Sonequa Martin-Green is Your DSC Star

[Awesome Possum]

Yeah. That's the point. Sense8 has "a" transgender main character. Not "the" main character.

Currently, Sonequa Martin-Green is "the" lead character of Discovery. If they make her transgender, she will be demoted to "a" main character pretty fast. And the next square-chinned white guy who's already cast will become "the" lead character. Simply by virtue of executive meddling, reaction to fan-outcry, and the more ugly corners of the internet.

And I would like for Sonequa Martin-Green to remain the main character.

There is a sad, real-world reason why representation in fiction only progresses in baby-steps. Having a female and minority with a male name as "the" lead character for a flagship series is already a major step. I simply don't trust the producers daring to "risk" more and follow through with it.

Because the fans who pride themselves as being smarter and more enlightened than the average person are just as backwards thinking as the worst of us?

Because Star Trek got us to accept a captain who wasn't Kirk, a captain who wasn't white, a captain who wasn't male and almost got us to accept Scott Backula. They would complain at first, then get used to it and pat themselves on the back for how great they were.

That said the character isn't trans and thinking that because her name is Michael is not only very misinformed about trans people, but silly.

 

[Captain of the USS Averof]

Anyway, that's nothing, I once knew of an actor from Iowa named Marion Morrison.

Yeah right! There's no way he'd have a career with a name like Marion. Now if he was named Mitchell or Robert or even John…

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Hey, what can I say, I live in a country where you can't legally name a female child "Michael".

There are countries which legally dictate what you can name a child? Oy. That kind of stinks.

 

[{ Emilia }]

There are countries which legally dictate what you can name a child? Oy. That kind of stinks.

I think many Germans feel similar disdain when they think of the ridiculous names Americans can give to their children.

 

[Long Syntax]

and almost got us to accept Scott Backula.

Some of us did accept Scott Backula as captain

 

[KennyB]

Some of us did accept Scott Backula as captain

I know! You save the Earth and get no respect! I don't however buy his New Orleans accent!

 

[Guy Gardener]

Some of us did accept Scott Backula as captain

You never wanted John to sleep in, so we could hunker down and enjoy the Trip Loves T'Pol Show?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

There are countries which legally dictate what you can name a child? Oy. That kind of stinks.

And the United States is one of those countries. More precisely, naming laws in the US vary from state to state.

 

[Long Syntax]

You never wanted John to sleep in, so we could hunker down and enjoy the Trip Loves T'Pol Show?

The Trip and T'Pol show was fine too... it was all good

 

[Baxten]

Would any of you name your daughter Michael, if you could do so legally, and hope she doesn't hate your guts when she grows up? Didn't think so!

As for index and ring fingers, people who were born male generally have longer ring fingers than their index fingers, which is the case with Sonequa Martin-Green. Combined with the typically male-given name Michael, it cannot, in good conscience, be attributed to a mere "gimmick". The proper term is hidden agenda.

As for "raging" and "trolling": double standards.

 

[CorporalClegg]

#FleetwoodMac

 

[{ Emilia }]

Would any of you name your daughter Michael, if you could do so legally, and hope she doesn't hate your guts when she grows up? Didn't think so!

As for index and ring fingers, people who were born male generally have longer ring fingers than their index fingers, which is the case with Sonequa Martin-Green. Combined with the typically male-given name Michael, it cannot, in good conscience, be attributed to a mere "gimmick". The proper term is hidden agenda.

As for "raging" and "trolling": double standards.

You have already received an infraction for the hidden agenda trolling today so you're close to earning a second (which comes with a time-out).

I'm also not sure what kind of "hidden agenda" there could be anyway. I don't see any coherent subversive agenda behind any of this. I can't even think of a goal that agenda might want to achieve.


Also: Regarding the finger comment, variance among individuals is greater than the difference between genders so this only applies to averages.

 

[Trekkin]

I here now declare that my future female spawn shall be named 'Michael.'

Every last one of them.

Once they've hatched.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Would any of you name your daughter Michael, if you could do so legally, and hope she doesn't hate your guts when she grows up? Didn't think so!

Its not common, but does happen.

As for index and ring fingers, people who were born male generally have longer ring fingers than their index fingers, which is the case with Sonequa Martin-Green. Combined with the typically male-given name Michael, it cannot, in good conscience, be attributed to a mere "gimmick". The proper term is hidden agenda.

As for "raging" and "trolling": double standards.

What's your point? That the character is supposed to be trans, while ignoring the fact that most trans people change their name to one closer to their true gender? That doesn't even make sense since if she were trans, evidence actually shows that some the same variation as cis women.

But most importantly, who cares? Trans people exist, grow up and accept it. If this is such a big deal for you, you may need to work on your own issues with gender (you seem to be a bit obsessed) before going after a show that hasn't aired yet based on flimsy evidence that seemingly only holds up in your imagination. And I speak as a trans person, Star Trek needs a trans character. Not having one shows the limits of the writer's imagination and a perceived bias that the fans are immature bigots unwilling to accept diversity despite it being one of the core values of the almost religious vision of the franchise.

Also what's the agenda? The crazy idea that all humans are equal and deserve basic rights and respect?

 

[Kor]

And the United States is one of those countries. More precisely, naming laws in the US vary from state to state.

I remember reading some rumors about how profanity is not allowed in legal personal names. I've never been able to verify it, though.

Does anyone want to give it a try?

Kor

 

[Mudd]

One of my children has a given name that was commonly associated in America with one gender at the time of the kid's birth and has since come to be gender-neutral and arguably more associated with a gender other than the one it was then. Naming conventions are among the the most ephemeral of cultural markers.

I think it was Penn Gillette who recently pointed out that most kids who grow up hating their names do so for idiosyncratic and self-conscious reasons, not because the name is unusual in any way. "'Dave,' why did it have to be 'Dave'?"

 

[Awesome Possum]

One of my children has a given name that was commonly associated in America with one gender at the time of the kid's birth and has since come to be gender-neutral and arguably more associated with a gender other than the one it was then. Naming conventions are among the the most ephemeral of cultural markers.

That happened to my birth name.

 

[Guy Gardener]

My mum gave me a girls name, but it took me 16 years to notice.

 

[Tuskin38]

My real name is an alternate spelling of a male name, but googling it gives you a majority of women.

 

[Long Syntax]

I remember reading some rumors about how profanity is not allowed in legal personal names. I've never been able to verify it, though.

Does anyone want to give it a try?

Kor

Yeah - that is weird. Not saying I want a law against it, but what kind of life are you setting your child up for if you go out of your way to name your child based in profanity? Verges on child abuse if you ask me.