Is Sulu gay?

[NTRPRZ]

We all know that George Takei came out of the closet several years ago. I admire him for that, particularly because he probably realized it would cause some snide remarks from a lot of people, even Trek fans who otherwise espouse many of Trek's ideals: tolerance and acceptance, just to name two.
This leads me to ask: why do so many in our caption contests make gay remarks about Sulu? Clearly the character isn't gay, even though he's played by a gay actor. Are we just having a little fun (i.e., similar references to Shatner's toupee) or are we showing a little insecurity and intolerance ourselves?

 

[Timewalker]

I don't know why people have to equate the two. It's just not funny to me. Sure, George Takei came out. And that's his own personal decision. I'm happy that he found a life partner and they were able to be married.

However, it was established very early on in 1st-season TOS that Sulu is NOT gay. He is as much a ladies' man as any of the male regulars.

It would be really nice if people would get off the "Sulu is gay, so let's make gay jokes" schtick in the caption contests. It's a cheap, lazy way of playing the game, in my opinion.

 

[Danny99]

However, it was established very early on in 1st-season TOS that Sulu is NOT gay. He is as much a ladies' man as any of the male regulars.

It would be really nice if people would get off the "Sulu is gay, so let's make gay jokes" schtick in the caption contests. It's a cheap, lazy way of playing the game, in my opinion.

I totally agree with everything said here.

I don't get why Takei being gay must equal Sulu being gay. I'll also remind the jury that Sulu had a daughter.

 

[Captrek]

Conflating actor and character is a common source of humor in these things, like having Archer leap through time and say “Oh boy.” Relax.

 

[Kelso]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc54OERosps[/yt]

(10:43)


Yes, he is.

 

[Prologic9]

. I'll also remind the jury that Sulu had a daughter.

Let it be known that Danny99 believes gays shouldn't have children.

-----

I don't believe there's anything that would point to Sulu not being gay, and as already shown the reverse can't be said.

Let's just say he is gay and try and get it into the nuTrek canon.

 

[Agenda]

How about we don't, since there's more evidence to suggest he's hetero?

Like in his reaction to Ilia in the The Motion Picture, or his swashbuckling moves with Uhura in Naked Time? Or there's that scene in Star Trek V with Vixis, or in TAS where he's with a fantasy girl or something.

 

[mattyhugh]

Helllllloooooooo

 

[Destructor]

I'm pretty sure you can have gay actors playing straight characters. See: The History of Movies.

That said: Sulu is totes gay.

 

[Prologic9]

How about we don't, since there's more evidence to suggest he's hetero?

Like in his reaction to Ilia in the The Motion Picture, or his swashbuckling moves with Uhura in Naked Time? Or there's that scene in Star Trek V with Vixis, or in TAS where he's with a fantasy girl or something.

So all of his "hetero" examples involve either A; Aliens with Super-Sex powers, B; suffering from extreme alien intoxication, or C; muscular Klingon dyke women?

I'm sorry but I'm putting all of those in the "Sulu is gay" tally box.

 

[Kirk1980]

If he is gay, he did a fantastic job of being in the closet.

 

[number6]

The only character who wasn't gay was Lee Kelso.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

As his character didn't state either way in the series, we'll never know. However, with the lack of information, he probably isn't, and there is some evidence showing otherwise. He might still be either gay or bisexual, but we'll never know about it.

Also, maybe in the 23rd century they don't care about this stuff very much. Instead of stating anywhere that you're homosexual, when a woman approaches you, you just tell her that you prefer men. Or Klingon women. Or simply that you don't like her.

Also what does “gay” mean? “I don't like human females, but I like human males”? The females of some alien species might attract human homosexual males with their masculine look. With so much species around dividing preference into “heterosexual” and “homosexual” should be meaningless at one point.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I doubt by the time of the TOS, such things as orientation mean a damn thing. People are just people.

But if people are really interested in putting labels on Mr. Sulu, maybe he is bisexual. That way he gets the best of both worlds

-Bry

 

[Pauln6]

Everybody in the future is omnisexual. Staships are one big love in.

 

[Kelso]

As his character didn't state either way in the series, we'll never know.

See my post.

He stated on-screen that he was gay.

 

[ALF]

Yes.
So is Tom Paris.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

When you have a series where interspecies mating is going on, gender preferences don't mean a lot.

 

[Char Aznable]

Gay Sulu jokes will never stop being funny.

/thread.

 

[YARN]

It shouldn't really matter either way, but the answer is no.

First, Sulu is a character written in the 1960s and on TV the official story was that all heroes are hetero. Trek is a show of its time and the characters are rendered in terms of norms of that period. Trek was pushing the envelope by simply being multicultural.

Second, alternate reality Sulu puts the moves on Uhura. This is not knock-down proof, since this is not regular Sulu, but as evidence it stands for rather than against the hypothesis that Sulu is straight.

Third, we get no direct on-screen evidence suggesting that Sulu is gay. Not only is it not mentioned, it's not even hinted at.

Fourth, Sulu's daughter. Sure, gays can adopt kids, and gays sometimes involve surrogates to have biological offspring. Again, this is not knock-down evidence, but the most typical father-daughter relationship is that of a biological pairing (which would mean that Sulu would, at least, appear to be bisexual). Conventional expectations are still such that we that when we speak of father and daughter the presumption is that the relationship is that of a heterosexual father and implied mother who produce the daughter. Cutting against the grain of this default expectation requires introducing more data. My default expectation of the faucet, for example, is that water will stream out if I turn it on - to defeat this default assumption, we need extra data (e.g., the plumbing is broken).

The standing presumption is has been Sulu is straight for quite some time. For example, people back in 1976 discussing the show did not worry themselves about whether Sulu was straight or not.

Since presumption is in favor of the belief that Sulu is straight, the burden of proof really lies with the person who suggests that he is gay. The case above is not an absolute slam-dunk, but neither is the case against Uhura smoking pot in her private quarters. Want to assert that Uhura was toking in her private quarter? Fine, you have the burden of proof.