Listen, if it were a woman role model becoming a male suddenly you'd have an outcry of thousands of SJW's screaming bloody murder at how their idol is being taken away.

The irony is palpable. The fact is, there is a male character that is being taken out of the show. They don't / didn't need to make them into a female. They can give you Missy, whoever. Whatever. I don't care. I don't see people genderbending Superman, calling him Clark Kent, with female anatomy just for "girl power" because it would be ridiculous. No, you have Wonder woman, Supergirl, and Earth 11's Superwoman. All unique characters that are excellently written.

Examples of this: Spider-Gwen, Batgirl, Spiderwoman, Iron Woman, so on and so forth. They're unique individual role models that people can have. They weren't forced to become a male / female from a pre-existing character, let alone on episode 400+.

it's catering. Plain and simple. The female viewers can still look up to a male Doctor without them requiring him to become a woman. The fact you think they deserve that let alone should even want that is disturbing.