Spoilers Everyone's native language

[Agony_Boothb]

And then there's Adira having to "come out" as non-binary. Again, dated, and makes no sense for the all-accepting utopia of future-Earth.

This was address in an interview with Blu De Barrio I believe. The writers and Blu were aware that by the 23rd/32nd centuries 'coming out' in the traditional sense would probably no longer be required. But it was consciously done in the way it was to acknowledge and honour that it is still difficult for people to come out in the 21st century. Later one we see that the crew refer to Adira as 'they' without a second thought, so obviously it was no big deal.

 

[Awesome Possum]

The thing that was really important was the Stamets and the rest of the crew didn't question it or even react, they just immediately began referring to Adira with the correct pronouns without a second thought. It's so accepted at that point that it isn't a big deal, it's just learning more about someone you work with. Or in Stamets' case, learn more about who your child is.

 

[eschaton]

My own presumption is there's additional singular pronouns for bigender/pangender/agender persons by the 23rd century, but for ease of understanding the writers just depict those as "they" for the show.

 

[Timo]

Or they milk the terminology for its ambiguity, as it really rides on the (in in-universe terms almost coincidental, in out-universe terms carefully engineered) factual plurality of Adira Dax.

It has to be "they" for the deception to work, out-universe. For reasons similar to why the first lesbian kiss in Trek had to be between a male and a female. (That is, if we discount the ones with sadomasochistic context.)

In-universe, I want to believe at least in Peter David's usage of "hir", which might be especially suited for those of nonbinary biological gender rather than "merely" nonbinary identity. But that runs into issues of how to pronounce "s/he"...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Is this the first time we've heard Andorian spoken on screen?

I'm fairly sure that the first time, chronologically, we ever meet Andorians (ENT's "The Andorian Incident"), they are speaking their native language, but we later hear English when the UT kicks in.

My own presumption is there's additional singular pronouns for bigender/pangender/agender persons

Yeah, that's pretty much what the novelverse does with species that have additional genders (such as the Damiani) or who are otherwise non-binary (Hermat).

And of course the J'naii from TNG. They have no gender, and use a 'neutral' pronoun.

 

[The Wormhole]

I'm fairly sure that the first time, chronologically, we ever meet Andorians (ENT's "The Andorian Incident"), they are speaking their native language, but we later hear English when the UT kicks in.

No, the Andorians in The Andorian Incident speak English the entire episode. Disco is the first time the Andorian language has been spoken on screen according to Memory Alpha.

 

[dupersuper]

Magna Roma, for example...I chalk that up to the Preservers, just like the planet of Native Americans. Only this time, the Preservers took people from ancient Rome. (Still doesn't explain the existence of English, but at least it helps.)

Surely that's the universal translator?

Kirk's girlfriend lamenting about how "women can't be captains.".

Even as a kid that was NEVER how I took her line, and I never understood why others did. It always seemed obvious to me she was complaining about him choosing his career over a relationship.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Even as a kid that was NEVER how I took her line, and I never understood why others did. It always seemed obvious to me she was complaining about him choosing his career over a relationship.

And that she was a ing LUNATIC.

 

[fireproof78]

Taking her literally is problematic.

But, then, so is that whole episode.

 

[The Wormhole]

Even as a kid that was NEVER how I took her line, and I never understood why others did.

Roddenberry did claim the line was meant to be taken literally. Though that's best left ignored.

 

[Timo]

Surely that's the universal translator?

Not that time around - the heroes themselves remark how the local language curiously is English. Spock is flabbergasted: "Complete Earth parallel!" and "An amazing parallel!" are how he characterizes it. Kirk later attributes this to Hodgkins' Law of Parallel Planet Development. But meddling is the likelier explanation overall.

Even as a kid that was NEVER how I took her line, and I never understood why others did. It always seemed obvious to me she was complaining about him choosing his career over a relationship.

Moreover, the episode rather suggests she never wanted to command a starship, and indeed never wanted to work for Starfleet at all if not with Jim Kirk. She only does it all to hurt Kirk here.

So reading the line as anything but "Jim Kirk's world has room for nothing but ships and adventure" takes quite some doing.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Timo]

...A perhaps unsurprisingly high percentage of them being colleagues. Starfleet would do well to select for competitiveness!

Timo Saloniemi