‘Doctor Who’ Spinoff ‘Class’ Reveals LGBT Student Will Be A Main Character In Wake Of Orlando Shooting

“Class” showrunner Patrick Ness decided that to release one spoiler after Sunday’s shooting in Orlando, Florida. He revealed that a main character on the teen-centric “Doctor Who” spinoff is gay.

“Been asked if Class will have LGBT representation in it,” Ness tweeted Monday. “Will a lead character with a boyfriend who he kisses & sleeps with & loves do?”

Ness explained that the writers hadn’t planned to reveal that yet. They haven’t even released character names. The BBC America drama has been rather secretive with most details, but it seems the Orlando shooting at a gay nightclub made him reveal that piece of information. He’d been attending a vigil in Wales for the victims that day as well.

Ness, who also writes young adult novels, was met with a very positive reaction to the news. “Gosh, what a lovely response! I just want to try and tell stories about characters I love,” he wrote. “That’s how I start anything.”

“Doctor Who” and its spinoffs have introduced their fair share of LGBT characters over the years. Most notably, the omnisexual Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) was introduced on the flagship show before starring in “Torchwood” for four seasons. Like all the other shows in the “Whoniverse,” Ness assured followers that there are many different types of characters on “Class.” Plus, they’ll all have to balance their love lives while also dealing with high school and aliens.

“Class” follows a group of teenagers at Coal Hill School, an institution that has repeatedly appeared on “Doctor Who.” It is the Doctor’s (Peter Capaldi) frequent visits that have started to cause trouble. “All the time traveling over the years has caused the very walls of space and time to become thin,” the synopsis teases. “There’s something pressing in on the other side, something waiting for its chance to kill everyone and everything, to bring us all into Shadow.”

“Class” will premiere in the fall on BBC America.