One Year of The Time Ladies

Where’s our birthday cake? We’re ready to blow out our first candle!

Beth

Today marks one year of The Time Ladies.

A year ago we launched our social channels and blog with a beautiful poem by the amazing Em, without whom we couldn’t have got to where we are today. Over the course of the months since, we’ve had incredible support and equally, terrible hatred aimed towards us. When I set up this blog, I wanted a place where I felt comfortable as a woman and as a Doctor Who fan, as all spaces I could see for the show were male dominated. There’s nothing wrong with that – I’ve made some amazing male friends through the show. But something was missing, and when The Time Ladies was created, I filled that hole I had been feeling for years.

We rapidly grew due to amazing support from friends and followers, and when Jodie Whittaker was announced as the 13th Doctor, we truly knew we had a place. I will always be astonished that just 4 months before a Time Lady Doctor finally happened, I’d created a blog by the same name. Radio appearances, brand partnerships, convention invites and many viral posts later and we finally have the voice I always wanted. We absolutely couldn’t have done it without all the support from so many amazing people; the brands and companies that ask to work with us, the friends who share our posts, the people who give advice. The retweets, the feedback, the submissions and the interactions. So here’s to a year of us and to the future, which is bright and full of excitement as the build up for series 11 begins.

Kez

A year ago, the landscape of the Doctor Who fandom looked very different to me. I, personally had compartmentalised my interests and beliefs into little boxes when really, they were all related. Am I nerdy as heck about a certain sci-fi show? Yes. Do I love clothes, make up and all things feminine? Yes. Am I a feminist and believe women’s work should be celebrated in male dominated environments? Yes. Is there a place for intersectionality within the Doctor Who fandom? No.  As if there would ever be a place for female Doctor Who fans to voice their opinion proudly, in a safe space where they wouldn’t be shouted down or told they were wrong! Happily, this space now exists.

For every nasty tweet about us being ‘man-haters’ (yawn), every patronising message claiming we know nothing about the show we love, there have been women (and men!) who validate and empower the voice of this small corner of the internet. And I can’t tell you how amazing that feels… and how important it really is. Getting feedback from women telling us they finally feel part of a community who understands them pushes us to create more.

Me and Beth have been able to work on some amazing things this year – who remembers our press tour?! And this year with a new Time Lord in the TARDIS, who knows what we’ll be up to! Moving forward, we want to share this space more. We’re all part of this community and we should all benefit. Keep your eye out for some amazing opportunities… and of course we’ll be posting more pieces you’ve written, too. We can’t wait. Thanks for everything so far, here’s to many more years, many more candles and much more cake!