Gay Characters in Star Trek

[Charles Trip Tucker III]

With George Takie "announcing" his homosexuallity, why not bring this discussion up again. How would you feel about a gay character in a new Star Trek production?

Personally, I think homosexuallity is gross, unnatural, and sinful. I'm not going to try to force my believes onto others, but I figured I should share my perspective. If they have a "gay character" in a future Star Trek production, I'm not gonna make a big deal about it. I just won't watch. :thumbsup: If it's just one episode or a few episodes, I'll just skip the episodes. However, if it's a recurring character in more than a few episodes or a series regular, I won't watch. If it's a movie, there's no way I'll go see it.

I might come off as "homophobic," but that would suggest that I "fear" homosexuals. They don't scare me, I just don't like their lifestyle. I don't want to see it on TV nor in a movie either.

However, like I said earlier, if it happens, I'm not going to make a big fuss about it. I'll just find a different sci-fi show to watch. :thumbsup:

 

[Warped9]

I'm personally not keen on the idea, but if it were to happen I wouldn't necessarily stop watching the show. It all depends on how it's done. If the show is good and entertaining on its own merits then that one thing of having a gay character wouldn't turn me away.

 

[exodus]

Here we go with this "It's gross but I keep talking about it anyway" bullshit again.

Is there really a need to state personal views on Homosexuality just to ask this question every single time?

 

[Deleted 2]

<Sulu>Oh my...</Sulu>

Posted by Charles Trip Tucker III:
With George Takie "announcing" his homosexuallity, why not bring this discussion up again.

In fact, let's not. It's not like the 32896 similar threads preceding this one were productive.

If they have a "gay character" in a future Star Trek production, I'm not gonna make a big deal about it. I just won't watch. :thumbsup: If it's just one episode or a few episodes, I'll just skip the episodes. However, if it's a recurring character in more than a few episodes or a series regular, I won't watch. If it's a movie, there's no way I'll go see it.

Judging from your username, you watched the Schlock that was Enterprise, but you'd ditch a potentially good show (okay, unlikely, it's The Franchise we're talking about here) just because of a gay character?

 

[Charles Trip Tucker III]

Posted by michiel:

Posted by Charles Trip Tucker III:
If they have a "gay character" in a future Star Trek production, I'm not gonna make a big deal about it. I just won't watch. :thumbsup: If it's just one episode or a few episodes, I'll just skip the episodes. However, if it's a recurring character in more than a few episodes or a series regular, I won't watch. If it's a movie, there's no way I'll go see it.

Judging from your username, you watched the Schlock that was Enterprise, but you'd ditch a potentially good show (okay, unlikely, it's The Franchise we're talking about here) just because of a gay character?

First off, Enterprise is a good show, not "schlock." Second, I don't recall there ever being a "gay" character. Third, I wouldn't be ditching Star Trek, just that one production.

 

[doubleohfive]

Posted by Charles Trip Tucker III:
Personally, I think homosexuallity is gross, unnatural, and sinful. I'm not going to try to force my believes onto others, but I figured I should share my perspective.

I might come off as "homophobic,"

You don't, not at all. You just come off as "wrong," or maybe "ass-backwards," "ignorant," or dare I say it, "intolerant."

Its that exact kind of closed-mindedness and generally dismissive attitude that is wrong with the world today.

 

[Steve Roby]

Posted by Charles Trip Tucker III:
With George Takie "announcing" his homosexuallity, why not bring this discussion up again. How would you feel about a gay character in a new Star Trek production?

I'd say it was long overdue, thanks in part to the hypocritical Gene Roddenberry, who agreed it was time for a gay character around the same time as his lawyer pal Leonard Maizlish was calling David Gerrold "an AIDS-infected cocksucker. A fucking faggot."

Personally, I think homosexuallity is gross,

Do you think they're going to show gay characters felching on TV or something?

unnatural,

Demonstrably wrong, given how widesprad homosexual behaviour is in a wide range of species, not just humans.

and sinful.

Sin is a concept that only has meaning for people who agree with your religious beliefs. It has no basis in law or nature, and whenever anyone brings up sin is a discussion I know they aren't arguing from any rational basis.

I'm not going to try to force my believes onto others, but I figured I should share my perspective. If they have a "gay character" in a future Star Trek production, I'm not gonna make a big deal about it. I just won't watch. :thumbsup: If it's just one episode or a few episodes, I'll just skip the episodes. However, if it's a recurring character in more than a few episodes or a series regular, I won't watch. If it's a movie, there's no way I'll go see it.

What do you think you'd actually see? There are plenty of straight relationships in Star Trek, but we've never seen, for example, Riker titfucking Troi, or Kasidy Yates giving Ben Sisko a blowjob. So it's not as if we're going to see Gay Character 1 rimming Gay Character 2. You're not going to see lesbians doing some mutual muff-diviing in an episode of Star Trek any more than you're going to see Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres working their way through the kama sutra.

You might see the occasional handholding. Maybe even (gasp) a hug or a kiss once in a while. Personally, I wouldn't want to kiss a guy; I'm not wired that way. But I couldn't care less if two guys who are wired that way are happily smooching. Gross? Compared to the average episode of CSI, guys kissing is way, way down low on the gross-o-meter.

Oh, for the good old days, when people thought Star Trek fandom was liberal and progressive...

 

[Quonous]

I want a Gay Captain. I want him to be everything a captain should be, charismatic, strong, intelligent, decisive; pretty much everything Jonathan "Not the face! Not the Face!" Archer Wasn't; he just happens to be attracted to men. I have to say I don't really watch that much TV, so I don't know if there has been a well written Gay male character who is not simply "the gay one," but if there hasn't then what better show than Star Trek to set the precedent? I think doing something so high profile, given competent writers, would also help break down the stereotypes along with intolerance.

 

[captcalhoun]

oh, didn't you realise trip is actually bi and in love with archer? he only had the thing with t'pol because he couldn't get archer to sleep with him. it's so obvious if you watch the show properly...

 

[Phantassm]

Posted by Warped9:
I'm personally not keen on the idea, but if it were to happen I wouldn't necessarily stop watching the show. It all depends on how it's done. If the show is good and entertaining on its own merits then that one thing of having a gay character wouldn't turn me away.

...I wish trek's only problem were having a gay relationship on the show! As it stands now star trek can't even handle being a show let alone a gay issue. I agree with W-9 on this thing.

 

[degraClosed]

Posted by Charles Trip Tucker III:
Personally, I think homosexuallity is gross, unnatural, and sinful.

For someone who enjoys Trek and subscribes to its more high-minded and more enlighted philosophy embracing everyone that is a rather ignorant statement.

If they have a "gay character" in a future Star Trek production, I'm not gonna make a big deal about it. I just won't watch. :thumbsup: If it's just one episode or a few episodes, I'll just skip the episodes. However, if it's a recurring character in more than a few episodes or a series regular, I won't watch. If it's a movie, there's no way I'll go see it.

Sadly I think you may have watched Trek but the whole point of the show went over your head.

 

[Botany Bay]

Tucker, my answer is the same as the last four times you've asked this.

Of course I would watch it if it was an entertaining show.

However, like I said earlier, if it happens, I'm not going to make a big fuss about it.

Does that mean no more threads about this from you? :thumbsup:

I'll just find a different sci-fi show to watch

I'm not sure you've been watching the same Star Trek as me in the first place.

 

[Garak]

Posted by Charles Trip Tucker III:
With George Takie "announcing" his homosexuallity, why not bring this discussion up again. How would you feel about a gay character in a new Star Trek production?

Personally, I think homosexuallity is gross, unnatural, and sinful. I'm not going to try to force my believes onto others, but I figured I should share my perspective. If they have a "gay character" in a future Star Trek production, I'm not gonna make a big deal about it. I just won't watch. :thumbsup: If it's just one episode or a few episodes, I'll just skip the episodes. However, if it's a recurring character in more than a few episodes or a series regular, I won't watch. If it's a movie, there's no way I'll go see it.

I might come off as "homophobic," but that would suggest that I "fear" homosexuals. They don't scare me, I just don't like their lifestyle. I don't want to see it on TV nor in a movie either.

However, like I said earlier, if it happens, I'm not going to make a big fuss about it. I'll just find a different sci-fi show to watch. :thumbsup:

How narrow and limited that you would shun a potentially great show just because of one character who is gay. How narrow and limited indeed.

 

[Naraht]

Posted by Quonous:
I want a Gay Captain. I want him to be everything a captain should be, charismatic, strong, intelligent, decisive; pretty much everything Jonathan "Not the face! Not the Face!" Archer Wasn't; he just happens to be attracted to men. I have to say I don't really watch that much TV, so I don't know if there has been a well written Gay male character who is not simply "the gay one"...

Captain Jack Harkness, from the new Doctor Who. Charismatic, heroic, and openly bisexual.

Personally I think it's shameful that Star Trek has been this far behind on such an important issue...

 

[Sci]

Posted by Charles Trip Tucker III:
With George Takie "announcing" his homosexuallity, why not bring this discussion up again. How would you feel about a gay character in a new Star Trek production?

I think that just as TOS stood up for equal rights for blacks and other ethnic minorities, modern Trek, when revived, ought to stand up for the rights of gays.

Personally, I think homosexuallity is gross, unnatural, and sinful. I'm not going to try to force my believes onto others, but I figured I should share my perspective.

That's reasonable -- your reason for sharing your perspective, I mean.

If they have a "gay character" in a future Star Trek production, I'm not gonna make a big deal about it. I just won't watch.

That's certainly your right, though I'd hope that you would reconsider, especially since following in the footsteps of those who refused to watch TOS because it had a black woman and an Asian man on the bridge is not exactly a legacy to be proud of carrying on.

I might come off as "homophobic," but that would suggest that I "fear" homosexuals. They don't scare me, I just don't like their lifestyle.

A far superior term would be "heterosexism," then.

However, like I said earlier, if it happens, I'm not going to make a big fuss about it. I'll just find a different sci-fi show to watch. :thumbsup:

That's certainly your right, and at least you have the decency to respect Trek's right to freedom of speech, too.

 

[Plum]

Posted by Charles Trip Tucker III:
<SNIP!>

... so much for IDIIC.

 

[Masao]

AGAIN? Tucker has to be the board's most homosexuality-obsessed member.

 

[LieutenantHawk]

Posted by Charles Trip Tucker III:
With George Takie "announcing" his homosexuallity, why not bring this discussion up again. How would you feel about a gay character in a new Star Trek production?

I've been a Trek fan since I was eleven years old, and having a gay character (or characters) in Star Trek would mean a lot to me, seeing as how I have been waiting for one for quite awhile...since, oh, around the time DS9 began.

As a teenager, I really didn't have any gay role-models to look up to, and the closest thing I could find to replace that were the monumentally awesome characters on Trek, who epitomize the best of Humanity.

Little did I realize how homophobic some of the higher-ups were, like Rick Berman. The man has been addressed the issue by such people as Patrick Stewart, Kate Mulgrew, and even Scott Bakula...all of whom were adamant that it was high time one be introduced. This is after all the 21st century. Little did they know there have been attempts to incorporate gays into storylines in the past, but they were always smitten out...I wonder why? And this goes back to early TNG, where a script featuring a gay security officer and medical technitian was shafted.

I mean, Whoopi Goldberg wanted one teensy, tiny little scene...instead of teaching Lal about love by showing a man holding a woman's hand, she wanted Lal to see two men holding hands in Ten Forward. Wanna guess what kind of resistance she faced for such a trite little thing?

Gates McFadden tried and failed to make the ending of "The Host" less homophobic...the results were less-than-sucessful.

Then, of course, there was Lieutenant Hawk in First Contact...who was to be Trek's first out gay character. Patrick Stewart gave high praise for the decision...but then it just didn't happen.

Oh yeah, there were rumors about Malcolm Reed being gay. Quite a bit of publicity about it. Sadly, I wasn't suprised when they went out of their way to establish him as hetero (I recall a scene about him blabbering on about liking T'Pol's ass)...oh right, that was the very last episode of Enterprise I saw! They didn't just exclude showcasing a gay character, they flicked off the entire notion with a sizable birdie!

Let me put it this way...do you feel *any* sympathy for the character Benny Russell in "Far Beyond The Stars"? Well, the plights he went through are very much still alive for the gay community. Treated like second-class citizens because...well, you tell me.

Personally, I think homosexuallity is gross, unnatural, and sinful. I'm not going to try to force my believes onto others, but I figured I should share my perspective. If they have a "gay character" in a future Star Trek production, I'm not gonna make a big deal about it. I just won't watch. :thumbsup: If it's just one episode or a few episodes, I'll just skip the episodes. However, if it's a recurring character in more than a few episodes or a series regular, I won't watch. If it's a movie, there's no way I'll go see it.

Well, do I particularly like watching Riker and Troi getting it on in a bathtub? Watching Trip and T'Pol rubbing each other down while they're half naked? Honestly, I'm so desensitized to it, it doesn't bother me...but fair is fair.

And FYI, it's homosexuality, but then I don't exactly expect the people who hate it to be able to spell it correctly.

I might come off as "homophobic," but that would suggest that I "fear" homosexuals. They don't scare me, I just don't like their lifestyle. I don't want to see it on TV nor in a movie either.

How nice for you. Luckily, Rick Berman agrees with you.

However, like I said earlier, if it happens, I'm not going to make a big fuss about it. I'll just find a different sci-fi show to watch. :thumbsup:

More power to you. :thumbsup:

 

[IndyJones]

Posted by Charles Trip Tucker III:
I'll just find a different sci-fi show to watch. :thumbsup:

I always love the self-righteous folks who will stop watching Trek if it shows homosexuality (due to the sinful nature, so they say). I wonder how much Trek, or any other show, they'd be able to watch if they carried the "no sin on tv" mantra consistently.

Star Trek shows pre-marital sex, murder, crime, lying, acquisition of material possesions, and a general future where most of the heroes don't believe in God.

 

[Hellfreezer]

Well I for one am glad that George Takei has come out (good for him) but as much as I want to see a gay or bisexual regular on Trek I think it’s a long way off.