Doctor Who star Jinkx Monsoon just shut down Season 14 backlash in the best way

Jinkx Monsoon, who plays the music-stealing menace known as Maestro in Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 2 (‘The Devil’s Chord’), has shut down the hateful comments surrounding the sci-fi show’s return.

In the latest episode, two-time Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon plays the operatic Doctor Who villain Maestro, who has the worrying ability to steal music from the world. The latest season of the long-running series shines the spotlight on Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor — the first Black man (and first person born outside of the UK) to play the titular Time Lord.

It’s a surprise to no one and a disappointment to all that this fact (along with Gatwa’s status as a queer actor) attracted negative reactions online, including racist and homophobic comments. Speaking to Variety, Monsoon didn’t hold back from shutting down the hate.

“I used to try to find diplomatic ways to talk about this, and now, truly how I feel is: Who gives a f*ck what bigots think?” she said. “A more optimistic way and idealistic way of looking at this is that popular opinion is not on their side.

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“They are a very loud group and they’re growing louder as they grow smaller. With every way they lash out in this way, the Conservative Right has decided to take an all-out war against trans people, queer people and people of color, and claim that’s not what they’re doing, but that’s clearly what they’re doing.”

As for how the backlash might affect the series itself, Monsoon doesn’t think it’ll be an issue. In fact, she predicts the fandom is on the rise.

“Numbers are not shrinking,” she added. “For every transphobic, racist, bigoted Doctor Who fan that we lose this season, there are going be three to five new fans who are coming in for the representation. So to those fans — who are not fans — I say, ‘Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.'”

For more Who, find out when the new episode of Doctor Who is out, how to watch Doctor Who Season 14, and check out our ‘Space Babies’ review.