Homosexuality and Star Trek

[c9]

So Mr. Sulu is gay! Well, George Takei is. That's cool. I'm glad he was able to take this step -- it's not many 68-year-olds who come out. Thanks to lifein2x3 for the link.

Star Trek has had a long, and frankly depressing, history with GLBT representation. (way more info than anybody needs!) In the sixties, the show was renowned for featuring diversity when it was unusual, interracial relations (Kirk and Uhura kissed) when it was never done, and (most importantly) peace on Earth. Nobody was trying to get the queers on TV back then, but when Star Trek: The Next Generation showed up, queer issues were front and centre in the world. Gene Roddenberry said there would be gay characters. The stars wanted gay characters. But nothing.

In 1996 we thought that Lt Hawk, a new character in the movie that year, was going to be gay. No such luck. Gene Roddenberry's replacement contradicted statements by the actor and crew to that effect, saying he was definitely straight. A later novel, Rogue, explicitly made him gay (though not explicitly gay!). But novels aren't canon, which means they don't count. Also, he died in the movie. :(

I really used to enjoy Star Trek, but the newer series got less and less interesting to me. Partly due to not seeing myself reflected in that universe. I'm probably the only one who cares about this, but whatever.

It's at this point that someone mentions how stylish and metrosexual the Star Trek pointy sideburns are.

Comments

[bartok.livejournal.com]

I'd say that after a couple of glimmers on TNG the whole thing really just went away. In some ways it regressed, with DS9 having the evil lesbian alternate universe Kira, and Enterprise being so hetero it was bizarre....

I guess it was just typical to what happens when it stopped becoming a show and instead became a franchise. No surprises, nothing to rock the boat.

However with the fact that there have been a distinct lack of male hotties on the show, maybe it was for the best.

[c9.livejournal.com]

Too true. It's so bizarre in a universe ruled by the gays (Hollywood) that the show was so uber-straight. And frustrating because homophobes saw it as proof that homosexuality will be "cured" -- if I had a nickel for every time I saw that on a message board, I'd be stinkin' rich!

[bartok.livejournal.com]

it's not a universe ruled by the gays, it's ruled by $$$. $$$ kept ST as "straight and narrow" as possible.

Homophobes see Star Trek as "proof"? Wow, they're more messed up than I thought.

It's actually one thing which really leaves ST in the cold, as I can't think of any other significant show that has been so "homo-free". Hmmm

Buffy: The whole Tara/Willow thing of course. And there was some dorky closet case in the last couple of seasons.

Babylon 5: Ivanova/Talia, which was never explicit. But there none-the-less.

Doctor Who: New series of course. Captain Jack.

[lifein2x3.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had a feeling Hawk played for our team... he's too pretty to be straight, really.

That whole issue really kind of pissed me off, I blame Rick Berman.

[c9.livejournal.com]

Berman's such an ass. Do you read Wil Wheaton's blog (http://wilwheaton.net) ? He has some stories about Berman being an ass.

[thespos]

I agree with you... the new series did nothing more than flirt with the idea. The best episode where this was addressed in a very real way was "Rejoined" from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Torias Dax, a joined Trill male, had married Neilani Kahn, a joined Trill female. Torias was a test pilot, and he took a lot of unnecessary risks. This led to his death at a very young age.

Eighty years later, Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) has the opportunity to work with Dr. Lenara Kahn (Susanna Thompson), both female, and both subsequent hosts to the Dax and Kahn symbionts. There are taboos in Trill society regarding re-association, which basically means becoming romantically involved with the mate of a former host. Jadzia and Lenara discover that the love between Torias and Neilani has survived in their symbionts, and they cannot help but be drawn to each other.

The issue against their being together is not lesbianism, it is the Trill taboo against re-association.

Now, of course, Jadzia Dax goes on to marry Worf, so things didn't work out - but I thought the whole story was handled very sweetly. It was the closest Trek ever got to portraying a homosexual relationship.

I think it's a shame. Altho, there is evidence that there are no gay people in the Trek universe - have you seen how some of those quarters are decorated? :-P

[c9.livejournal.com]

That's exactly the problem. Rather than have actual characters, they three times total had a very special episode where gender or sexuality was ever-so-slightly teased. Riker likes a non-gendered species oh but wait she's actually a girl, and being a girl is bad there. Jadzia kisses a girl out of nostalgia. Kira's mirror universe version is evil and maybe a bit bi. Voyager had... nothing. Enterprise had... nothing. The movies had... nothing. It's really pathetic, and despite the individual episodes being or not being good or sweet, taken in context they really sucked ass.

And please: how many queers do you know who like large swoopy metal wall decorations, single colour carpet throughout the home, and ... I can't come up with a punchline for this, so please just imagine I made a funny.

[thespos]

LOL... you did. :-)

[simplisticton.livejournal.com]

C'mon, you know Spock and Kirk were getting it on constantly!

(courtesy of Boing Boing)

[lifeofprad.livejournal.com]

lol@though not explicitly gay