What if the Captain for the next series was announced as being non-binary gender (not solely male or female) but rather one that was either gender neutral, transgendered, or hermaphroditic, would that make you not watch the show?
Depends on what you mean by "neither male nor female." If you're talking about an intersexed human, then I'd definitely watch it. "Star Trek's" message about a diverse utopia free of bigotry would be well served with an intersexed hero. If you're talking about an alien whose species doesn't have the same genders as ours, that too would be really interesting. If you're talking about a human female who identifies as "genderfluid" because sometimes she likes to wear pants and sometimes she likes to wear dresses, then I will pass.
It's Star Trek? In a time when attitudes toward non-binary gender identity is becoming more and more acceptable. Sure. I'm game.
It means however you want to take it, either an intersexed human or an alien race with different genders. In the 24th century with standard uniforms including both trouser and skant variants then I'd say everyone would be a little 'genderfluid' in that regard. It was never stated outright, though they were definitely friendly towards the UFP if not allied in some way, so I could see a few being in Starfleet.
Then yes, I'd be for it. I'm very much for sexual diversity; I'm just really sick of this new trend of 1950s sexism disguised as sexual diversity.
What difference would it make? Star Trek is more than its captain, and I’d like to say it depends on the character, but it would need to be one mighty annoying character to make the show unwatchable. So. If the character is written and portrayed well. And if the stories are entertaining, the other characters are engaging and compelling, the effects impressive and the setting enthralling. If the show as a whole holds my attention and fires my imagination. And if it challenges my preconceptions and attitudes without seeking to condescend or belittle my own world view. Yeah, I’d watch it. I stuck with scooby doo through the Scrappy years, so anything is possible.
This wouldn't prevent me from watching, but this alone wouldn't keep me watching if I didn't like the show in general. If there was a need for the character to annouce their "non-binary gender" as often as Data annouced he was a android, this alone would cause me to drop the series. Bry Sinclair, how about a character who never makes it know what they have going on in terms of their genitalia or sexuality? That might be refreshing.
As odd as it sounds, I don't care. I would rather have an interesting character without worrying about their gender.
Well fingers crossed the character would be a well-rounded, interesting and engaging individual, portrayed by someone who could bring them to life and keep them from being a one-dimensional stereotype. I like the idea Tenacity, would definitely be something very different from what's come before.
I could care less if it's a white 30-something American flaming heterosexual or a transgendered horta raised in Iraq who is into S&M. If the show entertains me and the characters are fun to watch, their sexual orientation and gender identity are entirely meaningless to me. I don't take offense to "too many white heterosexuals" any more than I take offense to "why is this SJW nonsense with gender fluid people" or whatever. Both attitudes are stupid. I like Star Trek. Period.
Well, that would certainly have my interest! My only question now is why isn't this show already on the air?
This sorta sounds like a strawman, or strawwoman if she's wearing a skirt that day. The future will make issues of gender and sexuality more complex, not less. For instance, what if the character is a cyborg that can change bodies like someone changes clothes, and can therefore be male or female whenever he/she wishes? What if the character is some kind of "gendermorph" that can literally change gender at will? What if a character is captured by religious radicals that use neural resequencing to alter the character's sexual orientation? The trick is to meaningfully tackle the topic without using gender and sexuality as a joke or a gimmick. I'm not really sure what that means. Indeed, while gender and sexuality may be a big deal for a modern audience, it would not be an issue in the future, so no one would feel the need to constantly identify their gender and sexuality.
Most "genderfluid" people I've encountered are females who claim they become "male" when they cut their hair, wear baggy clothes, or even wear pants. I find this very backwards, insulting to women, and very insulting and damaging to trans people, who already have a hard enough time being taken seriously by society.
That's part of the reason I asked, stemming from the question of whether of not Trek should actual take a stand, do things differently and be willing to take some heat for putting contemporary issues forward.