Was Kirk gay

[Sovay]

Pansexuality is what I'd think sexuality in a positive future with social progression would basically be. I think it would be beyond "gay". Of course, now, pansexuality is just another label, I think in the future things like sexual preferences would simply be a nonissue. If you want to sleep only with the opposite sex, that's fine, if you want to sleep with everyone, that's fine, and if you want to sleep only with the same sex, or a certain other species, or whatever the hell you want, that's fine too.
It'll just be aaaalllll gooooooood

 

[indranee]

have you seen the Shatman? he'd flirt with a crocodile given the opportunity.

 

[KimMH]

^yeah - but would you flirt back? I would!

 

[Timewalker]

Kirk??? Naw,,Hardly hes gay..But Chekhov and Sulu are mostly gay.

How much of this nonsense became more prevalent after George Takei came out?

It's ridiculous, and I wish people would separate the actor from the character. George Takei may prefer men, but SULU preferred women.

I seem to recall reading that Walter Koenig was married to a woman, and Chekov was definitely a ladies' man-wannabe (since he was only 22, he had a bit of growing up left to do... ).

Pansexuality is what I'd think sexuality in a positive future with social progression would basically be. I think it would be beyond "gay". Of course, now, pansexuality is just another label, I think in the future things like sexual preferences would simply be a nonissue. If you want to sleep only with the opposite sex, that's fine, if you want to sleep with everyone, that's fine, and if you want to sleep only with the same sex, or a certain other species, or whatever the hell you want, that's fine too.
It'll just be aaaalllll gooooooood

So Jadzia Dax was a pansexual?

 

[The Grim Ghost]

Why can't two men be close friends without the suggestion that they are gay?

If Kirk was gay then frankly I wouldn't really care. But he so obviously isn't, and there is nothing onscreen to suggest otherwise. All of the youtube videos in the world aren't going to change that.

 

[DonIago]

^Because not suggesting it wouldn't be any fun?

 

[Basil]

Why can't two men be close friends without the suggestion that they are gay?

If Kirk was gay then frankly I wouldn't really care. But he so obviously isn't, and there is nothing onscreen to suggest otherwise. All of the youtube videos in the world aren't going to change that.

Not only that, but most if not all of his female conquests were private -- if one were to assume in a half-assed Freudian way he were compensating for his secret homosexual desires or acting out to create beards with his female lovers, his romances would certainly be much more public. But consider over the course of the series and films how few times outside his closest friends, if that, anyone even realized he was romancing a woman. We the audience are aware, but who else? Edith Keeler? Spock, and marginally McCoy. Ruth? Apparently nobody. Elaan? Spock and McCoy. Lenore? Apparently nobody. Mirimanee? Spock. And so on.

There's as much evidence that Kirk is gay as there is that he was a pedophile (hey, he established close relationships with Charlie X, Miri, Tommy Starnes, and his nephew), a white supremecist (he seemed to socialize almost exclusively with caucasians and work for an organization where they ran the show, despite only being 10% of the human population -- even his alien best friend was half Anglo and his favorite prof was a closet Nazi), and a Republican (his admiration for Lincoln, his pontificating about the Declaration and Constitution, his contempt for government bureaucrats like Fox, Baris, Ferris, et al, and his willingness to see an arms race as a sane(!) solution to maintaining the stability of a planet's security).

However, Pine's Kirk was definitely gay in a Top Gun volleyball scene type of way.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

Kirk was bi. He did every one of every stripe.

 

[Cheapjack]

Why can't two men be close friends without the suggestion that they are gay?

If Kirk was gay then frankly I wouldn't really care. But he so obviously isn't, and there is nothing onscreen to suggest otherwise. All of the youtube videos in the world aren't going to change that.

Not only that, but most if not all of his female conquests were private -- if one were to assume in a half-assed Freudian way he were compensating for his secret homosexual desires or acting out to create beards with his female lovers, his romances would certainly be much more public. But consider over the course of the series and films how few times outside his closest friends, if that, anyone even realized he was romancing a woman. We the audience are aware, but who else? Edith Keeler? Spock, and marginally McCoy. Ruth? Apparently nobody. Elaan? Spock and McCoy. Lenore? Apparently nobody. Mirimanee? Spock. And so on.

There's as much evidence that Kirk is gay as there is that he was a pedophile (hey, he established close relationships with Charlie X, Miri, Tommy Starnes, and his nephew), a white supremecist (he seemed to socialize almost exclusively with caucasians and work for an organization where they ran the show, despite only being 10% of the human population -- even his alien best friend was half Anglo and his favorite prof was a closet Nazi), and a Republican (his admiration for Lincoln, his pontificating about the Declaration and Constitution, his contempt for government bureaucrats like Fox, Baris, Ferris, et al, and his willingness to see an arms race as a sane(!) solution to maintaining the stability of a planet's security).

However, Pine's Kirk was definitely gay in a Top Gun volleyball scene type of way.

The things you mention are only implicit, or could be inferred. Explicitly, apart from that bit in TMP novelisation, Kirk was hetero.

 

[Timo]

...Although as already pointed out a couple of times, the only heterosexual liaisons he voluntarily entered or entertained seemed to be Ruth, a woman twice his age; and Rayna, a known robot. All the others he was shown to do for king and country, in order to save his life or his ship or to complete his mission. (And one might argue he did Rayna for the same reason.) Oh, and then there was Carol, at Gary Mitchell's behest (if she was the blonde lab technician of "WNMHGB" fame), whom Kirk apparently quickly dropped.

It does make one wonder, then...

Seriously, forks, Kirk's sexual orientation completely aside, most of the "romances" or "beddings" we saw in TOS were in fact what one would expect from a coldly calculating bluebeard, disinterested in sex or love, aiming for some more concrete reward. Kirk knew how to twist women around his little finger. That he didn't seem to know how to do that to (most) men might suggest inexperience in matters gay. Or then it might indicate that Kirk thought of women as mere means to an end, and of men as partners to be taken seriously. Whatever. In the end, we failed to see Kirk the man in love; at most we saw Kirk the lover, Kirk the actor, Kirk the determined soldier.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Haggis and tatties]

Yes.....Kirk was "Gay"...but in the 23thd century the definition of "Gay" had changed somewhat....

23thd century definition of "Gay"

"Gay" to have big ship, to be the head honcho, to be numero Ono, to be number one, top dog, the big cheese...
"Gayed" He Gayed a entire bottle of romulan ale.
"Gayer" He kissed her on the Gayer.

So yes he was "Gay".

 

[Cheapjack]

...Although as already pointed out a couple of times, the only heterosexual liaisons he voluntarily entered or entertained seemed to be Ruth, a woman twice his age; and Rayna, a known robot. All the others he was shown to do for king and country, in order to save his life or his ship or to complete his mission. (And one might argue he did Rayna for the same reason.) Oh, and then there was Carol, at Gary Mitchell's behest (if she was the blonde lab technician of "WNMHGB" fame), whom Kirk apparently quickly dropped.

It does make one wonder, then...

Seriously, forks, Kirk's sexual orientation completely aside, most of the "romances" or "beddings" we saw in TOS were in fact what one would expect from a coldly calculating bluebeard, disinterested in sex or love, aiming for some more concrete reward. Kirk knew how to twist women around his little finger. That he didn't seem to know how to do that to (most) men might suggest inexperience in matters gay. Or then it might indicate that Kirk thought of women as mere means to an end, and of men as partners to be taken seriously. Whatever. In the end, we failed to see Kirk the man in love; at most we saw Kirk the lover, Kirk the actor, Kirk the determined soldier.

Timo Saloniemi

He's not cold. he's PROFESSIONAL. His job and his ship comes first. He likes the ladies, that's for sure. And he's confident with them and he can keep them, if he wants to. And they like him. Bit like me, really!

 

[indranee]

^I think Timo did mean that.

^yeah - but would you flirt back? I would!

would I flirt back with the Shat? are you kidding?! in a heartbeat!

 

[indranee]

...Although as already pointed out a couple of times, the only heterosexual liaisons he voluntarily entered or entertained seemed to be Ruth, a woman twice his age; and Rayna, a known robot. All the others he was shown to do for king and country, in order to save his life or his ship or to complete his mission. (And one might argue he did Rayna for the same reason.) Oh, and then there was Carol, at Gary Mitchell's behest (if she was the blonde lab technician of "WNMHGB" fame), whom Kirk apparently quickly dropped.

It does make one wonder, then...

Seriously, forks, Kirk's sexual orientation completely aside, most of the "romances" or "beddings" we saw in TOS were in fact what one would expect from a coldly calculating bluebeard, disinterested in sex or love, aiming for some more concrete reward. Kirk knew how to twist women around his little finger. That he didn't seem to know how to do that to (most) men might suggest inexperience in matters gay. Or then it might indicate that Kirk thought of women as mere means to an end, and of men as partners to be taken seriously. Whatever. In the end, we failed to see Kirk the man in love; at most we saw Kirk the lover, Kirk the actor, Kirk the determined soldier.

Timo Saloniemi

Timo, as always, gets to the meat of the matter

that said, what about Edith? oh, and Miramanee?

 

[DonIago]

...both of whom provided him with free lodgings in return for his affections?

 

[KimMH]

^I think Timo did mean that.

^yeah - but would you flirt back? I would!

would I flirt back with the Shat? are you kidding?! in a heartbeat!

 

[Basil]

Why can't two men be close friends without the suggestion that they are gay?

If Kirk was gay then frankly I wouldn't really care. But he so obviously isn't, and there is nothing onscreen to suggest otherwise. All of the youtube videos in the world aren't going to change that.

Not only that, but most if not all of his female conquests were private -- if one were to assume in a half-assed Freudian way he were compensating for his secret homosexual desires or acting out to create beards with his female lovers, his romances would certainly be much more public. But consider over the course of the series and films how few times outside his closest friends, if that, anyone even realized he was romancing a woman. We the audience are aware, but who else? Edith Keeler? Spock, and marginally McCoy. Ruth? Apparently nobody. Elaan? Spock and McCoy. Lenore? Apparently nobody. Mirimanee? Spock. And so on.

There's as much evidence that Kirk is gay as there is that he was a pedophile (hey, he established close relationships with Charlie X, Miri, Tommy Starnes, and his nephew), a white supremecist (he seemed to socialize almost exclusively with caucasians and work for an organization where they ran the show, despite only being 10% of the human population -- even his alien best friend was half Anglo and his favorite prof was a closet Nazi), and a Republican (his admiration for Lincoln, his pontificating about the Declaration and Constitution, his contempt for government bureaucrats like Fox, Baris, Ferris, et al, and his willingness to see an arms race as a sane(!) solution to maintaining the stability of a planet's security).

However, Pine's Kirk was definitely gay in a Top Gun volleyball scene type of way.

The things you mention are only implicit, or could be inferred. Explicitly, apart from that bit in TMP novelisation, Kirk was hetero.

My point is any attempt to suggest Kirk is gay is equally implicit -- there is nothing explicit in the series or the films to suggest it or that he is bisexual. If we go down the route of "guilt by association (or lack)," we could infer any number of things with no real evidence

 

[Basil]

...Although as already pointed out a couple of times, the only heterosexual liaisons he voluntarily entered or entertained seemed to be Ruth, a woman twice his age; and Rayna, a known robot. All the others he was shown to do for king and country, in order to save his life or his ship or to complete his mission. (And one might argue he did Rayna for the same reason.) Oh, and then there was Carol, at Gary Mitchell's behest (if she was the blonde lab technician of "WNMHGB" fame), whom Kirk apparently quickly dropped.

It does make one wonder, then...

Seriously, forks, Kirk's sexual orientation completely aside, most of the "romances" or "beddings" we saw in TOS were in fact what one would expect from a coldly calculating bluebeard, disinterested in sex or love, aiming for some more concrete reward. Kirk knew how to twist women around his little finger. That he didn't seem to know how to do that to (most) men might suggest inexperience in matters gay. Or then it might indicate that Kirk thought of women as mere means to an end, and of men as partners to be taken seriously. Whatever. In the end, we failed to see Kirk the man in love; at most we saw Kirk the lover, Kirk the actor, Kirk the determined soldier.

Timo Saloniemi

Or it might suggest he simply fit the classic definition of American heterosexual hero, in that he could put duty above even personal pleasure, or in a typical 1960s way, find a way to combine both.

However, I don't think the show was ever conceived to explore its characters outside of the context of space opera, and in that respect, to assume it would waste time charting the intracacies of Kirk's lovelife outside of the confines of plot seems as absurd as speculating 40 years later if he was gay or bisexual in the face of ample evidence of his love relationships with Ruth, Carol Marcus, Areel Shaw, Edith Keeler, and Miramanee, his sexual dalliances with quite a few others, and his nonexistent romantic or sexual relationships with men.

 

[DonIago]

^Presumed nonexistent.

 

[The Exile]

No, but he was so manly he turned other men gay.