Rose needs to be loved.

He love River the way River needs to be loved.

There's no hierarchy here, not with the Doctor, just as the past, present and future can exist parallel to each other, the Doctor's love is limitless and complex.