Gay Crew members

[Captrek]

^ Agreed.

Spock and Uhura's relationship was, in some way, important to the plot, so it was shown. We can't expect every relationship between every pair of crewmembers to get that kind of time. We don't see gay, or even straight, relationships (for the most part) because it's just not important to the plot.

We also got Kirk sleeping with Gaila, Kirk hitting on Uhura, and Sarek speaking of his love for Amanda. Homo sapiens, Vulcans, and the rest of the animal kingdom are sexual creatures, and Trek has never been afraid to remind us of that.

I don’t think we need a “gay character” or “gay plot” written into the next film, but the next time Kirk is hitting on a woman in a bar, how about showing an affectionate gay couple in the background?

I’ve never looked for it, but I’m wondering: with all the scenes on Risa, Ten Forward, Quark’s, the Promenade, etc., has there ever been an unambiguously gay couple among the extras? If not, then I’d say it’s overdue.

 

[T'Girl]

Kind of going back to my question on Lt Hawk.

Unless TPTB actual show two men (or women) in a bedroom scene or exchanging a lingering kiss, exactly how are the audience suppose to know that their gay? Being gay of course goes beyond sexual contact. But this is a show, a performance, you could have the gay character say something in a log entry or a voice over personal thought, but that's the announcement again.

I'm Latin, the sight of two men briefly kissing (cheeks) is normal in my world and hardly indicates gayness.

Seattle has a Arab community, who's men hold hands walking down the streets and while sitting at table in restaurants, still no gayness.

So, short of a physical act or an announcement, how do you get across to the viewers that the new (or old) guy is gay?

 

[Deckerd]

Whatever they do, if they decide to shoehorn it in, you can guarantee it will be cheesy and will infuriate everyone. What they need is RTD to co-write the next one. That way there will be men shagging men, women shagging women and aliens shagging anything with a pulse. And all an intrinsic part of the plot.

 

[Sector 7]

So, short of a physical act or an announcement, how do you get across to the viewers that the new (or old) guy is gay?

I think 'At Home with the O'Briens' was a way to show family life away from the bridge/job. It was done well and would be a great way to portray a gay couple onscreen.

Just a short scene of one of the couple having to run out the door to man his post, saying, "I love you. Be back as soon as I can." or when duty calls, "Tuck the kids into bed for me, honey. Looks like an all-nighter in engineering/sickbay/the bridge again."

Something like this could be integrated easily into most any storyline AND have the advantage of showing that gay people are not just sex-crazed, disco dancing party animal stereotypes. We do our jobs, have families, etc. just like everyone else.

 

[thumbtack]

No, but it is time for a fat ass. A character every bit as large as the fans who complain about gays.


.

 

[Penta]

No, but it is time for a fat ass. A character every bit as large as the fans who complain about gays.


.

Be reasonable, some of us watch Trek while we're eating.

 

[JarodRussell]

Didn't the Germans or Austrians make a gay Star Trek movie?

 

[T'Girl]

'At Home with the O'Briens'

One of the things that makes me unhappy about the future of Star Trek is that we're likely going to have a two hour long movie every three years. That isn't much content. TNG and DS9 were about 250 hours over less than twelve years. 250 odd hours is plenty of time for secondary characters like the O.Brians and their sometime strange romance.

I like your idea of tell the viewers with subtly that there are gay characters. But the relationship between Spock and Uhura wasn't presented with finesse. Subtly isn't the Abrams way.

 

[Guardian452]

I agree that we need a new tv series where we could introduce gay characters with more ease. They could be supporting characters, or who knows, one of the main cast could actually for the first time be gay. That would be cool.

I just started this conversation with the idea of a gay character in the movie since movies seem to be all we have to work with at the moment. I'm all for a new tv series, just not sure if thats actually going to happen any time soon.

 

[Arpy]

No Laser Beam, no Spock/Uhura either. No romance of any kind. All exploration, war, duty, but no sexuality of any kind, not a thought, ever! Mu-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaa!

...I'm Latin, the sight of two men briefly kissing (cheeks) is normal in my world and hardly indicates gayness.

Seattle has a Arab community, who's men hold hands walking down the streets and while sitting at table in restaurants, still no gayness.

So, short of a physical act or an announcement, how do you get across to the viewers that the new (or old) guy is gay?

If two men are making googly eyes at each other at a bar, holding hands, one man straightens another's stray hair, they whisper and laugh with each other, brush lips on neck, and overall are sharing obvious romantic intimacy, cultural differences be damned. You don't need to see intercourse or hear stentorian decelerations to know you're seeing a gay couple.

Do you need to ask every man or woman you see if they're gay or straight before you ask them out or know whether there's a more than good chance they're gay or straight? Lets not be silly here.

Further, that's the sort of thing that should be in the background between "gay" episodes, no different than the similar stuff you see of "straightness" between episodes like "This Side of Paradise", "Lessons", "Looking for par'Mach...", that ep where Seven/Chakotay get it on, etc.

 

[Captrek]

I agree that we need a new tv series where we could introduce gay characters with more ease. They could be supporting characters, or who knows, one of the main cast could actually for the first time be gay. That would be cool.

Ugh. I know how it’s going to happen.

They’re going to be coy about it, dropping little hints every now and then so fans speculate and argue about whether the character is gay. Then in the third season, to much fanfare, he comes out.

BTW, I suspect that Sisko and Eddington had a thing but kept it hush-hush.

 

[T'Girl]

Sisko and Eddington had a thing

Yes, wondering who topped?

 

[Whill]

Deep Gay Nine was bursting with all kinds of gay/bi/transgender content. I applaud Star Trek for being so socially forward!

But in the next Trek movie I'd love to see some lesbian action. Maybe a little love triangle sub-plot with Uhura being tempted away from Spock by a woman...

...OK, just kidding about that being in the movie, but I admit would seriously love to see that in a deleted scene or something. Zoë Saldana is so hot.

 

[Therin of Andor]

James Kirk: "Crewman, what are you doing there?"

Crewman: "Just being gay Sir."

It was a red shirt till it faded, Sir."

 

[BillJ]

Let's not forget in this day and age that it isn't Star Trek anymore, it's McTrek. The Powers That Be are making money with the current formula and aren't going to veer from it to satisfy a few people.

So it'll continue to be six white guys and a black chick fighting more and more ridiculous foes to save the universe.

 

[Arpy]

I wonder if part of the reason you don't see gay folks in popular science-fiction isn't the popular sci-fi fans themselves. We "geeks"...funny how that's "cool" now...gorgeous actresses proclaiming they were nerds in high school...uh-huh. But we "geeks" carry baggage with us from growing up. Many of us weren't on a varsity team and were alienated from our peers for being brighter or whatever. Regardless how well we have/haven't turned out that old pain or the lessons from it are still with us, and though we're today more open in some ways (sure you're blue and antennaed, so?) we're not as much in others - anything that reminds us of our own past inadequacies. It's especially galling when a party so way less normal than you were are all of a sudden in with the in crowd. They don't even procreate properly! That's science!

I've been thinking about this recently and I think it's the same reason the tough guy or good looking guy in a cast isn't too tough or too good looking, and if he is, he's got something going against him. Worf's a Klingon, Jane's kind of stupid and held in check by Mal, Ronin's an outsider, Apollo's walked all over by Starbuck and has a genteelness about him, the guy on SG-Universe has a golly-gee likability about him.

Homosexuals have a harder time being accepted in minorities as well - I'm thinking among blacks specifically. It's easy to look beyond differences when you're the party in power - you can afford to be magnanimous, to show largess, not to care, to be and let be. But if you need all the numbers you can get, you expect your own to be with you in all ways. And the ways you've known you hold to all the more during these tough times.

I think this is part of why Trek's never had a gay character. The other part being that when every other show and it's neighbor were cutting that edge, Trek was too busy in a temporal causality loop imploding in on it's uncreative self. At this point I cringe what 1996 way they'll begin broaching the subject. Christ, I'd almost rather see Khan in the next movie. Strike that - I would definitely. Better to be repetitive than antiquated.

 

[Deckerd]

I've been thinking about this recently and I think it's the same reason the tough guy or good looking guy in a cast isn't too tough or too good looking, and if he is, he's got something going against him. Worf's a Klingon, Jane's kind of stupid and held in check by Mal, Ronin's an outsider, Apollo's walked all over by Starbuck and has a genteelness about him, the guy on SG-Universe has a golly-gee likability about him.

You and Hermiod should get on like a house on fire.

 

[boobatuba]

Star Trek has already had a gay character. Hoshi Sato. Prove to me that she was not a lesbian.

 

[number6]

Don't forget Phlox and his physical relationship with Porthos.


Also Reed and Hayes!!

 

[Hermiod]

I've been thinking about this recently and I think it's the same reason the tough guy or good looking guy in a cast isn't too tough or too good looking, and if he is, he's got something going against him. Worf's a Klingon, Jane's kind of stupid and held in check by Mal, Ronin's an outsider, Apollo's walked all over by Starbuck and has a genteelness about him, the guy on SG-Universe has a golly-gee likability about him.

You and Hermiod should get on like a house on fire.

Yay! I've been name-dropped in one of Deckerd's usual pointless one line sarcastic comments that add nothing to the discussion again! Those are always the highlight of my hour.